Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Ashley Epping
2 Minutes With ... Filmmaker Savanah Leaf
Savanah Leaf has transitioned from a 2012 Olympian to a 2020 Grammy-nominated filmmaker, photographer and musician. Her work weaves magical realism with deep humanity and poignant social commentary. Her latest film, The Heart Still Hums (2020), is a short documentary following the stories of five women as they fight for their children through the cycle of homelessness, drug addiction and neglect from their own parents.
2 Minutes With ... Amy McKnight, Composer and Sound Designer
Amy McKnight is a composer and sound designer for TV, film and advertising. Recent projects include the original score on Tyler Perry's Sistas on BET and original sound design for the Nike and Patta short film The Wave. Projects in production are title music for the FIFA 2022 World Cup and sound design on a new podcast produced by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and OBB sound.
Christopher Oroza Nostas on Filmmaking That Uncovers What Makes Us Human
Christopher Oroza Nostas is an award-winning, non-binary, queer, LatinX writer, director and producer. As the son of Bolivian immigrants from two indigenous lineages—Quechua in the Amazon and Aymara in the Andes—he makes work forged by his multicultural heritage and motivated by the primal forces that shape modern society. Christopher creates through many lenses, but the one that is consistently highlighted in each piece of work is empathy.
Director Justin Ongèri on Letting Go of Perfection in Filmmaking
Justin Ongèri is a film director based in New York City. His work is dynamic and visceral in both the retelling of stories and edit style—stating his interest lies between the life we remember and the life that we live. The two inextricably overlap and so the medium should imitate our "imagined realities." At some point in Justin's life, someone advised him to focus on the video that he was currently making, not the video he thought he should be making.
2 Minutes With … TBWA\Chiat\Day Senior Copywriter Dotun Bello
Dotun Bello is a Nigerian creative working as senior copywriter at TBWA\Chiat\Day NY. He started his advertising career in Lagos, Nigeria, before making his way to the U.S. in 2015. Bello has worked on Guinness, Bharti Airtel, BMW, Xfinity, Louis XIII, Samsung and YouTube, among many other brands. He is passionate about creative solutions and his favorite ideas present obvious solutions from a fresh point of view. Bello spends his free time listening to battle rap while folding pizza dough.
Filmmaker Tara Motamedi on Visual Filmmaking and Telling Purposeful Stories
First-generation American Tara Motamedi grew up in Iran. She was raised in a liberal Azeri-Kurdish household and speaks three languages. Wishing to pursue a film career, Tara moved to the U.S., where she earned a BA in film production and an MFA in screenwriting. Having a multicultural background has allowed Tara to recognize differences but, more importantly, similarities between people around the world.
Writer-Director Richard Valencia on Uplifting Voices of the Unheard
Born in San Francisco, Richard Valencia is a first-generation Filipino American writer-director. After working in the music industry, he co-founded a film production studio in 2018 called Burned Negative, focused on bringing diverse voices to the forefront of the entertainment industry. Much of his work from the past year has been centered on developing his first narrative feature. Richard's work has been cultivated by a need to uplift voices of the underrepresented.
Alexandre Do Explores the Playful Side of Visual Filmmaking
Alexandre Do is a London-based director making short films, music videos and commercials. Raised between France and Southeast Asia, Alex decided early on that he wanted to tell visual stories. His interest in photography, painting and animation eventually brought him to filmmaking, where he studied at Central Saint Martins in London. Alex has been able to break out of usual thinking that directors need to hit expected milestones to arrive at their breakthrough moment.
Filmmaker J.J. Anderson on Representation and the Beauty of the Everyday
J.J. Anderson is a self-taught filmmaker from San Diego. As a child, J.J. was introduced to the power of storytelling while witnessing the exchange of testimonies at her parents' weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Passionate about creating strong, authentic representations of women and people of color, much of J.J.'s work focuses on uplifting voices of community members, trailblazers and modern-day leaders. J.J.'s purpose as a filmmaker is centered around representation.
Sarah Whelden on Living Her Truth and Making Space For Younger Filmmakers
Sarah Whelden's award-winning approach to cinematography always puts the story first. It starts with asking "why" before ever considering "how." As a queer trans woman, Sarah has a special place in her heart for those in the shadows. She is drawn to narratives that highlight the often chaotic reality between humans and their surroundings, and to characters that are eager to find themselves but may not know where to start.
Andrew Chung on Collaboration and Activism as an Asian Director
Andrew Chung is a film writer/director, based in Toronto. His short films Ma, Lovebites and White Elephant have screened at festivals around the world, and been broadcast on Air Canada, CBC and the Super Channel. Audiences are used to associating work that addresses society's social upheaval with heavy subject matter. But Andrew says he's working in that space just by being himself.
Writer-Director Sheldon Candis on His Docu-Cinematic Approach
Sheldon Candis is a writer-director and a native of Baltimore. He has written, directed and produced feature film, full length and short form documentary, and episodic TV series across entertainment mediums. Sheldon calls his audiences to take action on current issues. He believes you can entertain your audience, while also teaching them. Like serving spinach with popcorn, he says.
2 Minutes With ... Trixie Ferguson Gray of Brand Studio Charlotte
Trixie Ferguson Gray is senior vice president for Some Spider's in-house brand studio, Charlotte, leading a team that creates brand experiences through bespoke content, events and media partnerships. Before joining Some Spider, Trixie was senior partner of branded content and experiences at MediaCom, an agency within WPP's GroupM division, where she led content strategy, custom program development and activation for clients across the business.
Director Maya Table on Her Creative Journey and Lessons From Uncle Poochie
An incredibly skilled producer, editor, content creator and director, Maya Table is also executive producer of her production company, Sam Frank Productions, named after her grandfather. Maya learned that doors will open when you start creating work that's true to yourself. Her video "Uncle Poochie," a project born within her family, was shared by Snoop Dogg and Timbaland, which led to even larger projects with editorial publications.
Filmmaker Starr Nathan on Telling Black Women's Authentic Stories
Starr Nathan is an award-winning writer, producer and director of the short film Know Me So Well. Currently working in content creation and development at Snapchat, Starr creates innovative products and modules for socially conscious 14- to 24-year-olds who engage in a mobile-first content experience. Starr's creative sensibilities move between short films, multimedia, short and long form digital/social content, music videos and commercials.
2 Minutes With ... LaShun Tines, Wieden + Kennedy Design Director
LaShun Tines is a graphic designer by trade. LaShun is currently a design director at Wieden and Kennedy who has also been lucky to contribute to some of the most awesome creative campaigns in Chicago to date—including relaunching Dodge for SapientNitro, reintroducing Converse (after being acquired by Nike) at VSA Partners, and rolling out the "I'm Lovin' It" campaign for McDonald's at Leo Burnett.
Valentino R. Sandoli on Narrative Freedom in LGBTQ+ Stories
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, raised in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and currently based in Madrid, Valentino R. Sandoli is half Canarian, half Italian. In 2020, he directed Cruising, a fashion film that premiered exclusively for Fucking Young! Magazine. He is currently developing his first feature film as well as other short film projects, while he continues with his commercial work in advertising. Valentino is drawn to stories of the LGBTQ+ community.
2 Minutes With … Pablo Marques, ECD at Elephant New York
Pablo Marques | Photo illustration by Ashley Epping Pablo Marques, also known as Pabs, is executive creative director at Elephant New York, where he oversees all creative, product, and brand design teams. Pabs started his career as a coder, moved on to design, and eventually extended into advertising.
2 Minutes With ... Lizzie Harris, Head of Brand Voice at Lippincott
Lizzie Harris is a founding member of Lippincott's brand voice practice. She started at the global brand and innovation consultancy as a creative writer in 2013 and was named a partner in 2018. As leader of the brand voice team, she oversees the creation and implementation of how brands express themselves—with the goal of making expression, like experience, feel distinct and emotionally intelligent. Before joining Lippincott, Lizzie was a writer at Siegel & Gale.
How to Make a Stock Footage Commercial That Doesn't Suck
Stock footage used to be reserved for infomercials and industrials with titles like "Know your Flange Family." Now, thanks to the pandemic, it's everywhere. Here's what I've learned about how to make a TV spot when you don't have the luxury of shooting, whether it's because of budget or time or a worldwide health crisis. Don't write a manifesto ad. They're great in a new-business pitch to sell your amazing new tagline. But they've always been dangerous.
Spa x Home's Jenka Gurfinkel on the Intersection of Design, Health and Creativity
Jenka Gurfinkel is a UX designer. We know her principally through the Spa x Home project, which we discovered when the mid-term of 2020 confinement made us start longing for small and priceless routes to sanity. Below, we talk with Jenka about the origins of Spa x Home, how it's evolved and changed her, why self-care is important, the concept of "wintering," and her perspective on creativity. Muse: Hey, Jenka! Tell us who you are, what you do, and where you are in the world.
Global Soccer Stars Help Bring Pepsi's 'Fizz to Life'
"In 2021, we are celebrating unstoppable human spirit, not in spite of the times we're in, but because this is a moment and no matter what, we need to keep moving forward with a smile," says Natalia Filippociants, vp of marketing for global beverages at PepsiCo. "From music to football, the new creative encourages the world to break free of conventions, expectations and the bubble of sameness that we often find ourselves in." CREDITS Creative Agency: AMV BBDO Creative: Andy Vasey & Dan Warner...
Unconquered's Brian Schneider on Ken Griffey, Nike Football, and His Work for Warrior Sports
Brian Schneider is co-founder and CEO of Unconquered, an independent creative agency focused on creating work with a sense of purpose beyond itself, using commerce and creative problem solving for positive change. Unconquered’s partners include Warrior Sports, Brine, Grip Boost, Brooks Running and ECNL. After a decade as a commercial director and technologist, Brian co-founded the shop with Jonathan Hanson as a way to use their commerce for good.
Rémy Martin Wishes You a Sweet Lunar New Year With Delectable Sugar Sculpture
Feb. 12 marked China's Lunar New Year. This ushers in the Year of the Ox, marked by diligence and a sweet disposition (as opposed to last year, the Year of the Rat, who is quick-thinking, scrappy and a bit unscrupulous). The Lunar New Year is apparently the most popular holiday in Asia; in the U.S., 16 million Asian Americans also join in celebrating it. Art, craftsmanship and optimism rise to the fore.
Coors Light Built an Out-of-Office Office in the Mountains of Quebec
Don't settle for a scenic Zoom background, people! Coors will pick five Quebecers to "staff" the hilltop cube for a few hours each through a contest developed with Rethink. Catch up on emails! Fine-tune those PowerPoint presentations! Down some brewskies! (There's no restroom, but you'll find plenty of woods right outside!) Individual working slots will last four hours, with sanitizing in between each session, per Covid-19 protocols.
Michael Bolton Spoofs Himself Again, This Time for Public.com
The app recently surpassed 1 million members, and felt the time was right to insert itself into the contemporary zeitgeist … with a little help from an '80s balladeer who's still got powerhouse pipes. "Over the last few weeks, conversations around the stock market have entered the mainstream like never before—and Public.com experienced rapid user growth, as new members looked to transfer their investment portfolios from other brokerages to ours," vp of brand Zach Dioneda tells Muse.
Collins Uses Dynamic Letterforms to Modernize the S.F. Symphony
"At its heart, classical music is an interactive experience," says Collins creative director Louis Mikolay. "Because there are no lyrics, every listener is open to interpret the music in their own way. The Symphosizer enhances this idea by inviting you to explore a completely personal emotional journey during a performance. The motion of the letterforms symbolizes the emotional expressions of the piece itself, uplifting layers and details in the music which may have previously gone unnoticed.
Momentum's Glenn Minerley on Post Malone, 'Pay It Forward,' and Music's Power to Define Time
Glenn Minerley is SVP and head of music, entertainment and esports at Momentum Worldwide, and is tasked with delivering effective experiences for brands to reach people through consumer passion points. Since joining the agency in 2005, Glenn has been influential in developing multiple successful client relationships including American Express, Verizon Wireless, SAP, Sprite, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Nike, Guinness and more.
Tyler, the Creator Crafted a Dance Track for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
Using music to describe the indescribable
What's So Wrong With a Spiral Staircase?
Some friends of mine are selling their house. Everyone who sees the place raves about it. It's a custom-build, energy-efficient home with a pool and a large yard and in a great school district. But there's one caveat—the house has a spiral staircase, and potential buyers are afraid. "We love the home, but we're just not sure about the stairs," they say. So what's the real issue here? Will it make moving a mattress or dresser up to the second floor a problem?
From Cruella to Mortal Kombat, See This Week's Trailers and Posters
It was a good week in entertainment marketing to be a fan. Three fervent but very different fan bases had an exciting week as trailers dropped for long-awaited and highly anticipated projects. First, for the Disney fans was a visit from one of their most iconic villains, as we saw Emma Stone rocking her new black-and-white hairdo and sinister smile for the first time—and, well, if you're a Dalmatian reading this, I'd say it's time to take cover.
J.D. Funari on 2001, Little Children, and the Past Year at Netflix Creative Studio
J.D. Funari is a trailer editor and producer at Netflix Creative Studio. His work over the last decade includes multiple award-winning trailers, campaigns for Oscar-winning films, and widely seen marketing in support of movies like Sicario, Ex Machina, Fifty Shades of Grey, and most recently, American Murder: The Family Next Door. Beginning in his teens, J.D.'s burgeoning love for cinema propelled him to learn to edit on Final Cut Pro and eventually head west to pursue a career in entertainment.
Employees at 5 Top Agencies Issue a 'Black-Owned Business Challenge'
As the twin pandemics of Covid-19 and racism continue to rage, employees across five leading agencies have joined together for a grassroots effort to combat the Black-white wealth gap, which stands at $300 billion and rising. During February, which is Black History Month, hundreds of staffers at Huge, Mother, R/GA, 72andSunny and Wieden + Kennedy have pledged to "buy Black" for their personal needs whenever possible.
2 Minutes With ... Bianca Guimaraes, ECD at Mischief
Bianca Guimaraes is an executive creative director at Mischief@No Fixed Address. She joined the agency last summer and quickly made an impact—making "VILFs" to get OkCupid daters to vote, encouraging people to "Send Noods" in the form of Kraft Mac and Cheese, and creating Kim Jong-un and Putin deepfakes to help save U.S. democracy with an anti-corruption not-for-profit.
Trombone Shorty Stands Tall in PSA to Help New Orleans Musicians
In the opening frames of "Rise and Shine," the four-minute PSA below, New Orleans jazz player Trombone Shorty, aka Troy Andrews, hits his rooftop just before dawn. He cuts loose on that horn, tossing off sharp, insistent tones, as if coaxing the sun from its slumber. Over Shorty's impassioned performance, a radio announcer says: "As the pandemic rolls into another day, I can't help but think of our local musicians. How much longer can they hold out?
2 Minutes With ... Armani Barron, Art Director at Quirk Creative
Born in the Bayou, Armani Barron is an production and visual designer. She is currently working at Quirk Creative in New York as an art director. From video to experiential, she has immersed herself in a variety of mediums. Her notable projects as a production designer and art director include SELFISH, a self-help pop-up experience, Women Of The Now's short film Scutly, and the comedic web series All American Sex Offender.
2 Mins With ... Carlos Alija and Laura Sampedro of MullenLowe LA
Laura Sampedro and Carlos Alija joined MullenLowe last fall to head creative at the agency's burgeoning West Coast office. The duo, known for their global work for brands from Coca-Cola to Honda to Lurpak, relocated from New York, where they had been group creative directors at Anomaly. Laura and Carlos' careers have spanned four countries on three continents, working at Wieden + Kennedy London, BMF in Australia, and BBDO Madrid and then Sra. Rushmore in their home country of Spain.
TikTok's Kudzi Chikumbu on Fostering Inclusion in the Digital World
During the mid-1990s in Zimbabwe, after returning home from school, Kudzi Chikumbu would repeatedly watch a VHS tape of Whoopi Goldberg's Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. From that manic musical comedy, Chikumbu's love for Black creativity blossomed, and he absorbed a life lesson he's employed in posts at Deloitte, Hulu, musical.ly and now TikTok, where he serves as director of the video-sharing platform's creator community.
From Godzilla vs. Kong to Raya and the Last Dragon, See This Week’s Trailers and Posters
It was another exciting week in entertainment marketing that reminded us that even if we're still stuck inside, at least there's a lot of great film and television at our fingertips. I shudder to think what quarantine would be without our TVs. We started with what looks to be the cinema mashup of the century, with two Monsterverse legends finally coming head to head.
10 Great Album Covers, Chosen by Melissa Severin of Cramer-Krasselt
Records were my first exposure to ideas and art far beyond anything available to me growing up in South Omaha in the '80s. Looking back, it's clear just how much of the world music opened for me, beyond the music itself. It gave me friendships, cultures, literature, politics, geography and on and on. In fact, it opened up a career. I would go on to work at a record store in college and started my post-college "real job" life doing public relations at Drag City Records.
Jerry Rice Attempts a 100-Yard Reception, of a Burrito, for Postmates
Yes, at 58, Jerry's still got it—though it did take him about 20 tries, according to Postmates. "Catching a burrito is a little different than catching a football," Rice admits. "When Postmates brought this idea to me, I thought that they were kidding. But it turned out that I made the catch. This burrito cannon would give all of the QBs that I've played with a run for their money." Perhaps most impressive, he even unwrapped the burrito and took a bite after spiking it in the endzone.
Courtney Maltais on the Hope, Politics and Science of Cannabis
Courtney Maltais | Photo illustration by Ashley Epping With close to a decade of professional experience in cannabis, Courtney Maltais has worked with industry leaders in manufacturing, cultivation and product formulation to create efficient and ethically sound practices for producing high-quality products. In 2013, Maltais co-founded The Clear, the first cannabis distillate oil to market in the world.
Clark Zhu's Journey From Cutting Fan Trailers to the Real Thing
One day in 2016, I received an email from my now-dear friend and mentor Peter Campbell, who was an editor at Wild Card. He inquired about who I was and if I worked in the trailer business. It was a total surprise to him to find out I was still a kid in high school. We kept in touch, and when I finally moved to L.A. for college, we talked again and he got me an opportunity to intern at Wild Card. I worked there as a part-time intern editor for two and half years while finishing up school.
A Girl Fearlessly Confronts the Unknown in Apple's Fantastical Ad for Chinese New Year
Wang, who shot the film remotely from the U.S. due to Covid travel restrictions, drew inspiration from her own life for the story. "As a child, my parents wanted me to go further than they have ever gone,' she says.
Johannes Leonardo Pens Love Letters to Its Favorite NYC Small Businesses
Lunch meetings at bustling bistros. Late-night food runs to fuel teams on a deadline. Wee-hours revelry at local watering holes, toasting jobs well done. With Covid still ranging, such moments are increasingly rare. That's especially true in New York City, where most agency offices remain closed, and independent businesses, particularly restaurants and bars, are fighting to survive.
Inauguration Week as Creative Brief: 7 Things Brands Can Learn
Joe Biden's inaugural address already seems ages ago, and it's easy just to see it as a bit of oratory, a fleeting thing. But it's worth digging into after the fact because the inaugural address—and the subsequent speeches and actions of the last week—are not just words: They are a creative brief for America. JFK's brief was a bold, daring challenge to the American people. FDR's brief was a declaration of truth in a time of despair. Others with less iconic initials used it as a laundry list.
2 Minutes With ... Cinematographer Ava Berkofsky
Born in Wales and raised in the mountains and cities of California, Ava Berkofsky brings a background in fine art and documentary photography to cinematography, marked by a relentless search for the nuance of place, time and subjectivity. In 2019, Ava was nominated for an Emmy in cinematography for HBO's Insecure, having worked with director/EP Melina Matsoukas to create and execute the look for the show. Recent feature projects include Share (2019, dir.
Filmmaker Jazeel Gayle on Gender and the Politics of Privilege
Jazeel Gayle is a writer and director from New York City. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and then immigrated to the Big Apple, where he's spent most of his adult life. His creative style is a cross between slick fashion-oriented narratives and human rights messaging. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles as a freelance director. Jazeel's reflective thinking is double sided.
Forget Balance. Choose Work/Life Flexibility and Prioritization
Jeff Bezos recently revealed that he gets eight hours of sleep a night. He tried to get by on just four hours for a while, but the quality of his decision making was impacted. Research supports a connection between sleep and job performance, including a 2019 University of Washington report, "Why Healthy Sleep Is Good for Business." The researchers found sleep deprivation in leaders results in everything from a more hostile leadership style to less success motivating their teams.
WAFBA's Morris Beegle on the State of the Hemp Industry Today
Morris Beegle | Photo illustration by Ashley Epping Morris Beegle is co-founder and president of the WAFBA (We Are For Better Alternatives) family of companies, which include the annual hemp exposition NoCo Hemp Expo, the largest hemp-centric conference and trade show on the planet.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Ashley
Contact Ashley, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack