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Short Film
"Old Troy Park, Sunday"
Give me a camera, a forest and a few free hours, and I'm one happy guy. Shooting for the sheer fun of it is about the best thing in the world. I began doing this long ago with 35mm stills, and video adds a wonderful new dimension. In this case, the place was a county park in Troy Hills, New Jersey. The date was February 1, 2009.
When I began editing this footage, I didn’t know what sort of story I’d be telling. It ended up being about an old tree, and the things it sees and hears in the forest on a bright winter day.
TV Documentary
"With a Dog's Eyes"
This clip is from a one-hour program I created for The Seeing Eye. Its centerpiece is a 40-minute performance by Bill Mooney as Morris Frank, the first blind American to gain independence with a Seeing Eye dog. This all happened back in 1927.
To fill out the 58-minute time slot, I added documentary segments at the beginning, middle, and end, which provide historical background on Morris Frank, and also explain how Bill came to write this story and craft his one-man show. The program aired on New Jersey Public Television in 1996.
TV Spot
"Wood Shop"
I created this piece for a contest in May 2008 called “Obama in 30 Seconds.” I didn’t win, but I am very proud of the spot.
"Wood Shop" demonstrates some of my favorite methods: a strong central metaphor, compelling visuals, and simple production. Many thanks to the star, Mitchell Elkowitz, his father John, who can be seen lurking in the background, and DP Dave Landau. Also thanks to Trey Lindsay for creating the musical score. Great job everyone!
Sales Video
"Fused Artistry"
In 2001, I was hired to create a fairly ambitious sales and marketing tape for artist Peggy Karr. Her company, Peggy Karr Glass, had more than tripled in size in only ten years, and Peggy herself had become something of a celebrity in the giftware field. This video needed to capture all that and more: how the company grew, how their products are made, and why customers love them.
It was a delightful project, produced like a small documentary. This segment shows the painstaking process of creating a design on raw glass, before the layers are fused into a finished plate.
Documentary
"Legacy of the Land"
In August 2009, I began a fascinating pro bono project: editing a year's worth of footage for the Schiff Natural Lands Trust. This group maintains and pomotes a gorgeous nature preserve in Mendham, NJ. Executive director Tanya Sulikowski and DP Greg Barna handled nearly all of the production details.
What you see here is a condensed version; the full lenth video runs 24 minutes. Special thanks to Bill Moyers for the narration and Moby for donating the music. In June 2010, "Legacy of the Land" won three Telly Awards: docmentary, cinematography and editing.
Self Help Video
"Choices"
In the mid to late ‘90s, I completed five videos for The Seeing Eye. This segment is from the first, “Choices.” It’s a general information piece for families in which someone has lost their vision, or has learned they eventually will. It was clear at the outset that the best strategy would be interviewing people who are blind and leading happy, productive lives.
This program turned out to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable I’ve ever directed. The people I met were amazing. Also, many thanks to Susan Stamberg for the excellent narration.
Anniversary Gala Presentation
"Growth"
This piece was commissioned by The Guardian Angels to help celebrate their 30-Year Anniversary. The goal was to show how the organization has evolved since their inception in 1979, with special emphais on their expansion beyond New York City.
I began by writing the simple text narrative about “Growth,” and then assembled still photos – many from non-US Angel chapters – to fit the text. Near the end, a little full motion stock footage helps add a nice climax.
Corporate Meeting Opener
"First Movements"
This is an older piece, but it remains one of my favorites. It was commissioned by a sales organization that had frozen all promotions, raises, bonuses and training initiatives, due to some delayed strategic plans. This led to considerable anxiety in the sales force and generally poor market performance.
When the new plans were finally ready, they were rolled out at a major national meeting. The sales vice president began the proceedings with a key message: “The freeze is over!” That’s what this video is about. It was the first thing shown at the meeting, and introduced the VP’s presentation on changes for the coming year.
Executive Meeting Opener
"Teamwork"
This one's an old favorite, a short piece created to open a meeting of the executive committee at a top pharmaceutical company. I had only one directive: Make sometihing about the importance of teamwork.
As with many of my projects, I used a simple idea, simply produced. We see a story of two teams literally side by side. One succeeds, one fails. The language is blunt, candid and even distrubing, and it was ideal for this application. The video was an instant success, and drove home the point that the company's business coiuld not move ahead without real cooperation at the hightest level. Thanks to John Elkowitz for the excellent editing.
Science Fiction Film
"The Small Multiple"
I wrote this script in 2007 to enter the monthly contest at MoviePoet.com, where it won third place. The following Spring, director Daniel Piatt contacted me, asking if he could shoot it for the DVXUser Timefest. I never said "Yes" so fast in my life. A few weeks later the film was in the can. It won third place at TimeFest, among some very strong competition.
I remain delighted with his interpretation of a story that is very dear to me. You can read the script here. Many thanks to Daniel for letting me post the film, and also for letting me re-edit the ending! What you see here is, in fact, the "writer's cut."