Privacy Policy

Who we are

Northline Storyworks is a documentary studio with locations in Albany, New York and Northern Michigan. We work throughout the Capital Region and Northern Michigan. This policy covers northlinestoryworks.com, Community Spotlight nominations and votes, studio inquiries, the email newsletter, published letters on the website, and text messages we send about those programs.

Information we collect

When you nominate someone, vote, or send an inquiry, we collect the information you type: your name, mobile number, optional email, your relationship to the nominee, and the reason for the nomination. We also store a device cookie used only to prevent duplicate votes, and a one-way hash of the network address used to submit the form so staff can review unusual voting patterns. We do not store raw IP addresses for Spotlight.

If you ask to be texted when the next Community Spotlight round opens, we store the mobile number you submit on that waitlist until you cancel.

If you join the mailing list from the homepage or the newsletter page, we store the email address you submit, when you joined, and a token used only so you can unsubscribe.

If you create a studio account, we also store your email, password hash, and any mobile number you verify to sign in.

How we use it

We use your mobile number to confirm you are a real person, to enforce one vote per phone number per nominee, and — only if you opt in — to text you a confirmation and a few updates about that Community Spotlight round. If you join the next-round waitlist, we use that number only to tell you when voting opens. We may also use the number you leave on an inquiry so the studio can call or text you back about a film.

If you join the mailing list, we use that email only to send the studio newsletter until you unsubscribe.

We do not sell, rent, or share your phone number, email, or vote with advertisers or data brokers. Studio staff can see voter details to moderate the round, approve new names, remove a nominee who opts out, and remove invalid votes. Vote totals stay private until a round closes.

Text messages

Campaign texts are sent only after you give consent: by checking the updates box on a nomination or vote and submitting, or by submitting your mobile number on the homepage waitlist for the next Community Spotlight round. Typical messages include a confirmation that we received your request, a notice that a new round is open or scheduled, a reminder that voting is closing, and a notice when a story is selected. Message frequency is low, usually a few texts per round or a single text when the next round opens.

You can cancel at any time by replying STOP. Reply HELP for help. Message and data rates may apply. Consent to texts is not required to vote, nominate, or inquire.

Email newsletter

The mailing-list form on the homepage and at /newsletter is how you join the studio newsletter. We send email only after you check the consent box and submit your address. Letters are typically monthly and may include notes on recent projects with links when those films are public.

Published letters also appear on the public newsletter page, including issues that were posted to the website without an email send. Every emailed letter includes an unsubscribe link. You can also ask the studio to remove you. Consent to email is not required to read published letters, use the site, nominate, vote, or inquire.

Cookies and similar technology

The Community Spotlight page sets a signed voter cookie so the same device cannot cast the same vote twice. Signed-in studio users have a session cookie. We do not use advertising cookies or sell browsing data.

How long we keep it

Nominations, votes, and related phone numbers are kept for the life of the Community Spotlight program so we can audit past rounds and honor removals. Mailing-list addresses stay until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete them; after you leave we keep a record of the address so we do not email it again unless you rejoin. You may ask us to delete or correct your information by contacting the studio. We will keep a record that a vote was removed so the same number cannot recast it.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your information: call (231) 597-7648 or use the contact form at /about-contact.