Script/Video Work

I've written commercials, video tutorials, education curriculum and much more. I often end up fulfilling more than just the writing role on a video project. I've storyboarded commercials, directed video shoots, provided voice over, and more. I also occasionally act in or host videos, and I like to think I’m a pretty solid editor too.

 
 

ANTI-BRIBERY TRAINING VIDEO

This video was not written by me, but by the very talented Mallory Jane Weiss, who managed to turn a stuffy topic into engaging content. In addition to starring in this video, I also shot and edited it myself. This is part of a series of videos I did for Ethena’s Anti-Bribery and Corruption training.

MAY THE BEST LOAN WIN CAMPAIGN

I wrote two of the three spots of the May The Best Loan Win campaign for LendingTree (I also did punch up on the third). These spots were made to reflect the new brand positioning done in 2018. I helped cast the commercials and helped with the art direction.

I wanted a symmetrical, whimsical and vibrant look. Call it Wes Anderson adjacent. For these ads we brought back the director (Terry Rietta) and production designer (Leigh Poindexter) of the CompareCards.com spots below. The two of them both brought so much to these ads and were a joy to work with.

COMPARE CARDS SPOTS

I had a hand in every bit of the production of these spots. The bones of the scripts and themes came from another writer, then I punched them up and iterated on them.

I also helped with casting, wardrobe selection, graphics, editing, even selecting the music. I think they’re pretty funny. They also performed well for the brand. About 9 months after these aired, LendingTree’s direct competitor, NerdWallet, ran an almost identical ad. I take that as a compliment.

NEW BRAND SPOTS

This spot was made to kick off the launch of LendingTree's rebrand. The goal was to focus more on the brand and emotion and less on the direct response salesy elements old spots leaned on. We wanted to tie the products to a story and a relatable family and show viewers the value added to them over the years. It performed high in trust and brand recognition in our market research, which was exactly what we were looking for.

For this one we tried to blend some of that soft brand focus with something a little more direct response oriented. We added a touch of discovery too. Thanks to user research we knew that few customers knew taking out a personal loan to pay off credit cards was a smart financial move. We highlighted that here, even going as far as having the actress say, “I didn’t even know you could do that.” This ad has performed incredibly well, and I think that bit of discovery is what helped.

FOUNDER SPOT STORYBOARD

I wrote and storyboarded this commercial for LendingTree, starring the CEO. At this point we weren't sure how long the commercial would be, and what kind of movement we'd have in it. We knew the basics of what we wanted--for him to walk a bit, for the offers to pop up from his phone, and for the background to whoosh out behind him at the end. We shared this with production studios before selecting one for the actual shoot. 

FOUNDER SPOT

Here's the 30 second version of the commercial I storyboarded and wrote. We worked with Sandwich Video on this and they were fantastic. They did an amazing job bringing the script and storyboard to life, all while simplifying the action to make it easier on the viewer, and the non-actor star. We also shot a 60 second version and a few 15 second variations. 

ANIMATED DIRECT RESPONSE

I worked on the script for this animated spot with a couple of others, hammering out the language until it reached maximum effectiveness. When you're doing a direct response ad, every word counts. 

LENNY & HUGO

LendingTree sponsors the Charlotte Hornets, the logo's on the jersey and everything. To kick off the first season of the sponsorship, we made a bunch of videos with LendingTree's mascot, Lenny, and their mascot, Hugo. I wrote a ton of these, and it was a blast seeing Lenny's puppeteers bring them to life. The final polished versions can be seen on the jumbotron during games. This one contains a very stupid joke that I'm proud of. 

LENDINGTREE ACADEMY

LendingTree Academy is a free resource to My LendingTree members (also a free service). The videos explain common, everyday financial questions in bit-sized lessons. I scripted the first two course, assisted with directing, art direction, and even acted in a few lessons. Occasionally my experience as an educator comes in to play with my marketing/advertising copywriting career, and that's always fun. Hooray for learning! 

IWILLDRAWYOURDOG.COM

In November 2017 I launched a business at Iwilldrawyourdog.com that does exactly what it sounds like it does. It's a ridiculous business with an equally ridiculous video (featuring my ridiculous Movember facial hair at the time). I recruited friends and their dogs to bring it all together in a single day of shooting. It's goofy and fun, and so far it hasn't stopped anyone from submitting dog drawing orders. 

ART VIDEOS

When I have the time, I like to try and redesign existing characters and make a video about my research and design process. These are a hobby project of mine, so I don’t do them at any kind of regular schedule, but they’re so much fun to make. Here’s one I did for Chester Cheetah. Feel free to subscribe if you want to see more (no promises on video consistency).