Type:
Broadcast-style news package
Role:
Director, Scriptwriter, Reporter, Editor, Camera Operator, Voice-over, Dancer
Brief:
Cover and participate in the Red Bull Dance Your Style audition held in Sydney Australia for 7NEWS.
The Process:
Red Bull reached out to my work email while I was an employee of 7NEWS to see if we would be interested in covering the Red Bull Dance Your Style auditions in Sydney. Given my personal interest in the street dance community, I was more than happy to cover.
Leading up to the event, I planned out the script for the video as well as sign myself up for the competition as I thought it would be a novel idea to have the person reporting on the event participate as well.
On the day of the event, with the help of an assistant provided by Red Bull, I captured footage at the event, interviewed participants and provided a piece to camera reporting on the event.
Following the event, I did a voice over and cut together a broadcast style package that was then published on YouTube.
Video Link: Reporter busts a move at Red Bull Dance Your Style audition | 7 News Australia (youtube.com)
Type:
YouTube Short Documentary
Role:
Director, Scriptwriter, Reporter, Interviewer, Editor, Voice-over
Brief:
Explore the popularity and reputation of the Nike Air Max Plus in Australia for 7NEWS.
The Process:
When the Grounded YouTube channel was created, the focus of the channel was to explore original content and stories aimed at a younger audience. So being a massive sneaker enthusiast, I dedicated my first video to the cultural significance of the Air Max Plus (commonly just known as the TN) in Australia.
When seeking talent and experts on the topic, I interviewed the original designer of the shoe Sean McDowell, the creator/admin of the Facebook group Tn Talk Aus Tim Ingram as well as sneaker repairer/cleaner Ben van Eyk. In the case of Tim Ingram, a co-worker and I visited his home to shoot a majority of original B-roll since he has a very extensive collection of sneakers.
The final video that was published on YouTube was a combination of original content (voice over, piece to camera, interviews and B-roll) as well as other credited sources to add more context to parts of the voice over.
Video Link: Kicks of Controversy: The Story of Nike's Air Max Plus TNs (youtube.com)
Type:
YouTube Documentary, 7plus Documentary
Role:
Co-Producer, Interviewer, Editor, Camera Operator, Scriptwriter
Brief:
In the lead up to the 2024 presidential race, revisit Donald Trump's term as president, utilising archive footage as well as new interviews for 7NEWS.
The Process:
With the extensive coverage done by 7NEWS for Trump's term as President of the United States and the trending nature of the topic as Donald Trump looks to run for president in 2024, the chief of digital video assigned me with the mega task of producing a multi part documentary series revisiting the Donald Trump presidency.
Working closely with the chief of digital video, we planned out the series to be 7 parts - Trump's 2016 campaign and win, first year as president, second year as president, third year as president and fourth year as president split into 2 parts (because if Harry Potter can split the last book into two movies, so can we)
The bulk of work for this series was digging into the 7NEWS archives and connecting the separate news packages in a cohesive timeline that covered all the main events of each year while also omitting more superfluous events/stories.
In addition to all the archive footage, for the more significant years, new interviews were conducted with Mike Amor, Paul Kadak, Tim Lester and Amelia Brace for a retrospective recount of their experience covering the Trump presidency.
The entire series was uploaded to YouTube and has also been made available on 7plus.
Video Link: Watch The Trump Presidency: As It Happened Online: Free Streaming & Catch Up TV in Australia | 7plus
Type:
YouTube Short Documentary
Role:
Director, Scriptwriter, Reporter, Interviewer, Editor, Voice-over
Brief:
Investigate how a deepfake is made and explore the legal implications of this technology for 7NEWS.
The Process:
With many viral videos clearly showing the use of deepfake technology, I was interested in exploring this topic for a short documentary. The video that inspired me to explore this topic showed the skills of an impressionist actor combined with deepfakes to create an incredible performance where one person impersonated multiple Hollywood actors.
When seeking talent and experts on the topic, I interviewed viral YouTuber DesiFakes (best known for putting Jerry Seinfeld into Pulp Fiction), impressionist actor Jim Meskimen and Kimberlee Weatherall, a professor of law at the University of Sydney. During my contact with DesiFake, he agreed to use his knowledge of deepfakes to turn me into Tom Holland (with eerie results).
The final video that was published on YouTube was a combination of original content (voice over, piece to camera, interviews and stock video) as well as other credited sources to add more context to parts of the voice over.
Video Link: Deepfakes Explained - How do they work (and are they legal?) (youtube.com)
Type:
YouTube Short Documentary
Role:
Director, Scriptwriter, Reporter, Interviewer, Editor, Voice-over
Brief:
Showcase the street dance community as well as document what a dance battle is like in Sydney for 7NEWS.
The Process:
I am very passionate about street dance and have been an active member of the community for many years. So, when the opportunity came up to cover a dance battle for the sake of news, I had to take it.
When seeking talent and experts on the topic, I interviewed Jack Wardana (better known as Poppin Jack), a popper who has been an active member of the Sydney street dance community for over 10 years and was judging the battle that 7NEWS was covering. At the event, I also interviewed multiple competitors to get their perspective and opinions.
The final video that was published on YouTube was majority original content (voice over, piece to camera, interviews and B-roll)
Video Link: Inside a Sydney Street Dance Battle (youtube.com)
Type:
YouTube Short Documentary
Role:
Director, Scriptwriter, Reporter, Interviewer, Editor, Voice-over
Brief:
Introduces the more obscure element of call out battles to people outside of the street dance community for 7NEWS.
The Process:
Following the success of the Sydney street dance battle video, I wanted to dive deeper into the culture of street dance. The obscure topic to cover was call out battles and I really wanted to explore why they happen.
When seeking talent and experts on the topic, I interviewed dancers that had all been in the scene for over 15 years. This included Shutdown (krumper), Danis Kool (popper) and Poe One (breaker). Given their extensive time participating in the street dance community, these were all people who had personal experience being called out and calling out people for dance battles.
The final video that was published on YouTube was a combination of original content (voice over, piece to camera, interviews and B-roll) as well as other credited sources to add more context to parts of the voice over.
Video Link: ‘Test Your Might’ An Introduction into Call Out Dance Battles (youtube.com)
Type:
YouTube Short Documentary
Role:
Director, Scriptwriter, Reporter, Interviewer, Editor, Voice-over
Brief:
Explore the popularity K-pop in western countries for 7NEWS.
The Process:
Being part of the dance community, it is fairly obvious to myself that there are a lot of people who join the dance community specifically to learn their favourite K-pop choreographies. Combined with the massive turnouts that I have seen for concerts, I decided to investigate the topic further.
When seeking talent and experts on the topic, I wanted to get multiple perspectives, from fans who participate in learning choreographies to music industry experts who see the trends of music charts. With that in mind, I interviewed Angel Li (a K-pop in public dancer), dance studio owner Jaye Sutano and editor-in-chief of Rolling Stones AU/NZ Poppy Reid.
The final video that was published on YouTube was a combination of original content (voice over, piece to camera, interviews and stock footage) as well as other credited sources to add more context to parts of the voice over.
Video Link: Appealing to the West: K-pop's Secret Formula to Fame - YouTube
Type:
YouTube Profile Piece
Role:
Director, Interviewer, Editor
Brief:
Interview Poe One, a breaker who has been dancing for over 40 years.
The Process:
When producing the call out battle short documentary, I had the opportunity to interview Poe One, a legendary breaker who has cemented himself in breaking history. Given his wealth of knowledge and interesting life story, I decided to make this short profile piece.
The final video that was published on YouTube was a combination of original content (interview) as well as other credited sources to add more context to the interview.
Video Link: 'Style Elements Crew OG' Breaking Legend Poe One On Breaking In The 80s | Full Interview - YouTube
Type:
YouTube Profile Piece
Role:
Director, Interviewer, Editor
Brief:
Interview Jim Meskimen, an actor, comedian and impressionist.
The Process:
When producing the deepfake short documentary, I had the opportunity to interview Jim Meskimen, an actor and impressionist. Given his viral video utilising deepfakes and his impressionist skills, I created a standalone video piece.
The final video that was published on YouTube was a combination of original content (interview) as well as other credited sources to add more context to the interview.
Video Link: Jim Meskimen's life as an actor and impressionist (youtube.com)
