I’ve worn many hats over the years, identifying interchangeably (and often concurrently) as a musician, photographer, composer, producer, digital designer, and filmmaker.

I've been told my abilities are a combination of imaginative big-picture insight and detail-oriented execution, each of which I enjoy immensely. Along the way I've earned a Clio Award, two Emmy nominations, and a CMF Gold Halo for a project initiated by our mutual friend.

Beth Kitsinger and I met in 2012, not long after the lines between CSR, cause marketing, and brand storytelling had first begun to blur. I’d co-founded a creative studio in Austin a few years earlier, and had come to New York to show off some early wins, pitching a few PR agencies on the power of video storytelling.

Beth invited us to present at Euro and, in one of those rare and wonderful moments when things seem to come together serendipitously, my young company left the city having partnered on what became a long-running project with Ford Warriors in Pink.

The two of us reconnected earlier this year, catching up and expressing our shared astonishment over the passage of time. After hearing I’d shuttered my Austin studio and moved to San Francisco, she suggested I might discover some new colleagues through the Communications Network. I joined the association, and while browsing their Slack channel last week, your name — Fenton — jumped off the screen.

I’ve been a free agent my entire career, driven largely by a commitment to work with a certain kind of client. They tend to be foundations and nonprofits — along with the occasional consumer brand secretly hoping to be mistaken for a foundation or nonprofit — but their common thread is a shared set of values and an unmistakable integrity, without which the work would be meaningless.

Since Beth came onboard and first told me about your firm, I’ve thought of Fenton as the perfect expression of these qualities. I knew that if ever there were an opportunity to work together in any capacity, I’d be eager to explore it. And in our current political and cultural environment, I believe I’ll make my greatest impact by working with a team of people united in purpose and a singular pursuit.

My creative partner and I sunset the company in 2023. I’ve rebranded as an independent creative studio, but like many of us in the last few years, I can't shake the feeling that something's missing. Isolation is the enemy of community, and it's hard to cultivate connection over Zoom*.

*Of course, if you find yourself sufficiently intrigued to have a video chat, I'm sure we can manage just fine.

Seeing as I'm approaching both my self-imposed word count and the outer limits of what I can reasonably expect you to read, I should probably pivot to the matter of my technical capabilities:

• Broadly speaking, I am fluent in each qualification the job requires.
• In the course of directing dozens of short films and videos, I have interviewed children and adults from all walks of life. I've worked in extremely sensitive environments, covering deeply personal topics that require I earn the subject's full trust.
• I'm able to gracefully manage the often-conflicting expectations on-set from of the clients, families, and crew; establishing an appropriate emotional tone is chief among the most fundamental priorities of any shoot.
• My interview style is patient, attentive, and thoughtful. I avoid rigidly scripted questions, and if the brief calls for specific messaging, I lead the subject to a place where they'll naturally express it.
• Aiming for editorial concision in a story's exposition gives us time to allow emotional moments to breathe.
• I own an exclusive library of hundreds of original music cues, performed by accomplished musicians and each with the power to impart a humanity and emotion typically found only in high budget productions.
• I’m an experienced WordPress developer, photographer, music producer, and digital multimedia creator.
• I've produced numerous podcasts for internal comms and employee recognition.
• Plus, I'm clinically obsessive in my organization and data management.

I appreciate you taking so much time to acquaint yourself with my background, and invite you to explore this very website for examples of my work. Finally, I want to thank our colleague Beth for making the introduction. I hope you'll reach out soon to schedule a conversation.

Warmly,
David