For my first blog post, I wanted to give you all a bit of insight into why I created Emotivo Productions almost five years ago and why I continue to put my time and effort into building my company.
I created Emotivo Productions in a period of transition after I had worked six years straight on a documentary film project that taught me almost all I know about editing and storytelling. I started as an assistant editor on that project and, little by little, worked my way up to one of the final two co-editors of the film.
Thanks to countless hours of work on the documentary, my filmmaking taste started shifting. Originally, I thought I wanted to pursue narrative films, but gained a deep appreciation for non-fiction work. I now work almost exclusively on non-fiction projects.
While, unfortunately, the documentary was not released due to disagreements amongst the producers, I learned lessons that will forever stay a part of me. Those experiences helped guide me to my current path.
After finishing the documentary, I found myself at an interesting crossroads. I hadn’t worked as a director or created anything of my own in over six years. I really wanted to go out there and create other documentaries, but I didn’t really have a portfolio. All I had to showcase my filmmaking skills were a couple of short films and a music video that I had directed a few years back. I had never produced anything completely all on my own. I wanted to take the next step in my career but, admittedly, I was scared of stepping out on my own and failing. I decided that I had learned way too much in the last few years to not move forward, so I set a goal for myself.
My goal was to create six promotional documentaries in six months that I personally filmed, directed, produced and edited. I needed to find six people willing to let me film them and I am grateful that I did. The following six Albany-area artists allowed me into their lives to create a three to four minute piece about each of them:
Dancer Olga Bogdanova (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSL_P6Cmcw8)
Singer/Songwriter Siobahn Hotaling (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeanpVjw4Mw)
Jewelry Maker Nadine Medina (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD1x_4l_4gU)
Comedian Greg Aidala (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKs1GxVvBao)
Wood Worker Danny Killion (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x81ScggZCvc&t=23s)
Performance Artist Abe Ferraro (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqzANdrN44o&t=1s)
I was thrilled with the results and I decided to name this series of videos “Albany My Albany”, as a way to honor all these artists from New York’s Capital Region. I was hooked. I created these videos all by myself (I did have help with color correction and with the music) and they came out pretty well. I knew I had found the type of project that could fulfill me as an artist and become the focal point of my business. In that instant, Emotivo Productions was born. I registered the business and the rest is history.
I love being a business owner. I relish in the fact that the buck starts and stops with me. I love finding an engaging way to tell every client’s unique story through film. While there are challenges to being your own boss, I am thankful I spend my energy on work that is soul-nourishing, challenging and fun.
I named my business Emotivo Productions because “emotivo” means “to emote” or “to feel.” I want people who watch my promotional documentaries to feel. Our world is already full of fear, anger, prejudice and hate, and while all of those are very valid and human emotions, I hope my videos help people feel hope, love, trust and connection. Knowing that I can have a hand in bringing those experiences to the world brings me joy in turn. That is my purpose. That is why I do what I do, and why Emotivo Productions exists.
For more information on our videography services head over here for personal videos and here for business videos.