PORTFOLIO
Featured: The Mai Wah Society
The Mai Wah Museum preserves and chronicles the history of Chinese Americans in Butte, Montana. While they didn’t work in the mines, the Chinese were an essential part of 20th century Butte, working in restaurants, laundromats, and healthcare. The Mai Wah Society celebrates this history through the museum and annual festivals including Chinese New Year and Qing Ming, the Spring “Tomb Sweeping” Festival.
More information can be found at: https://www.maiwah.org/
On The Line
On The Line was born out of a desire to profile small businesses located along the Chuo Train Line that runs through the center of Western Tokyo. Due to the opportunities our communities have lost from Covid-19 as well as the economic damage it has wrought, I wanted to use my video production skills in a different way: not to work on a commercial, not to tell a fictional story, but to dive into the truth and history of my neighborhood in Tokyo. At a time when the future was uncertain and local businesses were left to fend for themselves, I wanted to share the stories of the people who chose to pursue their passions and put themselves and their futures on the line.
It is a series based in bravery, honesty, and perseverance.
A Treasured Creation
NHK World’s A Treasured Creation series tells the stories behind the various traditional craftspeople located around Japan. I was hired to shoot and edit the pilot episode of the program: a 15-minute episode centered on a special type of bamboo found only in a remote part of Shikoku, a large island off the coast of mainland Japan. More than a simple “how-to-make” video, this series seeks to illuminate the rich lives of the craftspeople and tell the stories behind their creations and how they seek to preserve and innovate their craft in the rapidly-changing modern world.
The Legends Series
The Legends Series began as a spark from the moment I met Japan-based coach Sarah Furuya. “You and I get on. We should do something together!” A few face-to-face meetings later and we were off to the races, interviewing foreigners from around the globe who have come to make Japan their home. We spoke with rock stars, photographers, yoga instructors, and drag queens. Based around the idea that “there are so many ways to lead a life,” we began building a treasure trove of interviews and sharing them with an audience around the world.
Short Films
In addition to commercial work, I have written, directed, and edited short films steeped in the realities of modern Japan. I hope to reveal the lives of people in this country through film- both fiction and documentary.
Editing
While in Japan, I have worked as an editor for a variety of projects including documentary trailers, short films, branded content, music videos, and commercials for Internet and social media platforms.
