Cancer Guardian Ad

Promotional video filmed as a TV commercial for media buying. I wrote the script with my team, storyboarded the video, hired a production company in Los Angeles for filming, locations and talent. They did a great job, gave us a rough cut for a special promotion and then I made all of the final edits and output formats. I included some BTS footage in this portfolio version.

Technical Details

If you need a good production company in LA, the team I hired for this was outstanding. They handled the location scouting, the talent, the extras, voiceovers, finished filming in one day, and rough cut the next day so I could send a short version with our CEO to a conference in Europe. The only thing I didn’t like was the pink shirt the main actor wore, but we didn’t have wardrobe so it is what it was. This was fun project since I worked with my entire team at the company, the production team, and it was nice to have help. I used to doing smaller production by myself, so there’s a lot to be said for bigger budgets and better collaboration.

CEO 25th Anniversary Video

This was a video message from our CEO for the company’s 25th Anniversary. I filmed him, set up lighting an audio, and worked with our Director of Marketing to finalize the messaging through about 5 or 6 takes. We also recorded a secondary message for another event at the same time. After that I edited the footage, added b-roll and created motion graphics. We made several versions at different lengths This video was used internally and on social media.

Technical Details

I shot this on my Sony A7IV in 4k at 30 fps. I had a second angle recorded with my FX 30 but we decided not t o use the second camera footage. I usually record several cameras, just in case, so I have extra footage. We recorded in a great location, next to the elevator, so we had to have helpers and signs to have people take the stairs to this level while we recorded. I wanted the lighting flat and they had warm track lights lights installed above the area so I had to filter those out. Then I used one lantern softbox, turned all the way down, for even lighting.

For audio I used a lav mic and we used a teleprompter.

This was a fully mobile set up with three rolling cases.

Technical Details

I shot the interviews on my Sony A7IV in 4k at 30 fps. The second angles were recorded with my FX 30. For the first interview (inside Luke’s studio) we turned his lights down. I added one small portable light I brought to bounce of the wall and his control room window had a lot of light coming in, and a window outside with no curtains or shades. I brought some material to filter light but he had a session, so time was limited and I couldn’t install it. My A7IV did great with the natural light in the main shot but my FX 30 in the wide shot still was a bit over exposed on the window light side with a good f 2.8 lens. Luckily the older 90s video vibe worked with the over exposed section, and the texture effects I added enhanced it more. Luke is more of a dark vibe with some of his music (he does some industrial, metal etc.), so it worked for what I wanted.

For his MPC demo, I didn’t bring a mic that can take heavy drum hits (like my Sure SM 57), so I just recorded that part with a second lav resting on on the back couch of the studio (again in 32 bit float) and it turned out really well. I had to fiddle with it in post a bit, but for drums coming through a lav, it worked great. I was using the first gen of the Rode Wireless Pro lav system.

This was a fully mobile set up with one backpack.

For the second interview with Milky Wayne, I filmed on a patio at a cafe in our neighborhood. Great location–and normally quiet–but that day there was a big soccer match on, so the crowd was loud. I used a lav and two cameras, on two tripods, and carried all the gear in with my backpack (no parking near the cafe). I switched the angles from left to right, to do something different (and because of space issues), and the colors and natural sunlight were perfect to contrast Luke’s dark studio look. There was also a crow that decided to perch above us on a wire that kept making noise; you can see Wayne laughing a couple times because of that. Eventually the crow went away and we were able to finish.

I had to do a lot of post production on the audio but I recorded in 32 bit float so I had plenty of dynamic range to use some ai tools and plugins to filter out all the noise. I think it turned out great. You can barely tell there was any noise at all.

KPBS Podcast Video Segment

This is a video I produced for KPBS and The Parker Edison Project for their podcast Rap Diego, here in San Diego, California. Parker suggested the theme “Beat Machines of the 90s” to highlight the machines used to make hip hop and other music in the 90s. I developed an aesthetic that looks like an older video series with some graphics and illustrations that I would animate throughout. I also filmed and edited the two interviews at two different locations, handled the audio (the second interview was outside while people were watching a loud sports match inside the cafe), so I had to do a lot of post processing to remove the noise. Then I created some unique motion graphics (the title, the MPC 2000 segment graphics, the”Machine Head” hip hop characters, lower thirds, segment titles and credits sequence). I finished it with some stock music, a track I produced and ai music. I also used ai voiceover from Runway.ml.

Animated Explainer HCT germline

This is an animated video I produced along with the genetic scientists and the Director of Product Marketing at my previous company. After the script was finalized, I created graphics and storyboards for approval. Once those were approved, I animated (using After Effects) and edited the video. We finished with about three revisions. I added ai voiceover (I used Eleven Labs and then converted that using kits.ai so it would be a unique voice.) and finally I added licensed stock music. There is a second video in this series you will see in my portfolio.

Animated Explainer Genetic Testing

This is another animated video I produced along with the genetic experts and a Senior Marketing Manager at my previous company. We developed the script and storyboards together and I created the vector illustrations based on a character design system I set up for previous videos. Upon approval I animated everything in After Effects and finalized the editing and timing with the voiceover. I hired a professional voice artist for this one. I also had to edit many of the screen features several times since the brand registration changed during the project.

Complete AI-Produced Video

This is a fun, personal project I made using Gen-ai. I have been using ai for a few years and I can tell you, it is not easy to get good results. You really have to develop s strategy and do a lot of trial and error. You also have to spend a lot on credits.

To make this video I created a custom LLM so I could get a consistent likeness of my face. Then I created the video motion and lip sync in Hey Gen, along with a custom clone of my voice. Then I wrote a story about me as a hapless guy trying to make a movie about dragons, but nothing goes right. Instead of writing the story trying to get the ai to do exactly what the story said, I wrote the story around the images I could get.

Technical Details

The funniest gag is the ridiculous “dragon makeup” scene that was just a bad result of a prompt fail. After I got the footage I wanted, I edited it together, made some music with ai, added some custom ai b-roll and finished it in about one day.
Gen-Ai images, video, music and motion graphics will be amazing in the near future but for now the cost and time it takes to get results needs a lot of improvement. I have a sequel and some extra scenes finished for this one. I’ll post an update soon.

Film Festival Promotion

This was a film festival promo I made for a local festival. It was designed to run on screens in between screenings and in kiosks around the venues. I made all the graphics and alpha channel motion elements and edited the footage.

Volunteering /Community Projects Reading with Ms. Hailey

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These are a couple videos I made for a local teacher who was running a book drive and sharing her time making sure kids have books to read and visiting them at their school to read in class. I went to the school, filmed the reading sessions and book giveaways. The second video was our first project where I filmed her book drive, took some photos and added some motion graphics.