Finding Art / SCVTV

Finding Art aims to highlight the people and organizations who create arts and culture in the Santa Clarita Valley community. The goal is to provide a platform for individuals as well as organizations to showcase their work.

The Challenge

The prompt for this project was to produce programming focusing on various aspects of the quality of life in the Santa Clarita Valley, specifically an 'Arts & Culture Series’, defined as a program featuring arts, activities, and artist profiles within the Santa Clarita Community.

The project was for a nonprofit television PEG Access station and community media center based in the community, which was working in partnership with the local City and public education institutions within the community.

My Role

I was brought into this project after the station had received the project prompt, starting virtually from scratch. My goal was to create a program that felt artsy and modern, but that was sustainable for the small nonprofit station and its staff.

I worked with the Board of Directors and staff to build out the brand, show structure, and budget. I served as producer, director, videographer, and segment editor, leading the full production process from pre-production planning to final cut delivery. Responsibilities included:

• Coordinating shoots with artists and locations

• Directing on-camera interviews and filming B-roll

• Managing production logistics, gear, and schedules

• Editing segments and overseeing the episode’s edits with a focus on narrative flow and visual storytelling

Approach / Process

I approached this project from a documentarian’s perspective, and I:

• Collaborated closely with artists to understand their creative process and personal narratives

• Designed a flexible shoot schedule to accommodate the unique needs of each artist and location

• Shot on-site with cinematic techniques that highlighted both the artist and their environment

• Implemented a streamlined post-production workflow to ensure episodes were polished, cohesive, and delivered on time

Results / Impact

“Finding Art” launched with its first “season” in 2017 and continues to see new segments produced regularly, with 250+ segments produced thus far.

It won a Telly Award for “‘Circle Song’ Community Tile Wall”, where we spent months following this artist through her process of designing a ceramic tile wall mural inspired by the local natural landscape and the history of quilting.

Visuals