I have over fifteen years of professional production and post-production experience working on commercials, web videos, live webcasts, long-form videos, films, and broadcast events. In this time, I have become a well-rounded video maker and have significant skills in directing, shooting, editing, motion graphics, grip and lighting. I went into this business because I can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s fun to meet people and make new friends, to learn from seasoned veterans, and to help teach those new to the industry. To be able to work on big productions, help out on micro-budgets when possible, and just to have fun creating.
In 2012, I graduated, with honors, as a post-baccalaureate from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in TV for Post-Production and Special Effects, with a Minor in Motion Graphics. My first degree is a Bachelor’s of Science in Mass Communications for Broadcasting and Multimedia, with a Minor in Computer Applications from Black Hills State University.
I have also had my work recognized and awarded: 2012 Silver Trumpet Winner by Publicity Club of Chicago, The Black Hills AdFed Addy Committee, Golden Hermes Creative Award, AASHTO’s 2011 National Transportation Public Affairs Workshop, Black Hills State University, Columbia College Chicago, as well as First Lady Laura Bush. My freelance clients have included ESPN, NatGeo, ABC, BBC, TruTV, The Travel Channel, The Food Network, and the US Government.
Today I am the Owner/Operator of, "Gator Grip and Lighting," with a 3-Ton and a 1-Ton Grip Truck. I offer lighting packages, Doorway Dolly, Dana Dolly, and much more. Curious about the name, Gator Grip and Lighting? Well, the name stems from a summer job where I would perform venomous snake and alligator programs for the tourists (No Joke). Check me out at
Unique traits: Gaffer / Key Grip / Equipment Rental for SD, ND, MN, MT, WY, CO, NE
Let Me Have My Son
(
Film
by Cristobal Krusen
Key Grip Informed that his son has recovered from schizophrenia, a father travels to the state mental hospital to take him home, only to discover he's nowhere to be found.
The Heathen Shane Stevens
(
by Ben Mulhern
Best Boy Grip A covert atheist is hired to take over a struggling theatre program at a bible camp.
End of the Rope
(
Film
by Charlie Griak
Gaffer When a family mysteriously disappears from the town of Schafer, North Dakota, suspicion lands on a sociopathic farmhand. Based on the true story of the infamous Charles Bannon case of 1931.
Hazard
(
by Daniel Bergeson
Key Grip A story about a Black family as they take a camping road trip for the first time. Proposing a new, diverse future for all of us.
Black Wood
(
Film
by Chris Canfield
Day Player: Gaffer A Native American woman, evades the notorious Dutch Wilder Gang by escaping into the uncharted Black Wood Forest. Once inside, they quickly discover they must help each other for they have unknowingly awaken an ancient ravenous creature.
Angry Neighbors
(
Film
by Warren Brock
Gaffer A grumpy novelist vows revenge when his wealthy neighbor builds a hideous mega-mansion next door.
Under the Stadium Lights
(
Film
by Todd Randall
Gaffer Under the Stadium Lights a true story about the '09 Abilene High School Football team.
The Last Son
(
Film
by Tim Sutton
Key Grip An outlaw attempts to end his evil family line.
Valentine Crush
(
Film
by Jamie Wede
Day Player: ey Grip A roller derby player gets in a little over her head after she meets her "number one fan".
Summertime Dropouts
(
Film
by Jhene Chase
Gaffer Best friends and classmates Dave, Joe, and Danny put together a pop punk band, Summertime Dropouts. Seizing the opportunity to play at Warped Tour, the guys must prepare for the big day. Between work, school, and relationships, the band comes to the realization that the road to fame isn't an easy journey.
Kitchen Dance
(
Film (short)
by Maribeth Romslo
Gaffer Inspired by the original Frankfurt Kitchen in the permanent collection of Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Kitchen Dance is a conceptual short dance film that explores the multi-dimensional lives of women and their work.
I Trapped The Devil
(
Film
by Josh Lobo
Key Grip A man descends into paranoia after trapping what he believes to be the devil in his basement, but things take a dark turn when his family unexpectedly arrive for Christmas.
Lumber Baron
(
Film
by Barry Andersson
Day Player: Gaffer At the turn of the century lumber was a booming industry in a savage land. Upon the unexpected death of his father, Daniel Rimsdale returns home to try to salvage the floundering family lumber business, find out who killed his father, and save his family from financial ruin. However, he meets heavy resistance from others who will stop at nothing to become the new Lumber Baron.
Virginia Minnesota
(
Film
by Daniel Stine
Key Grip Two young women, torn apart by a childhood tragedy, unexpectedly reunite and embark on an illuminating 24-hour journey, where they unlock memories of long-forgotten innocence and what it means to truly believe.
The Nannu
(
Film
by Joel Novoa
Key Grip A young girl, Noa, suspects her new nanny isn't from this world. Noa fights to reveal the nanny's identity, which is more twisted than she imagined in this dark fantasy tale.
Spark Moments
(
Film (short)
by Maribeth Romslo Matthew Deery Cristina Pippa
Gaffer Spark Moments highlights five women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as their younger selves, showing a time where they felt a spark of curiosity and encouragement to follow their passion.
Snow
(
Film (short)
by Alex Murawski
Gaffer A grieving young boy accidentally injures a girl and leaves her in the snow. As the weight of his decision presses upon him, he sets back out to find her before it's too late.
Hutterite
(
Film (short)
by Rebecca Flinn-White
Grip Hutterite is a rare peek behind the curtain of an Anabaptist commune in the 1960's and 1970's. This painful and challenging story is told through the eyes of Marigold, a tenacious young Hutterite woman with the impossible dream of getting an education. The film explores Marigold's oppression and heartache being trapped in a Patriarchal system, her brother's budding and controversial sexuality, and the bourgeoning wave of feminism that was calling her into the outside world.
Zombies
(
Film
by Hamid Torabpour (Action and Horror)
Camera and Electrical Department Forced outside the city limits, they make their final stand in a small farmhouse. Paying tribute to Night of the Living Dead, our heroes fight to stay alive against an army of flesh eating monsters.
Bonejangles
(
Film
(Comedy and Horror)
Camera and Electrical Department While transporting the unstoppable killer Bonejangles to an asylum, a group of police officers encounter a hellish pit stop: a cursed town where the dead rise from their graves. Now the only way to save their lives and the town is to release Bonejangles and fight the curse...with something much worse. Written by Wild Eye Releasing
The Last Job
(
Film
(Crime, Drama, Thriller and Short)
Camera and Electrical Department When a mid-level Minnesota mobster kidnaps his ex-girlfriend-turned-heiress and takes her to his buddy's lodge to hide out, he discovers it's been sold to new owners who make sure his last heist isn't so easy to pull off.
Under One Roof
(
Film
(Drama, Thriller and Short)
Camera and Electrical Department Sarah can't sleep after her husband's death, and the sounds of footsteps in the attic are no help. She seeks solace in playing her estranged son's guitar, then moves the instrument up to the attic as an offering, hoping her son might be hiding out there. She leaves the house for the first time since the funeral and procures the makings of a Thanksgiving feast in July.
A Place We Go To
(
Film
(Drama)
Camera and Electrical Department Set in the middle of a breathtaking South Dakota landscape, a love affair between Dong and Laurin, two women of different backgrounds buds, flowers, and fades.
Star Trek: Renegades
(
Television
by Gene Roddenberry (Action, Adventure and Sci-Fi)
Camera and Electrical Department When a seemingly unstoppable new enemy threatens the very existence of the Earth, Admiral Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) is forced to work outside the boundaries of Starfleet's rules to combat this deadly new foe. When planet after planet winks out of existence, yet Starfleet refuses to act, Chekov turns to Commander Tuvok (Tim Russ, who also directs), the new head of Starfleet's covert operations division, Section 31. Together, they assemble a new elite strike-force, consisting of rogues, outcasts and criminals, led by the fearless yet haunted Lexxa Singh (Adrienne Wilkinson). The Renegades' mission is simple: take on an army and stop their leader, Borrada (Bruce Young), from destroying the Earth. Outnumbered and out-gunned, the ragtag crew is in an adrenaline-pumping race against time and space. But they soon find their foes are the least of their concerns: the real trouble may be coming from within! Written by Ethan Calk
Screens
(
Film (short)
by Danny Morlock (Adventure and Drama)
Visual effects Screens is a coming-of-age film about a high school boy who wants to take a road trip to Florida but his friends and family disallow it because they are completely obsessed with a reality TV show about sugar daddies called Sugar Love.
Dragonfly
(
Film
by Cara Greene (Drama)
Camera and Electrical Department Struggling artist Anna Larsen's mother has never understood her. So when Anna returns home to Minnesota to help care for her ailing mom, she brings years of family baggage with her. But the rediscovery of a magical mailbox from her childhood and the search to solve its mystery forces Anna to confront the fact that maybe she's the one who doesn't understand. Written by Cara Greene
America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa
(
Television
(Documentary)
Camera and Electrical Department A look into America's future and changing demographics.
Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition
(
Television
(Reality-TV)
Visual effects Showcasing the skills and personalities of the best pastry talent working in the restaurant industry, the Emmy® Award Winning Chicago Restaurant Pastry Competition challenges the portrayal of chefs on today's conflict-driven reality programming. Written by Nicolas DeGrazia, Jimmy MacMillan, and Margo Rowder
The Light at the Laundromat
(
Film (short)
by Maribeth Romslo (Sci-Fi)
Camera and Electrical Department In a world where an evil force called The Void has overpowered all that is good, things are pretty bleak. Computer whiz Penny Parker might just have what it takes to conquer the darkness. But being a secret superhero is lonely work. Can she maintain her tech nerd cover, save the city from disaster, and maybe find love along the way?
Istinma
(
Film (short)
by Andres Torres-Vives (Drama)
Camera and Electrical Department A Lakota man reconciles with his father, in the complex world around Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Mirror
(
Film (short)
by Tristan Barnard (Sci-Fi and Thriller)
Camera and Electrical Department A young screenwriter, Andrew DeMatton returns home to a ranch in South Dakota where his Grandfather is sick. While home, a series of unexplained, other worldly events take Andrew on a psychological journey where reality and insanity collide. Written by Anonymous
Sweet Leaf
(
Film
by Julian Grant (Crime, Drama and Thriller)
Visual effects Billy and Steve have to get some money to pay off their drug dealer Tyvan. Their plan to rob a Carwash gets complicated when the plan gets shared and everyone has an ulterior motive. Crime/drama with a supernatural edge.
Full Throttle Saloon
(
Television
(Reality-TV and Sport)
Camera and Electrical Department, Miscellaneous Crew Reality show about Full Throttle Saloon, the worlds largest biker bar, open once a year for 10 days during Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota. Watch how Mike Ballard manages the entire operation, his hot biker chick wife dancing with the girls of Flaunt and the colorful patrons, bartenders, security staff and even regular Jesse James Dupree of Jackyl who is intricately involved in Full Throttle.
F*ckload of Scotch Tape
(
Film
by Julian Grant (Crime, Drama and Musical)
Visual effects A musical Neo-Noir drama where a patsy is set up to take the fall for a kidnapping that leads to murder. When the money he is paid is stolen, he embarks on a rampage of revenge. Things go from bad to perverse as Benji must fight and fuck his way through father figures, hookers with no hearts, marauding men and the hopelessly lost. All singing, all-fighting - FLOST is a throwback to the crime films of yesteryear mixed with the music of Kevin Quain. Based on the writings of pulp-fiction writer Jed Ayres, FLOST is a mash up of film noir, musical drama and hard-hitting social injustice. Not for the faint of heart or humor. Written by Julian Grant
Roundabout American
(
Film
by Boris Wexler (Comedy)
Animation department A young French chef with a fondness for America and a life in shambles pushes the limits of the American Dream by converting a Chicago pizza shop into an escort-service for the super-rich with the help of a suburban slacker who dwells in his parents' basement. Written by Anonymous
Silver Trumpet Award
(2012)
AASHTO National Transportation Public Affairs WOrkshop
(2011)
Golden Hermes Creative Award
Black Hills AdFed Addy
Columbia College Chicago
(2010-2012)
Black Hills State University
(1994-1998)
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