“It’s a still…no, it’s a film.” Actually it’s a lot of stills put together to make them look like a film. It’s also the latest video project for the E-media team at PC3. For the new sermon series on idolatry, we combined stop-motion animation with the “Jesus Saves” bumper sticker concept to show how we place less-worthy things above our Creator. Smartly directed and edited by Jesse Bond. Enjoy the ride!

“COME ON DOWN!!” is a phrase that you will never hear in one of my commercials. Instead, how about a call-to-action with a little more class. Take for instance these two 15-second spots for my new client Kitchen & Bath Galleries. They’re having a remodeling expo in May and would like to invite some folks around town. The idea was to incorporate the mailer into the ads and feature two of their beautiful room designs. We hope these spots do the trick, without any yelling.

“Can you shoot a political spot?” was the question. For the most part, I really don’t like political ads. Could I create one that was different? And effective? So I presented the “Thoughts” concept where instead of seeing someone endlessly talking about their agenda, you would hear what was going on inside their head. If all goes well in the primaries, this is just the first of a series of spots, each featuring a new platform point. Other opportunities for visuals of quiet reflection include cutting the grass, jogging, etc. So if you’d like to see more—and you happen to be registered in New Hanover County, NC—vote for Jason Harris for County Commissioner!

I was referred to the communications director of the NC Healthy Start Foundation by a friend in the business. They discovered many young mothers in eastern North Carolina were choosing not to breast-feed. The foundation wanted to create a 30-second spot appealing to these new moms, pointing out the many benefits of breast-feeding for both mom and baby. When they asked me to shoot some stills along with the spot, the studio portrait concept  was born.

The media team at Port City Community Church (PC3) wanted to create a video that would complement a new series about worry and its detrimental effects on our lives. The weather forecast was for sun, but high winds made for a bit of a challenge working with the 4-foot inflatable. We definitely got some interesting looks (and smiles) while filming on location. See if you can relate to this guy as he runs around town with the whole world in his hands, literally.

Definitive Pictures’ director Joey Connolley hired me to help him shoot a clever little spot for a local mattress shop. We used one of the newest Canon HDSLR cameras due to it’s sensitivity in low light. The best ads always start with a great idea. The client has already ordered two more.

“We need to shoot a foot chase,” said Evan Vetter, the creative director for PC3’s media department. “I’ll be out of town. Can you guys handle this one?” Insert smiley face here. Little did the director, JR Jones, and I know that we’d be shooting on one of the coldest days this winter—and the talent had to wear T-shirts! This film (see link below) was shot in 11 hours on the Canon 5D markII. My favorite scene is the “shadows” clip. When we were scouting, I suggested it might complement the action sequences nicely. I’m really stoked about working in film. Can you tell?

Production stills courtesy of Parrish Stikeleather.

On October 25th, Port City Community Church turned 10 years old. The idea was to throw a little party and celebrate this truly amazing story of faith. The media team was determined to take it up a notch. Instead of just telling the story of the church’s progress over the years, the creative director (Evan Vetter) and a host of helpers wrote a rap song and scripted a video featuring a time machine and surreal special effects. I was honored to handle some of the camera work and lighting. Video, MP3 and lyrics can be found here: http://www.portcitychurch.org/10years.php