SPECIAL PROJECTS
I have a habit of spinning plates. I’d bemoan my own dilettantism, but I don’t think I flutter between things so vacuously. This year, however, the sheer spectrum of the work unfurled in pretty broad form. From editing documentaries bound for the Tribeca Film Festival, to finding a Telly Award statuette on my desk for directing animation, to having a project I designed presented at COP28 to hosting a podcast episode. We’ll see if next year I can be a little more focused. Or not.
EDITING: The multi-hyphenate Smriti Keshari brought me two documentary films to edit for the Meadlowlark Media series “Sports Explains The World.” I remotely edited with the directors Angela Hartwick, Nick Davis & Mark Rosenberg and the resulting films, “Skatepark Sisterhood” and “Mud Man,” would both premier at this year’s Tribeca Festival. Produced and post produced by Firelight Films.
DIRECTING: I partnered with Adam Klevin and Beau Friedlander from the What The Hack podcast, developing a fresh way to market their podcast episodes. The podcast would win a Telly, an AVA Gold, a Shorty, two Signal awards and garner a Webby nomination. Collaborating with the team at Stephen Bones Productions, we also created videos Malcom Nance and Roy Wood Jr.
CREATIVE CONSULTING: Working with the Coral Restoration Consortium’s executive director Tali Vardi, PhD and creative consultant Sara Woster, I built a project designed to undermine my own role as a traditional, camera-pointing filmmaker. Knowing the constraints of budget, time and travel, I proposed a “citizen documentarian” project by which far-flung activists and scientists could tell their own story. The resulting CRC Storytelling Hub was introduced at COP28 and immediately picked up as a partner by The Commonwealth.
EDITING: Director Julia Ngeow asked me to edit her documentary series for FEMA, following personal flood-relief stories in Detroit, St. Louis and Washington State. The intimate portraits of survivors and rebuilders are an important facet of FEMA’s 2023 educational campaign. This is the combo anthem piece.
Post Produced by TBD.
DIRECTING: For the last couple years I’ve been helping the creative people at Ammunition build assets for their client Westlake Pipe & Fittings. This has run the gamut a bit, from directing animation pieces to writing speculative treatment briefs for mini portrait docs. It has also included spending time in Ontario, Canada directing and shooting testimonials about their friendly product. Produced by Picture Farm Production.
EDITING: Working with Jason Schmidt and Cory Jacobs is the best. If they ask me to make something with them, I’ll do it. From a Chanel film with Tilda Swinton at the Venice Biennial to a cute romp through a hotel or two, I’m up for it. Earlier this year we made these things for Hotels.com. Cute, simple, artfully done.
SCREENING: On June 29th, 2023 "The Surf Magazines Don't Talk About Lapsed Catholics," played at The Capitol Theatre in Melbourne, Australia as part of a short film series called "Everyday Oceans" to mark the World Oceans Day. All ticket proceeds went to The Great Southern Reef Foundation (@greatsouthernreef). Co-organized by my great friend @moving_oceans. If you missed it, you can still catch it here.
PODCASTING: And finally, one of the highlights of my year was being able to spend time with my friend and role model, Mick Sowry, in New York visiting from the Great Ocean Road in Australia. I was handed the opportunity to interview the filmmaker/artist/creative director/writer about life choices, processing grief and keeping the creative inspiration going for the Swell Season Surf Podcast. A bit of a fill-in role for me as Ty Breuer, the podcast’s host, went down sick. The conversation turned less podcast interview and more friendly ramble. Listen to it on Apple or Spotify.