A life of many adventures filled with exotic faraway places and a rolodex filled with so many wonderful friends I've made along the way with cherished lessons taught to me by a very diverse group of mentors for which I am so grateful.
Favorite Production Memories
Impossible to list and in no particular order so here’s a few:
• spending two years with those who live in darkness due to their blindness
• helping a young lady with terminal cancer see her wish come to fruition of her ashes reaching the ocean
• helping amputee veterans teach the world what life is like for them
• stepping behind the walls of Auschwitz to truly gain an understanding of the Holocaust
• directing a story of a liver transplant from one friend to another
• filming a young man’s rap video in Detroit
• directing on Woodward Ave perched in the back of a pickup truck during the Woodward Dream Cruise with a state police escort.
Basically, every time I step onto a set with my amazing team to help tell someone’s story. When not telling stories I cherish all times I can spend with my kids, my love of my life and our grandkids.
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Matt was previously an Associate Producer & Videographer on Keith Famie’s Adventures in Cooking on the Food Network. In the years since, he was a Producer for a documentary production company where he received several awards for stories he produced & was also a Producer for a photography studio before rejoining Visionalist in November 2021. Matt lives in Farmington with his wife & two kids.
Favorite Production Memories
Filming underwater in Tahiti with shark & stingrays & in the Masai Mara in Kenya with elephants & giraffes.
Brendan has been with Visionalist Entertainment Productions since 2019. Being a lifelong movie fan, he decided to make video production his career. When he’s not shooting or editing video, he enjoys long walks with his dog and stopping his cat from running outside.
Favorite Production Memory
Cruising down Woodward in the back of a pickup truck with a drummer playing Radar Love.
Annie has been with Visionalist since 2023. Her journey into filmmaking was not direct but began as a lifelong passion and it is her diverse background in architecture, design, photography and dance that consistently informs her storytelling aesthetic. When not behind a camera, you will find her traveling and exploring the outdoors, ballroom dancing, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and rescuing animals.
Favorite Production Memories
Filming with former Detroit Lions players on Ford Field and hanging out of a car filming hot rods and muscle cars in Detroit.
Sara graduated from Oakland University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and has been with the Visionalist Entertainment Productions team since 2019. She has always had a passion for documentary filmmaking and investigative journalism. Her favorite things are live music, dancing, podcasts, history, art, nature, and anything metaphysical — not in that order.
Favorite Production Memories
Meeting people of all walks of life that make Detroit great.
Collin graduated from Wayne State University with a bachelor’s degree in Media Arts, and has been with Visionalist Entertainment Production team since 2023. Video production has been his passion since he was a boy, fantasizing about one day being able to tell his own stories on the silver screen. In his spare time, Collin enjoys rock climbing, playing music & being outdoors.
Favorite Production Memory
Listening to stories of redemption and success from those who made it through homelessness and are now thriving.
With over 20 years of experience working in the film & video production industry as a writer, director, gaffer, cinematographer, video editor, and motion designer, J. R. has done everything from documentaries to corporate films, narratives, events, and brand videos. In 2010, J. R. found his niche as video editor for Visionalist Entertainment Productions, and in 2018, having established himself locally as the go-to video editor, and with multiple awards to his name, J. R. founded J. R. Grant Films, handling all facets of post-production services.
J. R. lives in Ann Arbor with his wife & two kids.
Favorite Production Memory
Working with 16mm & 35mm film stock as loader and 1st AC on short & long-form indie films.
Ali is a graphic designer with over 20 years of experience. He graduated from the College for Creative Studies with a Fine Arts degree. Ali loves to visualize an idea and bring it to life in all of his design work. He loves painting, watching football, and architecture.
Favorite Quote: Louis Kahn (Architect) "Even a brick wants to be something."
Favorite Production Memory
Ali shot a car commercial with John Slattery from Mad Men.