Discover Top Creative Directors in Madison, Wisconsin, USA

As a director, producer, cinematographer and editor, Kevin Shaw has created award-winning films for prestige platforms. Shaw’s latest film, Let the Little Light Shine, was nominated for an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award, debuted on PBS’ award-winning series POV, and played at several film festivals and theaters around the country to stellar reception, where the Chicago Tribune lauded the film for carrying “the visceral impact of all six Rocky films and a few Creed films put together.” The film is available to stream on Apple/iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play and VUDU. Shaw’s debut documentary about Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley, The Street Stops Here, aired nationally on PBS and ESPN in 2010 to rave reviews. The following year, Shaw’s Big Ten Network short documentary on a quadriplegic trying to regain the ability to walk won the Edward R. Murrow Award for Sports Reporting Excellence. His cinematography talents were recognized in 2015 with a National Sports Emmy for ESPN’s FIFA World Cup Show Opens and Teases. Later that year, Shaw produced a documentary about the relationship between megastar Shaquille O’Neal and his collegiate coach, Dale Brown. Shaq and Dale premiered on ESPN.  Shaw was a segment director and cinematographer on America to Me, and additional cinematographer on City So Real, from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Steve James, where they both debuted at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and aired on Starz and Hulu respectively. Shaw also contributed as a cinematographer on James’ latest docuseries for ESPN, The Luckiest Guy in the World.

• Documentary DP
• Creative Director
• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Executive Producer
• Field Producer

I’m a Chicago-based filmmaker with decades of experience in directing, animation, and post-production. My work spans projects big and small, from short films to long-form documentaries, mom-and-pop businesses to worldwide brands, for local artists and talented peers, winning awards along the way. My biggest passion is the age-old medium of stop-motion animation, an attention-grabbing technique that’s quirky, nostalgic, and approachable. I’m also a highly experienced video editor, and I’ve used that skill to tell stories of all kinds. I also dabble in directing, photography, sound editing, & sound mixing, a little bit of everything! Stories are at the heart of everything I do. Whether it’s slapping two shots together to communicate a message, giving an actor a note to bring out a specific emotion, or moving tiny objects one frame at a time, I use whatever skills at my disposal to stoke the imagination of whoever’s watching.

• Video Editor - Documentary
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Senior Editor
• Animator / Visual Effects Artist
• Creative Director
• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Storyboard Artist
• Production Company
• Art Director

Marc began writing and directing in the late 2000s, just as internet video was coming to the fore. In 2010, he wrote "Tasty, Tasty," an internet spot for Maccabi Beer featuring Isaiah Mustafa, aka”‘the Old Spice guy,” that went viral and launched his career in commercial video. Since then he has built a vast and varied portfolio as a creative director and scriptwriter for clients such as Volkswagen, Google, PETA, and SodaStream, along with scores of user acquisition spots and in-app videos for apps and gaming companies like Playtika and Papaya Gaming. Marc has also written screenplays for television and film, including “Tehran” (Apple TV+). In 2019, Marc co-wrote the Eurovision Song Contest Television Special, which was broadcast live to 180 million people around the world and voted as the best Eurovision of the decade. His short films have been featured at IndieWire, Film School Rejects, Director’s Notes, The Huffington Post, Digg.com and Film Shortage.

• Creative Director
• Copywriter
• On-Air Reporter / Host
• Copy Editor

With over 12 years of experience in the entertainment industry, I am a versatile & creative entrepreneur who specializes in fashion, film, and sports. I am passionate about capturing & sharing compelling stories that showcase the beauty, diversity, & emotion of life. I value collaboration, innovation & quality in my work as I strive to deliver exceptional results with every project I become involved with. I grew myself in the fashion industry as a respected set hairstylist, being represented nationally by Wilhelmina Talent after being in the industry for only 2 years. As a photographer I have done behind the scenes shooting for films, portrait shoots for actors/models/DJs & proudly as a ringside combat sport photographer. As a freelance filmmaker, I have produced and directed short films, commercials & social media content. I look forward to continuing to grow my breadth of work as my journeys continue. Travel is my next love after all things creative.

• Creative Director
• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Full-Service Live Production
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• Event Photographer
• Fashion Photographer
• Portrait Photographer
• Post-Production Manager
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Video Editor - Documentary

I am an Independent filmmaker and photographer. I have started working as a photographer initially then later I started as a freelance video editor for small firms and for individual projects. I have created my own business Vaguespace films in partnership with a fellow filmmaker. Together we worked for different projects from Non profit organisations to some corporate projects for short documentaries. At the same time I worked in film production management for two years where I worked with big production houses in India on project basis. My duty was to manage the shoot location to any shoot requirement till the production goes. I was assistant to my line producer. Meanwhile, I have been working on my freelance projects under Vaguespace Films. I am proficient in editing software like Premiere pro and Davinci resolve. I have assisted fashion Filmmaker photographer Pedro Perestrello from Brazil. I am capable of managing production on a budget to provide desired output.

• Documentary DP
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Line Producer / On-Location
• Production Company
• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Post-Production Manager
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Corporate Videographer
• Fashion Photographer
• Creative Director
• Portrait Photographer
• Event Photographer
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• Translator
• Full-Service Live Production

My goal is to connect people with a story and make sure it's done as powerfully as possible. I love to travel, meet people, and eat good food with good conversation. My versatile skill set allows me to take projects from start to finish or participate anywhere in between. I'm experienced with generating creative briefs and production schedules. I love developing unique looks that enhance the content of a story. In the field, I've set up lighting for interviews and operated camera for both interviews and b-roll (handheld, monopod, gimbal). As a field producer, I've directed story subjects and conducted interviews. I enjoy interviews and the opportunity to connect with people and help them open up in front of the camera. In post-production, I script-write and edit. I've edited short-form stories in both FCP X and Premiere Pro. I've helped produce Telly award-winning stories and am always striving to learn and grow. I look forward to working with you!

• Field Producer
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Documentary DP
• Creative Director
• Video Editor - News
• Reporter / Journalist
• Fixer

I have worked with video from a early age gaining most of my valuable skills through hands on professional experience. I have worked in many different positions in various sizes of production. I'm interested in finding stories that inspire people to look at social and cultural affairs in a different light. I'm confident that once I find a story I'm passionate about it, I will be able to contribute a valuable and substantial perspective on the most relevant and crucial topics. I'm very much interested in economic inequality and the people who do their part to work to resolve it. I also believe in addressing environmental concerns. My passion for art creates great interest in the ways technology is constantly challenging artists and developing artistic techniques. I also am aware of the influences political actions have on any of the preceding interests.

• Documentary DP
• Sound Mixer
• Commercial DP
• Creative Director
• Production Company
• Production Assistant
• Video Editor - News
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Mobile Journalist / Livestreamer
• HD Live Operator
• Immersive/Spatial Video Capture
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• Audio Storyteller

I am a highly skilled, high performance worldwide storyteller and videographer (Film, Video and Multimedia Content Producer) specializing in real time delivery of film, video and multimedia content. I have special expertise in full service video production for the Unionized Electrical and Construction Industries. Through film, video, and multimedia content I create a compelling visual impact and emotional connection with audiences while blending today's digital world with real personalities, events and experiences in first person and in real time. I develop creative high quality film, video and multimedia content, which is designed to send a message, influence and engage with audiences. I am an entrepreneur of exceptional ability, a musician, and a creative graphic design artist. I am fluent in both Spanish and English and hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics.

• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Documentary DP
• Commercial DP
• Corporate Videographer
• Video Editor - News
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Animator / Visual Effects Artist
• Production Company
• Line Producer / On-Location
• Senior Producer / Project Manager
• Series Producer / Show Runner
• Production Coordinator / Crewing
• Creative Director
• Post-Production Manager
• Sound Mixer
• Fixer
• Production Assistant

I'm Fran, 28, Philosophy Major and Film MFA, with an interest in story telling, be it still images or 24fps. I've been doing principal cinematography for several projects in the west area of Puerto Rico, Chicago, and New York. Received a couple of National Awards for Best Cinematography in a short film, and recently curated my first photographic series titled 'Darklight'. Lately I've been focusing more on directing, since I wanna employ my cinematographic skills in telling my own stories. Occasionally I work with Discovery Communications LATAM hand picking stock images for their web platforms, and encoding selected media. On my free time I volunteer as a Barista at a local coffee shop, since I find that the best stories to tell often come from the people around us.

• Commercial DP
• Fixer
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• Documentary DP
• Sound Mixer
• Translator
• Video Editor - News
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Creative Director
• Production Company
• Production Assistant
• Gaffer
• Grip
• Sound Designer
• Mobile Journalist / Livestreamer
• Audio Storyteller

Stacey Nash is a documentary filmmaker specializing in commercial and long-form storytelling for brands. She is a director with a producer's toolbox of skills - which means she easily balances the creative with the logical. Her ability to mine emotion out of any situation is her secret weapon – from the deeply emotional to the raucously hilarious. She can put anyone at ease in front of the camera and intuitively understands the big picture. ​She has won multiple awards for her work including an Emmy Award with NBC Olympics and the International Corporate Citizenship Film Festival. ​Will crush you at trivia on the topic of olympic sports but ONLY that topic. Very poor loser when it comes to card games - that last bit is unrelated to career highlights but important to know.

• Line Producer / On-Location
• Production Coordinator / Crewing
• Creative Director
• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Field Producer
• TV News Producer
• Post-Production Manager
• Copywriter
• Executive Producer
• Fixer

Gwendolyn Infusino is an award winning writer, director and producer with a UCLA MFA in Film and Television Production: Writing/Directing. She has worked with Netflix, Francis Ford Coppola, Media Res Studios and more. Her films as writer/director have screened Palm Springs ShortFest, Hammer Museum, LA Int'l Shorts, CUFF, SFIFF and internationally in London, Tokyo and more. She is the recipient of the Edie and Lew Wasserman Film Production Fellowship, Motion Picture Association of America Award, member of Starlight Media's (Crazy Rich Asians) Stars Collective Development Program, and former Filmmaker in Residence at the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Her background ranges from marketing and advertising, to curating at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. She is based in LA and Chicago.

• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Creative Director
• Copywriter
• Copy Editor
• Executive Producer
• Senior Producer / Project Manager
• Series Producer / Show Runner
• Art Director
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Line Producer / On-Location
• Senior Editor

Aidan Karstadt is an independent Director and Screenwriter in Chicago. A graduate of DePaul University with a concentration in Film Directing; having worked in narrative, commerical, and nonfiction films. His work focuses on working class environments and stories that bring positivity into the world. Proficient in programmes in the Adobe CC, specifically working heavily with Premiere Pro, AfterEffects, and Media Encoder. Aidan thrives in a creative environment and is a natural leader with a strong emphasis on collaboration. Having worked in close collaboration with others, on many feature scripts. Aidan's strongest skills include his boundless creativity and superior ability to collaborate and inspire others.

• Creative Director
• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Line Producer / On-Location
• Production Assistant

Telling stories through film constantly pushes me to move, innovate and create. More than that, though, it allows me to work with others who refuse to sit still and to help push them toward their goals with what I create. I’ve been around the world chasing stories and finding adventure in people that might otherwise go unnoticed. I've been on tall ships and crammed inside prop planes, in ruins and on top of volcanoes. I’ve seen films I’ve produced lead to strengthened relationships, families finding safety, record level fund raising, small businesses reaching more people and views of the world around us drastically changed. After seeing how I can make peoples’ worlds a better place, how could I do anything else?

• Documentary DP
• Creative Director
• Field Producer
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Commercial DP
• Production Company
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Fixer
• Production Assistant

Founded in 2005, Encore Public Relations is an integrated consulting agency that customizes strategies and purpose driven stories in communication, marketing, public relations and advertising. We've served clients all over the world ranging from every day heroes to global thought leaders, organizations–big and small, start-ups, non-profits, and Fortune 100 companies. We have significant experience leading social change and philanthropic communication strategies and tactics for more than $100M in capital campaigns, annual appeals, fund the need and cause initiatives. Our passion is working with brands that use their marketing and advertising dollars as forces for good in the world.

• Creative Director
• Production Company
• Field Producer
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Reporter / Journalist
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• Documentary DP
• Fixer
• Production Assistant
• Corporate Videographer
• Content Strategist
• Executive Producer
• Social Media Producer

Diego Bolívar is a talented filmmaker, editor, writer and painter with training in Advertising and Cinema from Argentina, where he lived for several years. He now based in Chicago. He has worked as an editor for a Disney Channel series and as a videographer and editor for the Chicago Tribune, Telemundo and Univision nationwide. For Univision, he also created the documentary "Rostros," which earned him several Emmy Awards. His short films have been recognized at numerous festivals and his versatility has allowed him to produce commercials and direct a music video in Los Angeles. Diego Bolívar continues to be a creative force, always looking for new ways to tell impactful stories.

• Animator / Visual Effects Artist
• Editorial Photographer / Photojournalist
• Portrait Photographer
• Event Photographer
• Corporate Videographer
• Documentary DP
• Commercial DP
• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Senior Editor
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Video Editor - News
• Motion Graphics Designer
• News Shooter / Video Journalist
• Creative Director
• Graphic Designer
• Art Director
• Landscape Photographer
• Product Photographer
• Fashion Photographer

Noah is a Chicago-based Director/DP hybrid who works in branded content, documentary and commercials. With a background in advertising and post-production, he has a deep understanding of the inner workings of agencies and key brand messaging, with a talent for tight storytelling. He has a deep appreciation for the importance of story in all forms of media. His DP work has taken him across the world on behalf of indie documentaries and for brands like Verizon, Sony, BET and Busch Beer. His work has been featured on ESPN, NBC, and Netflix. His recent documentary project “Potentially Dangerous” attracted the attention of actor and producer John Tuturro, who signed on as Executive Producer.

• Commercial DP
• Documentary DP
• Creative Director

I am a creator through and through. If I am not working on a production I am writing, painting, or doodling in the margins. From founding and running a small production company to working with brands such as Nike and the Michael Jordan Company, I spend most of my time working on improving my skill set and work catalogue. Wearing many hats within my own production company I was able to Direct, Produce, Edit and sometimes shoot a lot of different projects. From shooting a halftime video for Fallout Boy on their world tour to Directing multiple music videos and commercials for Disney and FCB-X, I can confidently say I've seen both sides of the digital video spectrum.

• Commercial DP
• Creative Director
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Corporate Videographer
• Fixer
• Senior Editor

I'm a hybrid "cinematographer.editor." currently based in Chicago, with over 12 years of experience in video production, locally and internationally. I specialize in branded content, short films, documentaries and corporate projects. I also have an awarded background as Creative Director in advertising; that's why I know how to create stories with purpose. I can work solo, as a team partner or in a crew, on-site or remotely, as long as they either speak French, Chinese or English. I like video games, dogs, iaido, Mahler, eating ice creams with my kid, sometimes in this particular order.

• Documentary DP
• Video Editor - Documentary
• Commercial DP
• Video Editor - Commercial
• Production Company

Sean is an award-winning cinematographer focusing on narrative filmmaking and commercial/documentary projects. His work has been featured on Rolling Stone, Vice/Noisey, Spin, and the Chicago Reader. His first feature film “Bad Animal” (Directed by Remsy Atassi) is currently on the 2021 festival circuit. The web-series “Choose Me” (Directed by Hannah Gamble) has won several awards and is currently showing at festivals around the globe. Sean has photographed for clients including Condé Nast, Blue Buffalo, Optimum Nutrition, NBC Universal, Ram Trucks, Center for American Progress, and White Claw to name a few. He’s also a co-founder of Emulsion Lab, a visual studio focused on narrative films.

• Creative Director
• Portrait Photographer
• Production Company
• Gaffer
• Commercial DP
• Documentary DP
• Executive Producer
• Non-Fiction Film Director
• Post-Production Manager
• Senior Editor

I am a Chicago-based filmmaker with an extensive background in creative ideation and problem-solving within low-budget, DIY environments. I also have significant experience as a Production Assistant on commercial, documentary, corporate, and fiction shoots, as well as credits as a Script Supervisor, Grip, and Assistant Director. My goal as a creative collaborator is to bring an enthusiastic energy to every production I am a part of in order to elevate and empower the voices around me, regardless of whether I am the director or the PA.

• Creative Director
• Production Assistant
• Grip
• Production Coordinator / Crewing
• Music Composer
• On-Camera Talent