About
The Founder & The Vision
A Foundation of Diverse Talents
This vision was brought to life by ANV’s founder, Sam Stone. Born in St. Petersburg (Leningrad), USSR, to a family of engineers, his life has been a unique fusion of analytical rigor and artistic passion. This diversity is reflected in his unique journey: at sixteen, he began composing songs; at twenty-two, he became a USSR karate champion; and by twenty-five, he was a leading microprocessor developer, creating advanced debugging systems that were otherwise unavailable in the country at the time.
A Journey Through Light and Contrast
Throughout it all, his defining passion was photography. Growing up surrounded by the unique beauty of his hometown – with its palaces, canals, and bridges – he developed a deep appreciation for the profound harmony of his environment, shaping his artistic eye and his lifelong love for capturing beauty. In 1990, his journey led him to Israel, where he sought to capture the ethereal charm of the Holy Land – a place where centuries seemed to slow their pace. His career evolved with the software industry itself, and a decade later, he found himself in the beautiful province of Ontario, Canada.
The Craft: Forging the Tools for the Vision
It was here that a pivotal moment occurred: seeing a high-resolution big screen for the first time. It became clear that high-quality photographic images could now move, creating action of unprecedented beauty. For years, Sam had been fascinated by the potential of immersive video content as a powerful tool for harmonization and well-being. The arrival of accessible, high-quality cameras and FPV drones finally unlocked previously unseen possibilities, making the dream of creating a truly immersive, first-person experience a practical reality. Drawing on decades of professional experience, as a professional software engineer, he was able to independently design the entire architecture of the ANV Platform, building it from the ground up to serve as the perfect delivery vehicle for this new form of art.
The Inspiration: Nature as a Living Entity
But technology was only part of the foundation. The project is deeply inspired by legendary filmmakers, especially Andrei Tarkovsky, in whose work nature acts as a living, spiritual entity—one that interacts with humanity, tests it, comforts it, and helps find answers to life’s most profound questions. Artistic Nature Video exists at the intersection of these forces, aiming to capture that genuine “feeling of flight” that we can and should experience in our lives.
The Mission: Sustainability and Accessibility
From the very beginning, Sam envisioned ANV not as a traditional business, but as a social enterprise with a dual mission. Our commercial platform, ANV Enterprise, provides a premium product to organizations that can invest in well-being, ensuring the project’s financial sustainability.
Simultaneously, our non-profit stream, funded by grants and reinvested profits, is dedicated to providing ANV to public hospitals, hospices, and underfunded schools – those who need it most but can afford it least.
Have More Questions?
We’ve compiled answers to the most common questions about our platform, our content, and our process.