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

My organization is a team of one, focused on creating content that bridges the gap between people and modern technology. I showcase innovations like VR, AR, and XR technologies, 3D printing, and AI-driven products and software. My work spans multiple roles: XR producer, digital marketing specialist, and public speaker, while also drawing on my background in professional eSports, podcast hosting, and years in the marketing industry. I explore philosophy and social engineering as part of my storytelling approach, with the goal of making technology more accessible and meaningful. Ultimately, my mission is to help people feel more capable, productive, and inspired as they navigate the digital world.

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

What makes my content different is that I always focus on the human side first. My work is not about eliminating or replacing people; it is about helping us understand ourselves and using technology to create more opportunities and meaningful experiences. I care deeply about personal relationships and about showing how technology, like a knife, can either help us streamline our lives or cut us off from our potential when misused. My goal is not to achieve something and keep it hidden; my goal is to be transparent, to share openly, and to elevate people alongside me as we grow together.

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

People can learn more about my work through my YouTube channels (@RealityCheckVR, @TheCristeCast) and my podcast, where I share projects and conversations in depth. For day-to-day updates, I post on Instagram when I have free time. I’m always happy to connect, share knowledge, and grow with a community of peers who want to support and empower each other. Feel free to reach out by email or through any of my online platforms; I respond quickly and enjoy connecting with people who share the same curiosity and drive.

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

“Journey Through a Child’s Imagination” began as a learn-by-doing project. As generative AI was emerging, I installed Stable Diffusion on my local machine, trained custom models and LoRAs, and experimented with controllable image generation. To put it into practice, I asked my son to help direct a simple story where he could be the creative mastermind and I could be the technical genius. He told me what should happen next, I sketched a quick storyboard made of shapes that only I could read, and we filmed all the live action in a single afternoon with no pre-production. That night we recorded his ad-lib voiceover, then I generated the transitional scenes, stitched, looped, and reversed them, and where tools fell short at the time I used warp transitions as the best solution available.

Although the filming and editing happened quickly, it came after months of preparing and learning these evolving tools, and years of experimenting with storytelling. That foundation is what made this moment possible. These rare windows of inspiration and opportunity do not come often in life, and I am grateful we took full advantage of it.

Earlier experiments with my son’s coloring book drawings had sparked the idea, but this project became something bigger: a better demo and a more meaningful piece. More than just a tech experiment, it turned into a father-and-son memory, proof that accessible technology can inspire confidence, creativity, and learning at any age.

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

The biggest challenge of this production was figuring out how to use the technology in a way that felt creative and meaningful. At the time, most AI work I saw was limited to short time-lapse clips or quick warps for music videos. They were interesting to look at, but they didn’t tell stories or show practical use in content creation. I wanted to see if we could take the same tools and shape them into something with a narrative, something that actually connected with people.

By centering the piece on the story of a child’s imagination, it brought everything together. It showed what the technology could do, but also how it could give a child like my son the chance to see his ideas come to life on screen. The hardest part was sequencing: figuring out how to blend the scenes, transition them, and create a flow that made sense. That process forced me to think carefully about every piece of the puzzle. In the end, that challenge became the most fun and the most rewarding part of the project.

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

My advice to storytellers is to trust your intuition and just start. You don’t need to know every step or even how you’ll finish. Starting is the hardest part, but it’s also what shapes the rest of the process. Once you begin, the problems, fears, and challenges reveal themselves, and that’s how you learn.

There’s a wide community of creators out there, ready to share knowledge and support anyone who wants to add value to the world. If you feel called to create, that desire alone means what you’re doing has worth.

Spend a few minutes each day learning something new: how to film, record, edit, or use a new tool. Small projects are one of the best ways to solidify those skills, and often those small experiments can grow into something bigger. The key is to begin. Every step builds your confidence and brings you closer to the stories you want to tell.

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

My favorite part of the project was simply how excited my son was throughout the process. It honestly felt like he understood what we were doing even better than I did. He eagerly jumped on the microphone, ad-libbing lines with joy, saying things that felt fresh and imaginative, and I loved every moment of it. Another highlight was watching his reactions as the AI generated frames on my computer. He laughed as his face transformed into other characters, frame by frame, and those priceless reactions are memories I’ll never forget.

More than anything, I want my son to grow up understanding these technologies rather than being disillusioned or misled by them. Experiences like this give him a deeper awareness of how they work and how they can be used in positive, creative ways. I believe that understanding leads to growth, and I want that not just for him, but for everyone who encounters these tools.

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

I’m always excited to hear from people who connect with meaningful work. Friends told me the project was touching, and in the AI community I heard from people who said it made them realize we could be doing more with this technology than they had thought. I’m fortunate to have capable industry friends who commented on this piece and have since created amazing work of their own. For me, it’s about contributing to the larger process of art’s evolution. Every creator has the chance to influence others, and just as I’ve been shaped by many, I hope my work can shape and inspire in return.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’

…when you can make someone feel more than they expected in that moment. A comedy can make us laugh, a drama can move us, a documentary can challenge our thinking, and action can amaze us. But the most impactful stories are the ones that cause people to reflect, to see themselves in the work, and to walk away changed, even in a small way.