Tell us a bit about your organization and what your specialty is in the film and video space.

As a former Producer at The Onion, I have focused most of my career on producing comedy content, including my own, with a heavy emphasis on satire as a narrative tool. It’s really been the sweet spot for me, balancing entertainment and comedy while making you think deeper. Although the project we won for, “WIZDOM,” exists in a sci-fi world, the project and future iterations of it are rooted in satire.

What is your organization’s ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?

As filmmakers, we spend much more time in the trenches than on top celebrating. Filmmaking is a team sport and the dynamic of the team’s chemistry affects the final product, especially in comedy. When putting together a team, choose the people you’d rather be in the trenches with, and thank me later.

How can people join or learn more about what you do?

We are actively seeking partners to bring more of this project to life including investments and attachments. Interested parties can view our materials at ProjectWizdom.com or contact us directly at Paragram.Productions@gmail.com.

Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?

A few years ago, Director Layne Marie Williams approached me with an idea to make a Sci-fi film with the name “WIZDOM” with a neon aesthetic. After pondering the current state of reality and where we are headed, I thought of my dependence on tech and how my iPhone has become a necessary installation in my life. What happens in a satirical future when I want it installed in my head for convenience, and it becomes part of me as my new “eye” phone? Well, of course it would have subscription tiers and colonies with corresponding access, required healthcare subscriptions, and 24/7 biometric surveillance. And thus the idea for WIZDOM was born.

What are you most proud of about this piece? What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?

I’m really proud of the entire team, but particularly the post-production team on this project. Post was the most challenging given our budgetary constraints, but we were incredibly grateful to Noisefloor, who helped us with original music and score, Michael Fernandez, who did amazing VFX (without AI), and the great work on color by Quicksilver Color and editing by the wonderful Mike Berg, whose memory the project is dedicated to.

Do you have any advice to other filmmakers based on your career or your team’s approach to work?

My advice: never give up. Throughout the five-year process of bringing this project to life, there were many times to abandon ship, which would have clearly been the more rational route. But because we had a dream and a vision, we never gave up, and that passion was able to ignite enough folks to get the proof of concept off the ground and to where we are today. And even then, the work is never done… so NEVER GIVE UP!

Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?

I actually broke my leg training for the motorcycle shots in this film. Luckily, it was over a year out from filming, but I still have metal in my ankle and road rash scars on my kneecap, which broke when I lowsided the motorcycle in the rain. Needless to say, we used a very expensive screen wall with process trailer footage instead of live motorcycle stunts. Grateful to my team for making it work.

Tell us about the most memorable response you got from this work.

Honestly, the most memorable response for this project so far has been winning this Telly, as it’s a huge honor, yet the life of the project is just beginning. Along with this proof of concept film, we have developed a feature film and pilot version of the script and are actively taking meetings to make more of this universe.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’

… the power to change the world.