Talk about a film coming to life, this documentary short we directed is my current heart & soul project. I usually wait until a project is 100% completed before I share it. But 2020 allows us to break rules — even our own rules! This doc is 36 hours of footage, filmed in 10 cities, cross-stitch edited by me into a tidy 7 minute documentary profile.

I want to share the story of the silhouette of the birds I saw on the monitor while editing. I find them starkly beautiful. They resonate with me. The first b&w image below is a 104 frame traveling matte of the birds that I hand painted. This matte is pixel perfect - which in this case ironically means you will *not* actually see it (the alpha matte) in the final piece. Yet, this is one of those editing room “process tools” that is a beautiful stand alone element in it’s own right - I am sharing it because I have a hunch you could use a moment-of-zen.

Stay safe. Stay creative. Let’s Zoom! Let’s shoot!  , SAW

The film is 95% of the way to the finish line (picture is locked and shots are color graded.) Now just working on the score with my favorite music composer extraordinaire Christian Moder. You may recall Moder from my recent e-newsletter showcasing the cover art to his new song “We Fall” by @kineticconsole. The track is now out, find it everywhere.

written / directed / edited by KN+SAW

Without giving too much away before the piece airs, the film tells the story of teachers who go above and beyond in the way they inspire their students. The story profiles a grant program that affords these teachers amazing once in a lifetime experiences that in turn make a significant positive impact in the lives of the students, that then ripples through the school and community. Stay tuned (I’ll let you know when the piece is 100% finished and available to watch.)

Below is the shot of the birds in final form. You see the birds as they fly past the Statue of Liberty and Staten Island Ferry during the title sequence of this documentary short that we wrote/directed/edited.

and… we’re back!

Well, within reason, of course. We have Covid Production Protocols in place and work with crew that takes precaution seriously. We are networked for you to view remotely, or safely on set with us in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Give me a call and I will walk you through our new workflow.

Hi there. I’m Stephen Austin Welch, a commercial director & advertising photographer. My specialties are capturing authentic lifestyle images, genuine portraits and dramatic landscapes. I also enjoy shooting intriguing interiors and graphic still lifes.
See ’em all on my websites:  spots  »  knsaw.com  &  stills  »  sawphoto.com

We shoot tv spots & still photographs for ad agencies, creative firms, companies and magazines both locally in California and around the globe. Be it macro or micro, all productions are handled with the same care and attention to detail to create inspiring images.

For photography projects, I am represented by TidePool.

For directorial projects, we work with a select handful of brilliant Executive Producers and above-and-beyond Line Producers strategically located across the country to give our productions an insider advantage.

Call me, SAW, for the next visual story you want to tell.

We love to shoot!