Initially I went to school to be a writer but truthfully I don’t like to read that much. My earliest aspirations of a career were always to be some type of artist, I wanted to create stories that people could connect with. It just took some time to find my medium. I’ve dedicated most of my life to music, drawing, writing and cooking. I knew I found a home with film making when I realized I could incorporate everything I learned from these art forms (yes, including cooking) in one place. The importance of discipline, practice, intention, emotional connections, appropriate timing, technique and developing a style of your own.
I’m very proud to have represented some amazing clients and businesses in my career. From large companies like Moderna, Marriot, Goodwill and Amazon to local businesses. I have no bias in the scale of my work, this is what I love to do and being part of an environment where people want to tell their story with video is where I want to be. So no matter how large or small, a one person operation or a full crew, I’m here to tell a story with you.
Behind every company no matter the size there is an element of separation in the operating mentality that can be scaled down to one thing. Strip away everything, dig deep, there is always one statement to be made that individualizes the business and that’s where the story starts.
When a new client contacts me about creating a video for their business I like to ask a lot of questions …
What I’m looking for is the one thing that separates them from everything else, the “why” to the “what” they do. I’m not looking to create a video that is a living portfolio of everything accomplished. I want to highlight the mentality that supports the business. The mantra painted on the walls of the mind's eye that keeps everyone motivated and pushing forward. Not the many things… the one thing.
For example…
Video of pottery pro and owner of White Lotus Pottery in New Haven, CT Amanda Bartel. Amanda is an incredible artist that I was honored to spend a day with. We went with an approach that really highlighted the “why” into what she does. Her emotional connection with the clay, her mindset and the discipline it brings her. Being in line with the concept of “one thing” it wasn’t about pottery. We used cinematography to expose the connection to her craft. It featured her studio, her work and her talent while keeping the audience engaged with a focused subject matter.
This video for Rye Ballet Conservatory is advertising the business but has a much stronger connection to the viewer with the philosophy behind teaching ballet and transforming young people. I know what ballet means to Ashlee and how much of her life has been dedicated to the art so I really wanted to showcase that. I wanted the viewer and potential client to understand that with Rye Ballet Conservatory you aren’t just getting ballet lessons, you are getting a developmental experience from one of the greatest to ever do it. I wanted Ashlee to discuss what ballet can do for a young dancer, what it did for her and the emotional connection she has to the art which really highlights her dedication.
A prime example of the “one thing” being used in storytelling for businesses. Instead of the same promo everyone has seen we made a story and a very focused one at that. I thought it would be fun to show what a coffee shop could be like without anyone in it, just an owner relishing in the pride of his business while no one was there. Where I had the most fun was the subtle gestures made to really highlight our subject Ryan, his personality and his relationship to the coffee shop. I put Chartreuse bottles in the reflection of Ryan’s espresso machine. It’s his favorite spirit and the machine is how he affords his “finer things” lifestyle. I kept the camera on one side of the counter to make it seem like we aren’t a part of his world, the camera has the exact relationship that a customer would. As well as the final scene where Ryan has his back to the camera and looks out the window from the table, a perspective he never gets to enjoy during the day further emphasizing the idea that it is closed for business and he is enjoying the “perk” of his own coffee shop.
Everyone knows a restaurant serves food, there isn’t a restaurant in the world that doesn't serve food. I wanted something more engaging, something more intimate that you can’t see from looking at the menu online. This promo for Millwright’s displays the motivation, attention to detail and commitment to excellence when concerning the food at Millwrights Restaurant.
Starring: Chef Tyler Anderson
A powerful, engaging video for a corporation can be essential in establishing credibility and expertise amongst colleagues. Adaptability, understanding the message of the project and expected audience are key to creating effective corporate videos for keynotes or internal information. Making sure the lighting and framing is correct to match the mood and information delivered is imperative to the success of the video. As a cinematographer I become very invested in this process so we can make a video that fits perfectly within the company and always keeps the audience engaged.
Above are videos where I was commissioned exclusively as a DP for TBD Media to document interviews and b roll. All credit of final editing goes to TBD Media.
An interview is the cornerstone of any narrative feature requiring the most care and finesse. How the speaker is positioned, framed and lit can tell a story before words are spoken. I work closely with brands, corporations and agencies to make sure what is recorded is an accurate representation of the spoken story. The same diversity of vocabulary that makes a story interesting applies to the camera. There isn’t one look that works for every story, having a large “vocabulary” of camera lighting and style is what makes an effective and impactful interview.
Having the interview look beautiful was absolutely the most important factor for this project. I wanted it to look bright, inviting, warm and caring. I wanted the teachers to literally glow on the screen as a reflection of their attitude towards the children (and the same with the parents in reference to the school). I also wanted it to look very natural and not overproduced. Again, this was intentional because that doesn’t reflect the philosophy of the school. When working with a narrated story it’s important that the imagery is consistent with the sentiments delivered. This was a loving, positive message filled with gratitude, respect and care - having a moody lighting situation might look cool but wouldn’t do any favors with telling the story.
Above video done in collaboration with TBD Media for McCourt Global.
This video for Citizen M in collaboration with TBD Media was developed to make an uplifting video that showcased it’s cultural significance to the city, the innovative employee structure and immerse the viewer in the guest experience. My objective in this video was to highlight the curator, legendary NYC graffiti artist MeresOne and to showcase its presence in the Bowery neighborhood of NYC.
A corporate video created for Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC), that showcases all the work they do for business owners and economic growth. Displayed at a luncheon with over one thousand people in attendance with the fulfilled intention of informing and engaging the audience.
Series of corporate interviews done for The Feel Good Lab where we used colors to achieve a different feel for each message. Every color was designed to deliver a new series of content.
A virtual tour of the Ethel Walker School for Young Women in Simsbury Connecticut. Utilizing all the elements that make the school unique, the grounds, the class size, the student body, the faculty, all narrated by their incredible head of school Meera Viswanathan. While this is a corporate video I wanted to do justice to this amazing facility. One of the most overused words in the English diction is "amazing." People use it to describe everything from a balloon ride at sunset to a pint of ice cream. With that said Ethel Walker School for young women is nothing short of amazing. When you step on campus you are greeted with the cognition that you are someplace exceptional. The campus is tucked away in a stunning part of Connecticut surround by evergreens and maple trees. The grounds are immaculate and the buildings exude personality. Utilizing aerial footage, stedicams and studio voice overs we achieved something that will represent the business for years to come.
Video is a perfect medium for highlighting a product's function and appeal. On location or in the studio any product can be featured with our cinematography services.
Using professional cinematography services for your social media advertising is an effective and affordable way to present true content on your social media pages. Posting on social media is not the same as promoting on social media. Promoting is true advertising so its important to put your best foot forward when introducing your company on the internet. A well calculated, focused and articulate video utilizing cinematography is an ideal way to advertise who you are as a business on social media.
This beautiful commercial video for Follain really showcases how much can be accomplished in one minute. I was exclusively the DP on this shoot commissioned through 309 Productions in Boston. Keeping everything on brand we did very soft, gentle lighting setups to highlight the product and reflect all of companies advertising. No matter where it exists, on a website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc. it looks consistent with all existing content.
Timing is everything. The most important element of advertising when working with Goodwill industries is to keep the content relevant. This video of Gavin Degraw playing a school in Connecticut was delivered the morning after the event to keep people talking and engaged in the event. Social media cinematography for advertising keeps proving itself as a powerful source for not only engagement but relevancy due to the speed it can be delivered. A full video would significantly more time but planning out a 60 second promotion expedites the whole process and maintains public interest.
Same goes for the video featured below. Opposed to a whole production day for creating content we were able to expedite the process with small features of Goodwill employees for social media content. Goodwill Industries wanted to give the public and intimate look into who represents the company and were able to afford more content due to the small duration.
Shameless self promotion here. I made some of my own content just looking to try out some in camera techniques and introduce a side of me that followers might not know. Inspired by my love of Fender bass guitars and the content they produce. Also to show the power of what you can accomplish with one minute of content.
Will Talamelli - Cinematographer/ Director/ DP
Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films