Digital Shorts
2012 Olympic Water Polo Announcement
Who ISN'T a fan of water polo? Precisely why, leading up to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, MTV asked that I cover the announcement of the Men's Olympic Water Polo Team. Trust me, these guys were as dynamic out of the water as they were in it. The mood was tense but spirits were high as USA Water Polo made some great saves and tough calls...
'The Gabby Douglas Story' & The Vampire Diaries
Gabby Douglas did more than capture the collective heart of America in the summer of 2012. She also won a couple of Olympic gold medals. Not to bad for a 16 year old who moved to Iowa on her own to pursue, what many thought, was an unrealistic dream. Fate would have it that Gabby went on to win the prized all-around gold medal, in the process, catching the attention of some of Hollywood's hottest young stars. Obviously, this meant that she needed to have her own Lifetime movie.
I can't speak to the merits of the aforementioned TV movie. What I can say is that she is an incredibly vivacious and spritely young woman who made me believe, even if for a fleeting moment, sometimes dreams DO come true! And isn't that what life is all about? At least that's what one of my college professors told me.
Regardless, this segment, where we surprise Gabby with the cast of her favorite show, 'The Vampire Diaries', ended up being the figurative cherry on top for this rising superstar. And to our credit, the feature ended up aired primetime on Entertainment Tonight. Talk about a stuck landing!
Pilates Abdominal Workout with Diet.com
I’ll be the first to admit that exercise videos, especially those concerning “Pilates”, tend not to be revolutionary let alone entertaining. Shocker! However, my collaboration with Diet.com on this web series focused on a unique and fresh approach to abdominal excercises geared towards the postpartum female fitness demographic, highlighting the importance of producing digital content for niche markets. Turns out “The Mommy Market” loves youtube just as much as their tweens who annoyingly text incessantly at the dinner table do. That being said, though not necessarily flashy, the content was appropriate and spoke directly to the audience targeted with more than satisfying results.
Awesome Dawesome
Very rarely in life does one have the opportunity to meet their childhood hero. Moreover, the probability of that hero actually living up to those lofty expectations is close to zero at best. However, Dominique Dawes, the first African-American gymnast to win an Olympic medal and former Chairwoman of the Women's Sports Foundation, embodies that gritty narrative that Hollywood producers clamor for.
As an ambassador for Citi bank and their 'Every Step of the Way' campgain, Dominique truly shined as a advocate for athletes of all capabilities, especially those hoping to one day stand on top of that medal podium with gold. Strikingly humble, well-spoken and could easily, if given the chance, take over the world, she exudes a quiet confidence and gentile ease for those lucky enough to experience her presence. Both heartwrenching and spellbinding, her Olympic journey is the stuff of legend and it was an honor to share her story with Citi Bank.