Barack Obama 2008 Campaign
Back in 2007, YouTube was barely two years old. For a political campaign, it was crazy to build an in-house video documentary team to shoot, cut, and upload hours upon hours of footage to a still-nascent video sharing platform. But video became an essential tool for providing unconventionally intimate access to the candidate, and for capturing the swell of grassroots enthusiasm that powered the campaign.
As deputy director of video, I produced, edited, and managed the distribution of countless videos – from supporter profiles, to campaign events, to behind-the-scenes documentaries. Here are some of my favorites:
"We have a lot of work to do"
The final video of the campaign, this piece was produced in the final week of the election to follow our journey from humble beginnings to historic momentum.
It was featured on the homepage of YouTube, and watched more than anything else I'll ever create.
"David plouffe strategy update"
Typically media and press adverse, I created an unconventional video series with campaign manager David Plouffe, where he provided updates directly to supporters.
These videos were all shot using the built-in webcam on my laptop – often stacked on books and random desk ephemera to get a good angle. Simple slides were used to cover cuts from the various improvised takes.
wilco concert
I interviewed members of Wilco about their support for their then-junior-senator, and shot and cut this short video.
The original cut featured more of their concert performance, but my boss over-ruled me.
"History of Project Vote"
Featuring rare archival photos and candid interviews with fellow organizers, this video profiles Barack Obama's early work in Chicago registering voters on the South Side.
Vote for Change National Voter Registration Drive
In early May, the campaign organized an extensive voter registration drive across the country. We sent video crews to major cities across the country and finished a wrap-up video with 48 hours.
In a pre-HD pre-Dropbox era, this meant overnighting tapes to HQ, and a rapid response post-production process to capture, log, and cut this short documentary,