AN INTRODUCTION, BY WAY OF THE WORK
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AN INTRODUCTION, BY WAY OF THE WORK ✦
Council Leadership - Portfolio
HEY,
I’m Ben, a creative director and cinematographer passionate about crafting visuals that not only look beautiful, but make people feel something. I help brands, organizations, and artists connect their meaningful stories with the people who need to hear them.
WHAT THAT THOUGHT ME
I've spent the past ten years working in film, photography, and design. But somewhere along the way, I realized the most meaningful part of this work isn't the idea, the process, or even the finished product.
It's the people you meet, the stories you're trusted to tell, and the relationships you build along the way.
01 / Trust
ONLY GOD
One family's complicated, beautiful story. Nine days to listen, find its heart, and share it with a room full of people.
A LITTLE BACKSTORY
Ashley & Chad — Only God · Documentary film · Watch above ↗My church asked me to tell Ashley and Chad's story for a series called “Only God”, stories where only God could get the credit. We had nine days between the initial conversation and the moment the film would play for the congregation.
I started with a phone call. Before I thought about shots, I wanted to understand their family, their experiences with fostering and adoption, and what mattered most. Then I wrote the interview questions, went to their home, filmed, edited, and delivered the final film myself.
After the screening, church leadership told me I had found the heart of a long, complicated story. They said it moved people, and that they never worried about whether it would be done with care and excellence.
9
Producer // Director // Cinematographer // Editor
Days from request to screening1
Person from start to finish
3:25
Final film
When you're trusted with a story, the job isn't to make yourself look good.
It's to make people feel seen.
Script Writing // Creative Director // VO Actor
OPENER
02 / Purpose
MORE THAN A JOB
How do you bring a big organizational vision down to a human scale? Start with the people who believe in it.
THE THOUGHT BEHIND IT
Lifeway · SBC Keynote Opening Film · Watch above ↗Lifeway was introducing a new vision: to empower 300,000 church leaders with research and resources to reach the nations. I was asked to help create the opening and closing film moments around our CEO's keynote.
Instead of opening with a list of goals, I proposed telling the stories of the people who come to work every day because they believe in the mission. I developed and conducted nine employee interviews, then found four distinct voices that could become one story.
A paper airplane became the visual throughline… a small, everyday image of something being sent out into the world. The film introduced the CEO, and a second, cinematic brand sequence closed the keynote.
Original Concept // Interview Development // Director // Cinematographer // Editor
CLOSER
Lifeway · SBC Keynote Closing Film · Watch above ↗ANOTHER THING I’VE LEARNED
Good storytelling starts with knowing how to listen. But good production means
knowing how to make a space where someone feels comfortable sharing that story.