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.
Rachael has been with Visionalist since 2024. She went to Central Michigan University for Broadcast & Cinema and got her big break as a PA on the show “Major Crimes”. An interest in how video becomes polished for screen brought her into post production work. She loves making her friends and family laugh at her and also eating good food.
Favorite Production Memories
Meeting Gilda Radner’s brother.
Nechelle is passionate about storytelling and creating impactful/engaging films. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts & Communications from Eastern Michigan University and an Associate's degree in Digital Media Arts with a Digital Video Production Certification from Washtenaw Community College. Nechelle is thrilled to be a part of the Visionalist team.
Favorite Production Memory
I enjoy the collaborative process that take place behind the scenes of bringing a story to life.
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.