About

MYTHOLOGY

Shawn’s background is mostly unknown. Legend has it that he was raised as a Highlander in the great mountains of Washington State. Records indicate he began taking an interest in filmmaking as a wee lass and has been working in that industry since the dawn of the new millennium. While very little is still known about this stately Gallowglass, it has been documented that he moved to Oklahoma in 2008 to work as a Video Producer for a GPS Tracking company. He sharpened his skill set on Broadcast and RED Cinema cameras, spending most of his time on commercial sets and in an editing suite creating digital wizardry with lenses and computers. In 2013 he moved to Bend, Oregon, to continue his work for TeamUnify. He has been spotted running with wolves, mountain biking with bears, and swimming against the current in the mighty Deschutes River. In 2015, he moved to Utah to tell visual stories about education in America for Imagine Learning. After the pandemic hit in early 2020, he moved back to central Oregon to continue his woodland adventures while creating superb video content.

He has a wild, red-headed daughter and an obese cat. He writes about cults, storytelling, and film in his free time. He did not write this bio. It was discovered in a Celtic tome buried along the sands of Loch Lomond.

THE LOWDOWN

All you need to know about me is I love visual storytelling. I spend an enormous amount of time watching films and even more time trying to learn the art of filmmaking. Whether through photography or video, I can't get enough of it.

I first picked up a camera when I was just a young lad. My parents gave my brother and me full access to the family VHS camcorder to do as we please. We made hundreds of movies. Mostly stop motion animation with lego men and G.I. Joe's. We eventually branched into creating awful movies with whatever props we could fashion in the garage and the family dog. This led me to take my first video editing class in my junior year in high school. This was the first opportunity I had to take complete control of the crap I shot. I no longer had to film the entire project in order, nor rewind and record over a bad take. I fell in love. From the moment I sat down to edit my first project, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. 

After high school, I joined what can only be described as a cult disguised as a leadership school. Religious brain-washing aside, I developed my skills as a filmmaker and photographer much further over four years. I started with Windows Movie Maker (It was a dark time in my life), worked my way into Pinnacle Studio, Adobe Premiere Elements, and eventually Final Cut Express when I bought my first Mac. I ultimately upgraded to Final Cut Pro and migrated entirely over to Adobe Creative Cloud. I primarily edit with Premiere, After Effects, and the rest of the production suite. 

Don't worry; I left the cult and have worked diligently to expose it.

I started doing freelance photography in 2004 with one of my best friends, Red Williamson. We did everything from weddings to concerts to photo walks. Our cameras never left our sides, and I learned a tremendous amount from all of them. I started to understand how to tell a story from a lens.

In December of 2007, I leaped doing all of this full time and promptly moved 2000 miles away to Oklahoma City, where I worked as Director of Media for a small, creative organization. I spent the next 18 months working under some outstanding leadership that let me take creative liberty and gave me an environment to further my education.

In 2009, I took a full-time position at  US Fleet Tracking, leading the Digital Production department. I spent my days creating content for the web and broadcasting commercials. In 2012 the company diversified, and I was responsible for a web-broadcast college sports show, SportsMag.tv (now since sold off). This was in conjunction with my responsibilities at US Fleet Tracking and stretched my talents even further. Before I left, I led a team of three in a small studio and put into motion plans to expand beyond that and start accepting outside work. In late 2013, the Northwest beckoned me again, and I took a position at TeamUnify in Bend, Oregon. Here I was tasked to recreate the department I created at US Fleet Tracking. 

I left TeamUnify in May of 2015 to pursue full-time storytelling, filmmaking, and freelance work. I spend a large portion of my time shooting for various organizations and individuals. While I no longer shoot weddings, I have expanded into featurettes, commercials, mini-documentaries, and anything else that piques my interest. I also took an opportunity in Provo, Utah, to work for a wonderful education company, Imagine Learning. I spent my time traveling the US telling stories of kids overcoming learning challenges and becoming the best they can be.

I care deeply about education, social justice, and providing clean water to the world. 

A VERY PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS

I've worked with 16mm, Sony Cinema Cameras, Reds, DSLRs (with and without Magic Lantern), Blackmagic Cinema Cameras, Arri Alexas, and ENG cameras. All of which is wonderful, but I believe the best camera I have is the one in my pocket.

I work primarily in Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop and Audition. However, I also frequently use Final Cut X if it fits the job. I have found each piece of software to have its advantages, so there's no reason to pigeonhole myself with just one. I'm familiar with Avid, but I can't say I'm entirely sold on it just yet.

I've never been one to brag, so I will let my work speak for itself and let you decide if I'm the right fit for your project. I'm always looking for new learning opportunities and am willing to do whatever it takes to make something extraordinary.