Happy (Gowanus)

My colleagues watching a video I directed to celebrate our organization's 20th anniversary.

A Day at Summer Camp (Puyallup, Washington)

I directed and edited this video about a very cool program created and run by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. I had a lot of help putting it together. My colleagues at the Center for Court Innovation, especially Adelle Fontanet and Leah Russell, played invaluable roles as co-producers, and the team that runs the Tribal Justice Exchange provided crucial advice and feedback. The video features the natural wonders of the Puyallup community's tribal land as well as the talents of cinematographer Juan Carlos Borrero. Composer and musician Dawn Avery scored and performed the fantastic soundtrack. But at the heart of the video are the folks who created the amazing GREAT Camp, both staff and students. They welcomed us into their lives and moved us with their stories. For their kindness, honesty and friendship, I will be forever grateful.

Below is a photo of Juan Carlos, me and Adelle interviewing a group of counselors during last summer's shoot .

Where School and Native American Pride Meet (Puyallup, Washington)

I had the privilege of traveling to Puyallup, Washington, with Juan Carlos Borrero (holding the camera) and two colleagues to direct a video about a wonderful summer camp for kids from Chief Leschi High School. We knew from the moment we arrived that this is a different kind of school and a different kind of community. The magnificent totem pole is clue that the student body is largely Native American--specifically 98% Indian, representing more than 60 tribes and bands from throughout the United States.

Shooting a Video in the Bronx

I spent the day with my colleagues at Bronx Community Solutions (including Ramon, top left, who supervises community service crews, and Robin, bottom right, the deputy director of the project). Juan Carlos Borrero, wielding the camera, is helping me make a video about Bronx Community Solutions, which provides alternatives to incarceration to thousands of people a year (in other words, the initiative allows people who commit low-level crimes to stay out jail and receive important services like job-training and counseling). We spent a few minutes in the freezing (!) cold so Ramon could explain how offenders, as part of their sentences, helped paint wall murals in the Hunts Point neighborhood.
 

Not Very Quiet on the Set (Midtown, Manhattan)

I'm directing a video for work. Here Niki mikes 

the director of a business association while Juan Carlos sets up the tripod.
It was noisy on Broadway but the perfect atmosphere for an interview about the revitalization of Times Square.