Radon Detective

Based on an RFP by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this video is a 60-second public service announcement highlighting the dangers of radon gas. My goal was to make the piece informative yet entertaining. This posed a challenge in that the concept was somber in nature; there was a definite need to balance the very real (and serious) dangers of radon without scaring the audience too much. Hopefully the editing and tone of the piece near the end keep it from coming off as too dark. You can decide for yourself after watching it…

Built around the ever-popular TV detective genre (CSI, Law and Order, etc.), my thought was to create something with a touch of classic film-noir style. To this end, I wrote a detective story told from the 1st person viewpoint, via a voiceover. A choice that helped make up for the lack of a cast at my disposal. Other neo-noir touches include flashbacks, a couple of offbeat camera angles, and a generally fatalistic tone.

For this project, I also wanted to make use of colors to evoke emotion. Note that many scenes are generally of a blue hue, which communicates the cold world the detective inhabits, and perhaps a sense of his disconnectedness with it. The morgue shots have a purple cast, illustrating the coldness of death, while the flashback sequence features golden tones helping portray happier times for the woman. The use of colors in this way can be a subtle but effective tool for helping to bring the most out of a story.

Written, directed, and edited by Brian Schatz of Spool Video.


Radon PSA from Brian Schatz on Vimeo.

GCI: Client Video

This was a corporate video produced for GCI, Alaska's largest telecommunications provider. It was co-sponsored by Comverse, makers of the Kenan software used by GCI to operate their customer call center. It revolves around the testimonial of GCI's Vice President of IT, Jim Dunlap. I edited a variety of client-supplied footage to tell the story of why GCI chose the software and how they use it.

This is only an excerpt from the beginning of the video. This shortened version was used by Jim to introduce himself at the international Comverse User Forum (held June, 2008) in Porto, Portugal. Afterwards, he had this to say:

"The presentation was well received by the audience and was the subject of discussion several days afterward."

To see the video in its entirety, visit the Comverse website and click the "Video Testimonial" link at the bottom of the page.

Edited by Brian Schatz, of Spool Video

Written and Directed by Isaac Szymanczyk, of Laughing Giant Media

Soundtrack by Tracy Kim

This is Alaska from Brian Schatz on Vimeo.

Bike Racing

This demo was a collaborative project between composer Boone Johnson, of Aural Produce, and myself. Our intent was to convey a sense of emotion and story without the use of words; only through editing and music. The soundtrack was performed first, and the visuals were then edited to the tempo.

The video was later discovered by Dan Kaufman, creator of Crank My Chain! Cycle TV, an Internet Podcast (available on iTunes) about cyclists. With our approval, Dan added titles and used the video as a promo for the 2007 Eric Kautzky Memorial Track Race--held on the same track where this video was shot.

Filmed on two cameras, one was a consumer model that grossly overexposed the highlights in many of the shots. After careful consideration, I felt that the white 'hot spots' gave the footage an intensity that was actually a good match for the action onscreen. In post-production, I was able to digitally color-correct the 'normal' footage to match that from the overexposed camera, and thus establish a look for the video.

Racing Bikes from Brian Schatz on Vimeo.