About

Years of making things with people much smarter than us

Antarctica, on assignment for Discovery

We make ambitious ideas easier to see, understand, and care about.

Standing Sideways Moving Forward is an independent creative company founded by Barry Pousman.

Barry has spent his career helping organizations find better ways to bring complicated ideas into public life. That work has taken the form of films, original series, global campaigns, educational programs, immersive experiences, and audience strategies.

Along the way, he has led digital programming at Discovery, developed projects with the United Nations, built programs for universities and technology companies, and produced work shown at major festivals and events around the world.

What We Do

Films + Original Series

Workshops + Learning

Public Engagement

Audience Strategy

Clients + Partners

Why Standing Sideways?

The name comes from a simple belief: the most interesting way into a problem is rarely straight on.

Sometimes the job is to find the story nobody has noticed yet. Sometimes it is choosing a completely different format. Sometimes the idea is already good and the real problem is getting anyone to pay attention to it.

Standing Sideways is about finding that angle. Moving Forward is what happens next.

Barry Pousman

Founder + Executive Producer

Barry is a producer, strategist, and creative leader whose work has moved between media, technology, education, and public-interest storytelling.

He has built digital programming for Discovery, developed global storytelling initiatives with the United Nations, created learning and public-engagement programs, and led content and audience strategy for organizations ranging from universities to technology companies.

His work has earned Emmy recognition, Webby and Anthem Awards, and has appeared at Sundance, Tribeca, Venice, SXSW, and other major festivals and gatherings.


Have something worth getting people to care about?

Tell us what you’re working on.