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

CeeWave creates original content and collaborates with clients to produce video, web series, films, and podcasts while ensuring every piece achieves its intended impact. At its core, our company creates work that influences and connects with audiences.

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

Every story is an opportunity to connect with communities and audiences, and when we partner with businesses, we approach each project with a client-centered perspective. Messaging and communication is important! Media and film remains one of the most powerful drivers of influence, and we bring this to mind in every project we create (plus we are woman- and filipino-owned).

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

You can learn more about CeeWave Productions by visiting www.ceewave.co and following us on social media @ceewave.co. We’re always open to collaborations and partnerships!

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

This was our very first original documentary project, and it was truly a labor of love. Our goal was to elevate and uplift the Filipino-American community by reminding them that Filipino contributions are an INTEGRAL part of American history. Whether or not you’ve heard of Filipino-American history, you can still also recognize how recent these stories are and acknowledging the stories being told today. Each person on screen represents a different industry while leading the community, showing that no matter your field or background, what you contribute shapes history, and you don’t have to be Filipino to know that. I wanted the documentary to be a powerful reminder of your personal ongoing impact.

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

We had less than a month to bring everything together in time for Filipino American History Month. It felt ambitious, but thanks to everyone involved (from the talent to the production team) we were able to create this piece that will always be near and dear to us. We knew from the beginning that the quick turnaround required strong management and a dedicated group to help each another… and we couldn’t have done it with every person pouring their time, heart, and energy into it which really helped everything flow more smoothly.

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

Remain approachable and open to feedback, even when it comes to receiving small notes.

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

We originally set out to create a short, three-minute piece, but during pre-production, it became clear that 3 minutes wouldn’t do justice. We were able to expand the project without changing our budget, because if you have the opportunity, why not? What began as a brief highlight grew into something far more powerful, and we were proud of that reminder: when you give people the space to share their piece, the result often exceeds expectations. We’re so proud of the collaboration involved in this project.

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

It’s hard to choose one. Overall, I think it’s more so the consistency of the responses from the Filipino-American community and family, especially from those who’ve seen countless documentaries. They felt seen and our film captured their stories.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’

… making you feel SOMETHING while getting the main message across.