Every small business has a story to share about what makes them unique and sets them apart from their competitors. Before each interview shoot, I work with small business owners to hone their message so when it comes time to speak in front of the camera they can communicate their ideas in a clear and concise way. A successful video will also use imagery to reinforce the ideas expressed in the interview.

A good interview shot is framed in such a way that the viewer’s attention is drawn to the person who is speaking and helps reinforce what is said through the use of staged objects and background architecture. As a shoot coordinator with TheMuse.com, I developed the ability to quickly and effectively frame interview shots working in some amazing spaces, like the FBI’s crime scene labs, and the headquarters of The Washington Post, Reebok and the Baltimore Aquarium.

I initially started working in video because I wanted to help artists produce materials to demystify the creative process and market themselves to customers. While I’ve branched out into many other areas since those early days, I still love working with people who are pursuing creative endeavors to help them distill what makes their work special and capture those moments when something magical is happening.

A successful dance video captures both the flow of movement and the beautiful imagery created by the choreographers vision and the interplay of dancers as they move across the stage. I’ve worked with a range of dance groups and arts organizations throughout Philadelphia, including coordinating multi-camera shoots for large-scale performances and single camera shoots for smaller productions in more intimate settings.

I’ve worked with musicians to produce short promotional videos that help create a relationship with their audience by sharing personal details about their lives and creative process.

Video documentation that captures key moments in the creation of a new work of art from start to finish is often a critical part of satisfying the demands of organizations that provide funding for new projects, as well as providing promotional materials to engage an audience in the run up to a performance. I’ve worked with institutions large and small to help document this process over extended periods of time, including Temple University’s “Symphony for a Broken Orchestra”, Kun-Yang Lin Dancers’ “Faith Project” and Nikki Appino’s “The White Lama”, an experimental play that features a live score by composer Philip Glass.

I’ve been inspired by some of the unique locations in Philadelphia to create music videos that feature bands playing in a picturesque location. This video was with a local Philadelphia band called “The Demolition Derby”. We went out and did some test shoots so I could give them some options on what the video would look like. We decided on this location because we liked the way that we could play around with perspective with the guitarist and the large warehouse that framed the shot in the back.

One of the things I love about being a videographer is witnessing such a broad range of human experiences. As I follow a subject, I’m always trying to find a way to capture those images that allow the moment to speak for itself, or reinforces in a strong and compelling way, the points that a person who I have interviewed is making.

I’ve recorded live theater and other performances as an individual and as part of a team on some noteworthy stages in Philadelphia and New York City, including The Wilma Theater (Phila), Fringe Arts (Phila), the Public Theater (NYC), Town Hall (NYC) and the Arden Theater (Phila). When part of a team, communication plays an important role in getting the variety of shots that will give an editor the right flow of images to communicate the performance in a final video.

Finding a second angle for interview shots can be an important part in producing a final video. It gives the editor a second image of the interview subject to cut away to and ensure visual continuity when editing of an interview is needed to remove a long pause or mistaken word to produce speech that is flowing. Through my extensive interview experience, I’ve developed the ability to frame a second angle on interviews that creates a seamless visual experience with the master shot.

This is one of my favorite still images I took. I was at an art show at a warehouse in Brooklyn with a friend, and as we made our way through the exhibit rooms, I came across this woman playing the piano in a sunlit room, alone. I loved the shape of the light on the floor, and how you could see the colors outside the windows. I also liked how it came out looking like a painting more than a photo due to the saturation of the colors.

This is another one of my favorite still images I ever took. I saw this woman as I was walking down a mostly empty side street in New York. I liked her sense of style, how the single balloon rising from a curled string and the triangle cutout right next to her. I stopped and asked her if it was okay if I took a picture of her. She smiled and agreed, and this is the result.