Express, Connect, and Heal
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Date: November 26, 2022
Role: Video Director & Editor
Services: Video Director, Concept Development, Location Scout, Crew Management, Videography, Editing, Coloring, Production Design
Location: Spark Studios
Talent: Parris Chariz, Ausha LaCole, Parker D. Wayne, VNice, Pura Coco, and facilitator Cantiese Burrell (MSW, LCSW)
Crew: Christina McPherson – Director of Photography, Wick Media, Don Kreutzweiser – Audio Engineer, iMedia
The Artist Roundtable was my first true opportunity to lead a project from concept to completion. The Ascension St. John Foundation grant provided the funds and focus to promote the newly established 988 Suicide Prevention hotline. Tulsa Creative Engine offered me a blank canvas and asked for a series that explored the link between mental health and creativity. From there, I built this first episode of a three-part series from the ground up. I scouted Spark Studios, pitched the visual style, shaped the discussion topic, and assembled a team of talented filmmakers who helped bring the vision to life.
On set, we gathered six local artists and a licensed clinical social worker for a raw conversation about the influence between mental health and their craft. It was a mix of roundtable discussion and cinematic portraiture — a space where vulnerability and artistry could live in the same frame. I directed the session, captured supplemental B-roll, and shaped the final edit so the story felt cohesive and human.
Looking back, this project marked a turning point. It pushed me beyond technical production and invited me into real storytelling and community-building. It also introduced me to collaborators who became actual friends — which was a personal goal of mine along the way. The group outlet ended up offering a clearer understanding of how film can make difficult topics feel accessible.
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