About
Hi — I'm Dennis Nagelkirk.
I make films in Grand Rapids, MI for people who have something worth saying and want it said well.
Really Reel is me, Dennis Nagelkirk. I'm a filmmaker in Grand Rapids, MI, and I work across the whole of a project — the conversation about what it needs to say, the storyboard, the camera, the sound, the edit, the color, and the final files.
Working this way is a deliberate choice. When one person carries a project from the first meeting to the last export, nothing gets lost in a handoff and no one has to be brought up to speed on why a scene matters. You talk to the person who is actually making your film.
When a project needs more than one set of hands, I bring in people I trust — additional camera, sound, grip, color, animation — from a deep bench of West Michigan talent. That is how film has always worked: you build the crew the project calls for. What does not change is who is accountable for the result.
What I do myself.
Not a list of things I can arrange — a list of things I do with my own hands.
Videography
Cameras, lighting, and direction on the day of the shoot.
Sound
Clean, intelligible audio — the thing viewers actually notice.
Editing & Post
Assembly, color, sound mix, titles, and delivery in every format you need.
Storyboarding & Pre-production
Deciding what the film is before anyone picks up a camera.
Creative Direction
Shaping the idea, the tone, and how the whole thing hangs together.
Why Grand Rapids.
I live and work here, which means I know the rooms, the light, the permitting, and the people. A crew that can be on location in twenty minutes costs less and moves faster than one flying in.
Most of my work is in Grand Rapids and across West Michigan, and I travel for the right project. If you're outside the area and the story is worth it, ask.
Let's talk about your project.
Tell me what you're trying to say and who needs to hear it. I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right person for it.