This is a series of safety videos produced to increase employee awareness about common issues, such as fatigue management and situational awareness on the job in the oil services industry.  I reused Adobe Stock characters & props, customizing and layering them to fit the narrative. Push / pull / pan techniques were intentionally used to create depth and movement. The first few scenes engage the viewer by having the main character stare directly into their eyes. I created further engagement with the shallow depth of field that keeps the focus on the main character and the message. There were 8 scenarios for this series. All were created in-house, including voiceover.

This is the first of 11 videos that show how to set up, calibrate, run specific tests, clean the unit and pack it for shipping. I converted the standard lab instructions into a video production & dialogue script. We needed 2 pre-production days with the lab manager to understand the lab sequences and set-up for filming. I directed a 2-camera shoot for 4 days to collect all the footage. Note-taking was critical for a smooth editing process. Many of the steps forced a non-linear shooting schedule. ("Let the solution soak for 2 hours before completing the next step.") Identifying that in pre-production allowed us to film something else for those 2 hours. The 3-man team worked seamlessly. Camera guy 1 became the narrator and recorded his voiceover, while Camera guy 2 cataloged the footage and color-corrected it. Then, I edited out the first structural sequences based on my daily notes, now timed to the narration. Camera guy 2 came behind me to  polish the editing and add background music. The payoff: This series replaced the need for in-person classroom training. Instead of bringing in dozens of employees from across the globe to Houston for multiple weeks, we could provide the same first-person viewpoint at their location on their schedule. Cost Avoidance: $300,000 YOY.

The character on the left, I named "Howie Learn". Partly, it's a play on the words "How We Learn" and an homage to my father, Howard. He would look at a pile of lumber, then at the spot where the barn wasn't (yet), and then say to me, "So, how do we ....." with the same finger gesture depicted here.

That unforgettable experience became the "How Do I...?" learning series. This video is an example of the content from that library. It is a series of short micro-videos about a singular topic. Under 3 minutes is the sweet spot for timing. I produced this module to combine stock footage with screen captures of the application. The graphic overlays direct the viewers to the action and Howie drops in a few times to add a little visual fun. He is the official spokes"person" for the series. The library documented "How To" guides for software applications such as Degreed (the learning platform) and Klaxoom (collaboration software), as well as processes such as new position onboarding and resource awareness.

This is a little dated, but I like the message. The department manager said to me, "We have new senior management for HR, can you give me a short video to explain what our department accomplished last year?" [panic sets in]  If it were for top management, it needed to be quick, concise, informational, aspirational and economical. I mixed stock footage from our library with clips that we shot at events conducted earlier in the year. I co-wrote the script and overlaid the text and on-screen graphics to keep the script's pace. The recorded dialogue is my voice. A total in-house production.

In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon incident in 2010, I produced a series of Human Factors training films built on federal aviation situational awareness frameworks. I scripted, storyboarded, hired the actors, staged the location, shot, edited, and delivered a 4-part series to a global workforce in one of the world’s most safety-critical industries. This video production is designed to change how people act under pressure, fatigue, and assumption. The goal was singular: change behavior before someone didn’t come home.