COMMUNICATION STRATEGIST

In addition to making films, I have had a strong interest over the years in the power of small group and mass communications.

My first experience using communication strategies to gain a positive outcome goes back to the late 1970s when I started a non-profit in Oakland, California that offered affordable housing to mental patients returning to the community from institutions. I realized quickly that neighbors of our house needed to be assured that we were monitoring the facility and would not rent to anyone that posed any dangers. This meant attending community meetings and working with neighborhood improvement groups.

The following year, while a graduate student at USC’s planning school, I had the opportunity of working as an aide to Mayor Tom Bradley in his Human Relations Commission. I saw first-hand how the city commissioners’ main mission was to hold community meetings where needed and try to help foster greater compassion between neighboring groups during a time of high racial and ethnic tensions.

With this foundation, I had the good fortune of working on a number of projects over the years that focused on communicating a message. This includes producing commercials, corporate films, educational films and creating communication plans for academic and non-profit agencies. This includes my 2001 production of THE BEST LITTLE TOWNS OF FLORIDA, a PBS special for the Florida’s state tourism bureau highlighting the small towns of North Florida. The same year I produced a half hour show on Peter Gabriels program, WITNESS.ORG that attempts to expose unjust government behavior by using social media outlets. The next year I produced LOST WARRIORS, a Telly award winning documentary about homeless combat vets.

I have also produced films focused on the power of propaganda, including the A and E hour special THE JAPANESE AMERICAN PROPAGANDA WARS for the Time Machine series.

Please let me know what your communication needs are, and I will be happy to brainstorm how a communication strategic plan can help your organization achieve its desired goals.