In 1966, at the age of 19, the two dropped out of college to make movies full time starting with a film in South America after the success of one of their first surfing documentaries, Free and Easy, which recouped its production costs after only 10 screenings.

[2][3] In the ensuing years, MacGillivray and Freeman produced a series of documentaries about surfing and skateboarding, pioneering a cinematic perspective for the genre by putting the viewer in the middle of the action via board-mounted cameras.

The company has directed and photographed for Warner Brothers, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount and Stanley Kubrick.

Its film Everest (1998) appeared on Variety's Top 10 Box Office chart for North America.

The company's films have received nominations and awards from the Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA).