Squarespace Website Design
1M1: Hollywood Horns of the Golden Years
1M1: Hollywood Horns of the Golden Years is a documentary film about the history of the Los Angeles film studio French horn players from the 1920s through the 1960s. We worked with their team to build a vintage-styled, classy site that is easy to navigate. We also included call to actions through out to make it easy for visitors to donate to the film. Visit live website →
When the team behind 1M1: Hollywood Horns of the Golden Years approached us, they had a bold vision: honor the legacy of French horn players in early Hollywood while building momentum for their feature-length documentary. We helped them bring that vision to life with a custom Squarespace website that balances elegance, storytelling, and clarity.
As a creative agency specializing in conversion-focused design, we knew the site had to do more than just look beautiful. It needed to build trust, guide users through the story, and inspire action.
The Challenge
The film explores a niche—but culturally rich—topic, and the creators needed a site that could…
Establish immediate credibility
Educate visitors about the film’s unique historical value
Drive donations and trailer views
Feel professional, but still warm and vintage
Our Approach
We started by applying the StoryBrand framework to structure the homepage content — clearly articulating what the film is, why it matters, and what action the viewer should take next. We also:
Designed a timeless visual identity using vintage textures, clean typography, and a striking black-and-gold palette
Embedded calls to action across all key pages (FAQ, Gallery, Cast & Crew) to keep the experience engaging and donation-friendly
Built on Squarespace for clean, responsive layouts and easy post-launch edits by the client
Optimized content for key creative industries SEO phrases
Synopsis Page
FAQ Page
We built a dedicated FAQ page that not only answered common questions — like “What does the title mean?” and “Where can I get a copy?” — but also played a strategic role in SEO and conversion:
Accordion-style layout for ease of reading and navigation
Keyword-rich questions and answers designed to show up in long-tail Google searches
Trust-building language to reduce friction for donations and film engagement
Optimized for voice search and zero-click results, helping surface the page for casual queries
By proactively addressing the visitor's curiosities and barriers, we kept users on the site longer and guided them toward meaningful actions.
Results
A custom Squarespace site that honors the film’s tone while meeting modern UX standards
Embedded FAQ and donation paths that increased engagement
Strong foundation for ongoing SEO recovery and long-term visibility
A proud showcase of our storytelling-forward design approach
“We wanted something timeless and professional — but still personal. Knapsack absolutely nailed it.”
