Really Useful Media

12/23/2024

A look behind the scenes of our talented team doing the work to tell our clients' stories in 2024. We couldn’t do it without you—thank you for all your creative collaboration! For more about how our work made a difference in 2024, check out usefulmedia.net/2024

Starting today, our team is offline for our annual recharge break. Wishing all our clients, partners, and collaborators a restful end to the year and can't wait to be back in action with you when we reopen on January 2, 2025!

Send a message to learn more

12/18/2024

📽️🌃🌟As the year draws to a close, we’re reflecting on the impact of the videos we’ve created with our clients. We know there is much more work to be done in 2025, and look forward to another year of collaboration for the good of people and planet. 🌎

12/10/2024

What a joy to work with to produce this video celebrating what it means to be on Team Book. To mark 75 years of the National Book Awards, we crafted a narrative that weaves together favorite -- and prescient -- moments from the archives, new interviews with honored authors, and so many beloved books.

Special thanks to our crew:
Director & Editor: Dan Winckler
Executive Producer & Story Editor: Emily Kornblut
Sound Operator: Joshua Simon of Spinach Pie Productions
Hair & Makeup: Nicolae Rita
Mississippi interviews: Charles Day
Post-production Audio: Chris Burke

11/26/2024

We had so much fun creating this video to help the New York Hall of Science celebrate its 60th anniversary at this year's gala, diving into incredible archival footage of the 1964 World’s Fair and matching it with new footage we filmed at the museum. By showcasing the roots of this iconic New York institution, we highlighted how NYSCI is building on its rich history to nurture all STEM learners today, and for generations to come.

11/21/2024

HERE WE GO!!! The 75th National Book Awards starts now! Hosted by Kate McKinnon and featuring musical guest Jon Batiste, we're proud to join and Book Foundation in celebrating 75 years of lifting up books and writers with this year's broadcast for everyone watching from around the world.

Tune in live to the 75th National Book Awards Ceremony on November 20, 2024 at 8:00pm EST. Hosted by Kate McKinnon, and featuring musical guest Jon Batiste.J...

11/20/2024

The National Book Awards Finalist Reading starts now! Join us with NPR's very own Brittany Luse, LIVE from NYU as finalists read excerpts from their nominated works, and be sure to join us and the National Book Foundation live tomorrow at 8pm ET for the Awards Ceremony!

Each year, the National Book Award Finalists in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature gather the evening before t...

11/19/2024

Kicking off the first of three livestreams for the 75th National Book Awards this week with Teens Read 📚 LIVE NOW from Symphony Space for National Book Foundation! Join host Jacqueline Woodson and hear readings from this year’s Young People’s Literature finalists.

Teens Read the 2024 National Book Awards (formerly known as the Teen Press Conference) brings the excitement and prestige of the National Book Awards to an a...

11/15/2024

We believe that the most powerful stories are the ones that lift up authentic community voices. Over the past year, we’ve been proud to partner with Native filmmakers Jon Sims of No Reservations Productions and Scott Smoker of Smoke Signal Studio to document Enterprise Community Partners’ Tribal Nations work around the country and amplify Indigenous voices and stories that reflect their rich cultures, histories, and perspectives.

11/05/2024

At Really Useful Media, we close our doors on Election Day every four years so our team has time to vote, volunteer, help others get to the polls, or simply reflect on the significance of the day. No matter the outcome, we’ll be back Wednesday morning, ready to continue amplifying our clients’ stories with renewed purpose and urgency.

10/18/2024

Building trust is at the heart of our work. This summer, when Ms. Gertha was hesitant to be filmed, we set aside the cameras and took time to listen. We explained her options and respected her concerns. By focusing on her comfort and being transparent and empathetic, we built trust, and helped Enterprise Community Partners tell the story of the Health + Housing innovation through the voices of real residents whose lives are being changed for the better by their new homes at the Pearl.

10/09/2024

Exciting news! We’re thrilled to welcome Rachel to the Really Useful Media team as our new Production Assistant. With her passion for storytelling and background in video journalism, Rachel brings a unique blend of experience in both newsroom reporting and public policy. Her past work has focused on key issues such as health, immigration, and social policy, and she’s eager to help our clients create videos that drive positive change. Welcome, Rachel!

09/27/2024

At Really Useful Media, our message to clients is simple: You have a story the world needs to hear—let us help you tell it. Whether we’re livestreaming a one-day event or producing a year-long campaign, our goal is to advance the mission of impact-driven organizations through beautiful video storytelling.

09/18/2024

Value: We are curious! We are always learning innovative ways to create and use video.

: 🎥✨ We've been testing out ways to optimize filming content for multiple aspect ratios, ensuring your videos look amazing no matter how you share them!

09/13/2024

📽️ Since 2012, we've partnered with New York Hall of Science to create videos that bring to life their core principles of design, make, play - like this 2023 gala video featuring honoree Ivan Tornos.

🚀✨ Excited to apply this storytelling approach to five new videos for NYSCI’s 2024 gala, celebrating their 60th anniversary and future innovations!

Director: Dan Winckler
Executive Producer & Story Editor: Emily Kornblut
Editor and Second Camera: Lourdes Kalusha-Aguirre
Swing-Tech: Sherwin Chao
Hair and Makeup: Nicolae Rita
Post-production Audio: Chris Burke

08/26/2024

🌟✨ The first of several quick-hit Ask the Expert videos we produced for the Foundation for Women & Girls with Blood Disorders that provide valuable education to healthcare providers and support the mission all year long. Thanks to Nationwide kids hematologist and FWGBD board president Dr. Sarah O'Brien for sharing her expertise! 🎥

08/22/2024

📸🌟 Take a day trip with us to Build UP school in Birmingham, AL, one of Enterprise Community Partners' newest Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge winning innovations! Building on our experience filming 1.0, we've adapted a cinéma vérité approach this time around, transporting audiences to these innovations around the country.

08/16/2024

Value: We Collaborate.

: For the 74th National Book Awards program video, fostering open dialogue with National Book Foundation helped us work together to identify the voices and community filming opportunities that truly reflected their mission and celebrated the intrinsic joy of reading. This collaborative process ensured the video's messaging resonated with audiences and supported 's fundraising goals. The collaboration continues—We're in full swing on production for the 75th Anniversary of the , and it's shaping up to be an amazing milestone!

Crew Credits:
Director & Editor: Dan Winckler
Executive Producer & Story Editor: Emily Kornblut
Swing Tech: Lourdes Kalusha-Aguirre, Khalid Straker
LA Interviews: Charles Day

08/01/2024

You are helping change communities, cities, and society for the better. At Really Useful Media we believe in the power of a good story and know that impact storytelling can make a difference. Let's create videos that inspire and activate audiences to take action for the good of people and planet together. Have an idea? Drop us a line!