I grew up in New York and now live outside of the city. It’s debatable whether that makes me a city kid at heart or suburban transplant. The former sounds better so let’s go with that.
What’s not in question is what I do. For over 20 years, I’ve produced, written and directed a wealth of editorial and commercial video content. What does this mean?
As Producer, I do a bit of everything: develop and write pitches & treatments; conduct on-camera interviews; manage budgets and schedules; hire crews and ‘on-air’ talent.
That’s only the beginning – for real.
I always organize and supervise my shoots. Sometimes I direct them and without fail, I like to get a few extra takes — but not too many. I learned a long time ago that editors like to pick one of the first three they see.
I also oversee all aspects of post-production (editing, audio mix, graphics) and am an equal force of nature on the less glamorous but equally important parts of the puzzle: budgeting, hiring, negotiating with vendors, etc.
I love to write – whether it be a pitch, a VO script, or organizing a slew of sound bites to tell a comprehensive story. I was a journalist way back when and it never left me.
At my core, I’m a Storyteller, whether it be a 30-second brand spot or a 60-minute documentary… everything I do comes down to telling a story.
While at ESPN, I worked closely with brands like AT&T, Jaguar, Microsoft, Nike and Netflix. I’ve interviewed personalities from the great Pele to the Great One aka Gretzky. While I’m name-dropping here, let’s throw in LeBron, The Judge and Brady.
In the world of entertainment, Brad, Denzel and Arnold headline the list, yet the most rewarding stories are often the names that few know.
While working in Asia, I vividly recall sitting in a Vietnamese living room and interviewing a local martial arts champion. The lights in the room flickered but not my passion for finding out what made this superstar tick – on and off the field of play.
My job affords me a window into learning about people, cultures and professions in a way that has humbled, humanized and opened my mind to our increasingly complicated and polarized world.
When I’m not producing – my family is Numero Uno. If there’s any time left, skiing, tennis, watching college football and still photography are my version of fun – and best done with family and/or lifelong friends from the University of Michigan and Stuyvesant High School.
I really love the intricacies that go into producing video content so if I can make one promise – it’s that I bring a healthy dose of passion, proactiveness and organization to the creative process.
I hope you enjoyed my story.
- David