To help emphasize DC Public School’s commitment to teaching excellence, the DC Ed Fund created the Standing Ovation Awards program to give the school system something to rally behind (and donors something to invest in). Producing a video for each award meant a lean approach. Our time with these teachers, students and staff would be limited, so we thought of a hook to pack as much emotion into these half-day shoots. We convinced DCPS to allow us (and local press) to stage and capture the in-person “surprise!” moment. This allowed for each video to have a moving and somewhat unpredictable story arc based on the individual reactions.
Standing Ovation Awards
For three years in a row, we continued our partnership with the DC Education Fund to highlight some of DC Public Schools’ incredible programs and teachers. Producing a series of videos for the annual Standing Ovation awards show, we honored some the city's finest educators by creatively documenting their unique classroom experiences, capturing that OMG "you won!" moment on camera and talking to the adorable students, who say the things that we could never script. The results may move you.
Give Them A Hand!
Excellence in Scheduling
After the honorees were selected, Alexandria organized a tight timeline to shoot at schools across the city. DC Ed Fund and DCPS helped arrange for the “ambush,” calling for assemblies and even special appearances by the Chancellor and Mayor. Favata and Phil competed with sizable local news crews to get the close-up shots. As the hysteria settled, we directed honorees for b-roll coverage — to offer some perspective on their incredible contributions and inform the community about these worthwhile and often one-of-a-kind programs and personalities.
A Red Carpet Rollout
Favata and Rob cut together each video, looking to capture the individual personalities of the honorees, as well as the supporting staff and students. Dan created an elegant awards treatment to display the award titles and reinforce a filmic quality. The videos debuted at the new Anthem theater in town, reinforcing the school system's committment to rockstar talent in the nation's fastest-improving urban school disctrict.
Alexandria Kelly
Coming to us from Hollywood, Alexandria brings a jet set, never-quit work ethic.
Melinda Foscato
Melinda brings more than 15 years of broadcast, digital, and production experience to her role as VP of Business Development and Creative Strategy. She builds strong, fruitful relationships and supports clients with a passion for storytelling and media strategy.
De'Von Wellesley
De'von has a diverse background; from filming in night clubs to fashion models and music videos.
Jun Young Yang
Jun is the Director of Photography for LAI Video. His sharp eye and even sharper focus have earned him a reputation as an industry-leading cinematographer. He started his career freelancing before becoming a staple on the LAI Video team.
Tiffany Lewis
As our Creative Director, team leader, and motionography expert, Tiffany embodies LAI Video’s innovative identity. Throughout her 12 years of extensive creative, strategic, and production experience, Tiffany has earned two Emmy® Awards and widespread industry recognition.
Anthony Jacoway
Anthony is LAI Video's Director of Technical Services and an integral part of our Emmy® Award-winning team. Depending where and when he is needed, you can find Anthony editing, animating, color-correcting, filming, directing, designing, or generally making our team better.
Jordan Anderson
Jordan is a Cinematographer + Editor at LAI Video. Coming to us from Louisiana, he hails from a rich background of documentary and commercial-making, traveling the country to tell some incredible stories.
Sarah Wides
As Senior Producer & Project Manager, Sarah Wides handles some of our largest projects and oldest clients. Her attention to detail, passion for video, and thorough production experience consistently generate incredible results.
Stephanie Ciaccia
A visual storyteller born and raised in Upstate New York, Stephanie once worked in a carnival show over a summer. Now an Associate Producer + Project Manager at LAI Video, she juggles a lot, but somehow doesn’t drop the ball.
James Favata
As the Vice President of Creative at LAI Video, James offers his docu-style and motion graphics expertise to transform brands and campaigns. He’s won numerous accolades, including two Emmy® Awards as a Director, for his incredible storytelling and vision.
Rob Kramer
As our Associate Creative Director, Rob Kramer leads the animation team and directs a range of client projects. With his suite of production and design skills, he creates one-of-a-kind styles that seamlessly mesh with your narrative.
James Loizou
James Loizou leads the team at LAI Video, building the Emmy® Award-Winning agency from scratch over the last 15 years. His innate balance of creativity and methodology guides our team forever forward towards innovation.
