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Forest Phenomenon series created for Buzzfeed Unsolved Network
Forest Phenomenon was a miniseries I created for Buzzfeed Unsolved Network that explored backcountry cold cases such as missing hikers, along with crypids, paranormal happenings and general mysteries taking place in the North American wilderness.
I collaborated with Buzzfeed's research team to script each episode, designed the set and implemented art direction with Buzzfeed's in-house Art Department, and lighting with cinematographer Steven Gatti. One of the main goals for the creative direction of the series was to invoke a more cinematic visual style, with moody, earthy colors and measured camera movement rather than the bright color palettes, typical studio lighting and fast-paced editing of most traditional Buzzfeed videos. I wanted the audience to feel as though they were sitting around the campfire alongside the hosts as they told scary stories in the woods.
I cast Carolina Reynoso and Mei Eldridge for our pilot episode, and added Steffany Wing for the subsequent episodes. After directing and shooting each episode, I was responsible for all post-production processes including full edits, review and packaging for publishing.
Pilot Episode Creative Brief
E2 & E3 Lookbook
I Survived - unscripted mini-doc episodes
I Survived is an unscripted interview series first created in 2020 by EP Branden Smith which involved survivors of tragic events and disasters telling their stories. I wanted to continue the series but through a more narrow lens of social justice and include survivors of structural and institutional violence.
I produced two episodes for this series, one featuring Nancy Kyoko Oda, who spoke on her early life, her family's history, and her birth within the Tule Lake Incarceration Center - where Japanese-Americans were forced to relocate and held against their will during World War II.
The second episode featured an interview with Eden Kanela - an LA resident with Choctaw Nation roots - who spoke about her family history, re-connecting with her culture, healing generational trauma and her great great grandmother's time spent in a Native American boarding
school.
Haunting History episodes produced for Buzzfeed Unsolved Network
This was a series created by fellow filmmaker and animator Carol Rasaphangthong that I took over as lead producer in 2021. The episodes covered macabre, tragic, paranormal and infamous events, both true & legendary, in human history - especially ones that defined the zeitgeist of a particular era. I wanted to expand on the series by adding on-screen talent, incorporate stop-motion animated clips and relevant archive footage to supplement stock video and images. This gave the episodes a more stylized, "vintage" historical look and also got the audience acquainted with new talent following the departure of Buzzfeed's flagship show, Unsolved with Ryan & Shane. After going through auditions, I cast James Troup and Dominique Dibbell who eventually became the main faces of Haunting History.
I created 30 episodes for this series.
Haunting History
Haunting History
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The Intense and Brutal Lives of Ancient Rome's Gladiators
15:09
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A Possessed Nun’s Letter From The Devil
09:01
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Who Were The Radium Girls?
21:09
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The History Of Black Cats
07:56
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