I have a wide range of experience in video storytelling, having worked on award-winning documentary series, narrative short films, and music videos in various roles as a director, producer, editor, and director of photography. These projects have ranged from large to small client budgets to receiving film production grants to being journalistically published. However, at the core of all of them was my passion for engaging storytelling.
I was the Director of Photography and an editor for the three-part documentary film series "Hold Our Ground," which highlights the innovative work of producers across Colorado to promote soil health and create more resilient agricultural systems. The series has been well received with 24 Official Juried Selections, Conference and Community Screenings, & Awards.
I was awarded the 2022 and 2023 Voices With Impact production grants to create a short film about the mental health theme of that year. For 2023, I co-directed the "Clubbing." A comedy about cliques and echo chambers faced at a college club fair.
In 2022, I co-created the poetic documentary "Beyond the Soil," which explores the climate anxiety experienced by farmers and ranchers. I was the Director of Photography and an editor for both films. "Clubbing" has received seven film festival selections and awards so far, and "Beyond the Soil" has 19 selections, exhibitions, and awards, with five awards, eight film festival selections, four invited exhibitions, and two online screenings.
With my background in journalism, my videos have been featured in several publications. The "Changing the Future of Farming in Fort Collins" video was produced, recorded, and edited for Rocky Mountain PBS. You can read the accompanying article I wrote here.
I was a correspondent for Planet Forward, and I had multiple stories and videos published on their website, You can find all of them here.
I have directed and been the director of photography for multiple narrative short films with multiple film festival selections. "Whole" was the first short film I directed, and it was created as a part of the 2021 Make More Everything Challenge in Fort Collins. The basis of the challenge was for a newly assembled team to create a short narrative film in one week. Whole went on to win the audience choice award of the challenge and be an official screening at the 2021 Horsetooth International Film Festival (HIFF).
"Focus, Please" was the second short film I directed. It was an official selection at the 2023 Vienna Independent Film Festival, the 2023 Horsetooth Fest, and the 2024 Castle Rock Film Festival.
Corporate documentary storytelling combines my marketing and journalistic skills to find an authentic story that conveys a targeted message for the client. A couple of short corporate documentaries I have done as the director, producer, DoP, and editor are Semester at Sea and United Way of Larimer County.
I have worked on numerous music videos, and they are one of my favorite kinds of videos to produce. "Oh, Colorado" by Ally Westover was created by myself and Chiara Garland. I was the cinematographer and co-editor for the project. "Oh, Colorado" was an official selection of HIFF 2021.
"Femme" by Hygia was created as part of the 2023 53:14 Music Video Experiment. I was a cinematographer on a team of filmmakers tasked with creating a music video with a band we had never met before in 53 hours and 14 minutes. The Femme was an official selection at the 2024 Mosh Film Fest. Other 53:14 music videos I was a cinematographer for were "Keepsake" by Dogtags and "Élan En Miraflores" by Russick Smith.
I have a passion for documentary storytelling, and these two shorts sparked my passion for science communication documentary film. I filmed and edited the video about the Amazing from Afar communication campaign for the Center for Science Communication at Colorado State University (CSU). I was also the research photographer and a data analyst for the research project.
Lasting Embers explores the lasting impacts of wildfire in Colorado after the devastating 2020 fire season. This is the first documentary I have directed and edited, and it sparked the creation of the environmental communication production company WUI Productions. Lasting Embers was also an official selection in the HIFF, 2022 Colorado Short Circuit Film Festival, and 2021 CSU Student Documentary Film Showcase.
I edited and directed a series of videos for CSU's Environmental Learning Center (ELC). For the birding guide, my team took a light-hearted and humorous approach to birding at the ELC, and for the PSA, we produced a quick video on what to know before visiting.
I was the Director of Photography, Assistant Director, and Editor for the Crop Diversity Series that was produced with multiple scientists and identities at CSU. This 6-part educational series won numerous international awards and a Best of Show Broadcast Education Association award.
Personality profile videos are a great way to immerse yourself in a story about a person's passion. My interview with Russick Smith took place during the 2018 53:14 Music Video Festival. I was part of the Mattbox 70 team that filmed Smith's music video for "Élan En Miraflores," which was completed in 53 hours and 14 minutes. The video clips that are not from the interview are from the music video.
Another one of my favorite personality profiles was on Tessa Hoenig. Who is affectionately called "Tess the Mess" by her friends for a good reason!
Over the last couple of years, I have been experimenting with Super 8 film during my travels, and these short films represent my passion and skill with film.
