SERIES

Initiated in 2022, this was the most complex and profoundly meaningful project of my career. I directed and produced a massive, highly confidential documentary feature centered on a US Special Forces operative. Earning the deep trust of the Green Beret and SOF communities, my team and I conducted over a dozen intensive interviews, successfully using our network to reunite key military figures. Because the narrative required intense cinematic reenactments, the project demanded the management of a significant production budget and the orchestration of cutting-edge filmmaking technology.

I operated as the central node for both the creative and the business execution. I managed a large-scale, multi-departmental physical production, directing extensive crews that included dedicated Grip & Electric, Audio, DIT, and specialized multi-cam setups utilizing motorized sliders. Beyond the camera, I oversaw the entire legal and logistical matrix—managing multiple teams of writers (for both interviews and reenactments), executing complex legal partnerships, handling all crew deal memos and contracts, and coordinating with specialized inventors to acquire highly specific tactical props for the shoot.The Technology (LED Volumes & Global VFX) To execute the reenactments, I architected a highly advanced Virtual Production pipeline. We deeply integrated Unreal Engine and explored the absolute bleeding edge of ICVFX, consulting directly with industry pioneers (including outreach to ILM regarding StageCraft capabilities) and executing our own local LED Volume test shoots.

To bring the digital world to life, I built and managed a globally distributed VFX and animation team. This included collaborating with virtual production consultants connected to Weta Workshop in New Zealand, character modelers spanning from Russia to Los Angeles, and a dedicated motion-capture specialist out of Vermont, utilizing full mocap suits to generate realistic character animations.

The AI Governance Pipeline Understanding the legal complexities of modern distribution, I pioneered an enterprise-grade AI workflow for the project. We utilized Midjourney for rapid scene pre-visualization, but more importantly, I authored a strict AI governance and provenance protocol—modeled directly after Netflix’s stringent legal guidelines—ensuring every piece of generated media met the rigorous compliance standards required by top-tier global distributors.

The Impact & Industry Traction By successfully managing the fusion of raw, high-EQ human storytelling with massive logistical scale and advanced virtual production, the groundwork laid on this project was a massive success. The sheer quality and scope of the work successfully secured elite, top-tier Hollywood representation for the property. While the project remains under strict confidentiality, the production architecture we built has primed the film for major industry success and future distribution announcements.

(Cultural Soft Power) People2People was born out of a critical geopolitical need: countering heavy, anti-American Russian propaganda broadcasting 24/7 in Eastern Europe. Funded by a US Embassy grant and produced in collaboration with a pro-democracy Moldovan news organization, the goal was essentially a high-end cultural diplomacy operation. The US Ambassador gave a clear directive: the production quality had to be absolutely premium to cut through the noise and foster a genuinely positive impression of the United States.

As Co-Producer alongside my wife and BoldRush founder, Sonja Ciotti, our agency took a frontline role in shaping this sweeping, 25-episode docuseries. BoldRush’s logo proudly branded every episode. Beyond advising the local crew on achieving high-end cinematic standards, I operated as a drone cinematographer, conducted on-the-ground interviews, and was frequently featured on-camera. Drawing on my previous years living in post-Soviet Latvia, I was able to rapidly adapt to the culture, even picking up enough of the language to understand context and ask questions natively mid-interview.

Rather than focusing on cold political powers, this series was a deeply honest, unbiased look at the 20-year bilateral partnership between North Carolina and the Republic of Moldova. We traveled across one of the poorest nations in Europe, capturing the lingering devastation of the USSR, the diverse communities of Ukrainian refugees and local Roma populations, and historic landmarks like the Eiffel Bridge in Ungheni.

Our lens focused on the real people bridging the gap: doctors, teachers, small-town mayors, and even Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who spoke candidly with us about her fight against systemic corruption.

People2People transcends standard production work. It is a testament to high-EQ filmmaking. Whether I was speaking with a foreign president, playing with local children, or interviewing the elderly and disabled, this project required immense cultural sensitivity, deep compassion, and the ability to find shared humanity across borders. It successfully delivered exactly what the US Embassy needed: an authentic, beautifully crafted bridge between two nations.