JTWO Welcomes Ava Hanuscin

AVA HANUSCIN


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Everyone Has A Story


By Ava Hanuscin

If you were to ask any aspiring filmmakers when their love for film came about, they would most likely tell you they had a camera in their hands by the age of 7. This wasn’t the case for me. At age 7, I had a basketball in my hands and a soccer ball at my feet. Although I’ve always had a creative side, there was no time for cameras when you played sports all year round. It was all I had ever known. That was until my junior year of highschool. I was allowed to take one elective class of my choice and I randomly chose media production. During the class, I was tasked with filming highlights of the boys soccer game and interviewing the players. Five minutes into their first game of the season, I was having more fun behind the camera than I ever did on the field. At the time, I wasn’t sure why this was, but I was eager for more. As I was putting the footage together, I realized that it was more than just showcasing a game and its players. It was a story, and I was able to bring it to life.

From that point on, I knew I wanted to pursue that feeling professionally. I applied to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and can confidently say it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Through my work in short films and student media organizations, I’ve come to understand storytelling as a form of connection. I believe everyone has a story to tell, and each one deserves to be shared. And as a storyteller, I’ve had the opportunity to make that happen. I am constantly looking for the chance to inspire, promote change, and form everlasting connections.

These aspirations brought me to One World Media, a London-based non-profit media organization during my recent semester abroad. The organization works to highlight underrepresented voices in journalism on a global stage. As an intern at One World Media, I was responsible for promoting documentaries from journalists all over the world and making sure they received the recognition they deserved. By doing so, we were able to shed light on a variety of social issues and bring them to the attention of people that could help. I came to realize how important and powerful storytelling can be by connecting both the teller and the receiver. Not only was this position extremely rewarding, but it also gave me the confidence and desire to keep pursuing this art of communication.
Therefore, when I came across JTWO’s internship program, I figured what better way to continue to enhance my skills, further my passion, and build my confidence than accept the challenge that is the [INC]ubator Project.


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JTWO Welcomes Ryan Console

RYAN CONSOLE


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Getting a Reaction


By Ryan Console

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This is a picture of me at 3 years old with a cardboard box on my head. You probably gathered that on your own but I figured I’d make it clear. You’re probably wondering why? The simple answer is because I had an audience. In the home movie that this is taken from, I put this box on my head and pretended to be a TV, putting on a show for my audience (my mom and dad). I would entertain my parents and then would abruptly say “The fun times are over”, removing the box from my head. They would act upset and say “nooo!” only for me to say “the fun times are back on again!” and place the box back on my head to thunderous cheering. Oh yeah. This is the life!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been addicted to this feeling of making people feel something. My love for getting a reaction took me through many hobbies: learning musical instruments, writing stories, and even (for a brief time), being a magician. Pictured here: (Yes, I did in fact do Birthday Parties)

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But by far the most fulfilling way for me to get the reaction I wanted was through film.

My first experience with film came in the form of making short movies with my cousins using my Dad’s phone. Very rudimentary iMovie presets and unintelligible audio crafted a grand viewing experience for all. But the quality of these movies didn’t matter, it was the fact that they made our friends laugh. Something that I crafted from nothing was now bringing joy to other people, and to me that was the coolest thing in the world.

I quickly became the designated videographer among my friends and family, filming comedy sketches, family events and everything in between. As I experimented more, I learned more. I became curious and taught myself how to edit, how to use an actual camera, and how to make my movies look better. Any time I had a school project, I asked if I could make a video instead of powerpoint.

At a senior year high school sports banquet, I announced that I would be majoring in Film and Television Production and was literally laughed at by my coach and many of my peers. “That’s a major?!” they said. (I’LL SHOW THEM! I’LL SHOW THEM ALL! *Cue dramatic lightning strike.) Sorry, got a bit carried away there, but the point is this was something I wanted to do all the time and I wasn’t afraid to go for it.

When I started college at Drexel University, I was immediately thrown into film and TV classes and loved every part of it. I picked up new skills and thought about how I could use them to better shape my own stories that I wanted to tell. I also learned that there was a sketch comedy club called “Drexel Night Live”. A spoof of “Saturday Night Live”, it was a student-run live sketch comedy show consisting of live and recorded sketches. These kids were doing what I wanted to do, they wrote comedy, recorded films, and put on a show for an audience. It wasn’t about getting paid, the reaction they got from the crowd is what fueled them to do more. After attending one of their live shows, I worked up the nerve to ask if I could join. Several terms and many shows later, I am now the President of the club and am instilling my love for film and comedy in our new members.

All these years later I still love getting a reaction, and film is the medium that allows me to express my ideas and reach people in a way that is truest to my heart. It’s like that expression “You get more joy out of giving a gift than receiving a gift” (which sounds like a bunch of hooey to anyone who’s gotten a really cool gift before) but I do think there’s truth to it. For me, the greatest gift I can receive is bringing joy to others, and I hope to do a lot of that here at JTWO.

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Ryan is a filmmaker based in Philadelphia, PA with over 5 years of experience with directing, shooting, and editing films and videos. Through the years he has filmed a series of short films, interviews, and promotional videos for companies. With his background in filmmaking and specialization in comedy, he loves making content that people enjoy watching.


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JTWO Welcomes Kayla Thompson

KAYLA THOMPSON


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Beautiful Small Moments


By Kayla Thompson

Growing up, the desire to record came with me wherever I went, music videos with my
cousins at family events, documenting a long drive in the car with my mom, or miserably failing at stop motion animation on my moms iPad in the living room. You name it, and I was there with Video Star pulled up on that iPad, and without even realizing it at such a young age, I had already found my passion.

Around fourth grade, my mom found a magnet arts middle school nearby and after immediately applying, I attended the school from fifth to eighth grade. When arriving at the school we did an “intro to the arts”, to try them each out before picking an “emphasis”. My first time walking into the video room time stopped, it was just a small room in the back of the library but 11 year old me felt like I just walked into Disneyland between the poster filled walls, figurines, and the endless extraterrestrial film equipment. Before I even sat down I knew I wanted to spend the next four years in that room. I had finally found a safe place where I could make movies like I wanted to do and learn how to do it properly in an environment of other kids passionate about film.

The teacher, Mr. Kelsey very quickly became someone I looked up to and considered a mentor, and was truly a teacher who wanted us to be ourselves and be creative, and this was the first time I was given space and resources to do what I’ve so desperately been wanting to do. The video room became the joy in my life and my safe place, and continued to be for years after middle school. After school in high school I would head to the middle school to help Mr. Kelsey teach the incoming fifth graders, and each year got to experience the joy of teaching enthusiastic 11 year olds how to make movies and edit them.

Making videos was something I wanted to do before I knew a career in film was even possible, so by the time we were supposed to start thinking about colleges, there was no doubt in my mind on what I wanted to do, and that there were no other options. This was poked, and questioned, and challenged, by family, teachers, and peers, however I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else and wanted to do what would make me happy.

What I love about film is the ability to create emotion and share it with others. I want to make others feel something and highlight the beautiful small moments that come with life. This all started with the need to document my memories and things I thought were cool or pretty, and it’s the same now 10 years later. I spent a lot of my life wondering how the films I watch impact me and my emotional state so deeply, and I think it would be so rewarding to create that feeling for somebody else.

Fast forward to my junior year as a film student at Drexel and I’m living what 11 year old me would think is the dream life, and I’d have to agree with her. With too many amazing experiences to count and a few projects I’m proud of under my belt, I was led to an awesome new internship at JTWO, and cannot begin to explain how excited I am to learn and get all the experience I can to help me grow to be a better filmmaker.

Kayla Thompson is a Junior Film and Television Major at Drexel University. She has been taking classes for and pursuing film since the 5th grade. She is an inspiring cinematographer who has been working on short films in the Philadelphia area to further her skill set. She is excited to start her internship with JTWO to help her learn and gain more experience to become a better film major, and will be graduating in spring of 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Film and Television Production in hopes to continue her filmmaking journey.


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JTWO Welcomes Tessa Martinko

TESSA MARTINKO


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Enchanted by Alternate Realities


By Tessa Martinko

From a young age, I always adored movies and the alternate realities they created. I was always daydreaming about the characters in the books I was obsessed with, and was constantly watching the same movies over and over. My parents would laugh when I would develop hyper obsessions, deciding my life was the same as the characters I followed in stories or films. Having a very vivid imagination from a young age pushed me to always be painting, drawing, and crafting different creations. My room would suddenly transform into a mermaid’s palace, or an adventurer’s cabin. I wanted to exist in these unrealistic worlds so bad I tried to make them reality. My love for movies only escalated when my mom took me to see a late night showing of Jurassic Park. I was very scared but so intrigued. How did they create a dinosaur park? What was it like for the actors to exist in this imaginary world? How did they create these lifelike dinosaurs? These kinds of questions continued to peck at me after every movie I watched. Now I know I don’t only love films for the stories they tell, but the world altering realities they create.

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Taking photos became a huge passion of mine, my high school photography teacher helped me realize how I can express myself within my photography. Throughout highschool I continued to do creative and documentary photography, building my skills and finally feeling like I had found a passion I could carry with me forever. When the time came around to start thinking about college I was lost. I had good grades, but didn’t gravitate towards any majors that were more practical. My photography teacher helped push me towards doing film, and I am so glad for his input in that situation. When I was accepted to Drexel University in Philadelphia I was extremely excited to declare Film and Television production as my major. Looking back, I was not ready for what was in store for me in the slightest. When I first entered Drexel as a freshman, I thought I wanted to focus on cameras. My self doubt fought me through classes, and I felt I didn’t have the same skills as the other students I worked with. As a sophomore I was asked to do art direction for a small school run television show, and I was nervous but said yes. Something clicked for me when I started working on the props and set decoration. I started thinking about all of the films I was obsessed with when I was younger, each created a mystical or mysterious world through their production design. Now in my third year at Drexel, I am very focused on set decoration and composition. It’s fun to be involved in the cinematography by deciding what’s in frame. I often think back to how I used to decorate my room to match the movies I liked, or created small props to make the magic of my imagination come to life. It’s inspiring to know I have carried these skills with me for a long time, I just had to discover them again through my love for film as a young adult. I am eager to see where the next year of school takes me, as well as grow my skill set here at JTWO Films.

Tessa Martinko is a third year student at Drexel University studying to get her Bachelors of Science in Film and Television Production. She is an aspiring Set Decorator and also dabbles in cinematography. Tessa has worked on both the east coast and west coast, gaining experience on commercials and shorts. She is eager to learn more about all elements of film through her internship at JTWO Films this spring and summer and apply those skills to her future goals in the industry.


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Impacting World One Doc at a time - The Standard Journal


JTWO HIGHLIGHTED IN THE STANDARD-JOURNAL

In a recent article, JTWO’s Justin Jarrett is highlighted for his journey from producing the debut documentary “For Aaron” 15 years ago, inspired by the loss of high school friend Aaron Klinger, to the success of JTWO Productions. The spotlight is on their latest achievement, the award-winning film “The Carnival: 125 Years of the Penn Relays,” which delves into the history of the iconic sporting event, featuring legends like Carl Lewis and exploring the impact of breaking down racial barriers.


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JTWO's The Carnival headed to Beloit International Film Festival

Beloit Film Festival Laurel The Carnival JTWO

Our latest feature length documentary, The Carnival: 125 Years of the Penn Relays is headed to Beloit, Wisconsin for the 19th year of The Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF).

The Beloit International Film Festival was founded on the respect for, and celebration of, the filmmakers who share their art with us. They feature more than 100 international and independent films.


JTWO Video Production Company teams up with Sin City Classic Las Vegas

JTWO Teams Up with Las Vegas Sin City Classic

We are thrilled to announce that we are teaming up with Las Vegas Sin City Classic, the largest LGBTQ+ sporting event in the world! Sin City Classic celebrates diversity with 24 sports with 30+ events, 500+ teams, and 10,000+ athletes. This month, we will travel to Las Vegas to document the week’s event as part of our Projects That Matter Initiative.

As we embark on this exhilarating journey with Las Vegas Sin City Classic, we are not just partners; we are storytellers, capturing the heartbeat of an event that stands as a beacon of acceptance and celebration. Stay tuned for the magic that unfolds in the heart of fabulous Las Vegas.


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JTWO Celebrates a Successful 2023

JTWO Celebrates a Successful 2023


JTWO celebrates another amazing year of creativity, growth, and unforgettable moments! Check out some of our favorites clips from 2023!

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As a leading video production company, JTWO embarked on an exhilarating journey in 2023, traversing the nation and creating unforgettable memories along the way. JTWO remains at the forefront of the film industry, delivering exceptional quality and creativity as a full-service production company. Our unwavering dedication to excellence opened doors to remarkable collaborations with extraordinary individuals.

Reflecting on the past year, we are filled with gratitude for the enriching partnerships, the lasting memories, and the steadfast support from our friends, family, and partners. 2023 stands as a testament to the power of storytelling and visual artistry. We extend our sincerest thanks to all who contributed to this thrilling adventure.

We are excited to begin another year of adventures and collaborations in 2024! Here’s to the continued journey of creativity in the world of video production!


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"SOCIALIZING" BY SIENNA BIGELOW

"SOCIALIZING" 


Director: Sienna Bigelow

Hailey Bennett is excited by the prospect of a new crush. However, her interest and curiosity quickly distort into an obsession that flourishes through her social media abuse.

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“Sienna Bigelow, a senior at Drexel University and aspiring sound designer, wanted to tell a relevant story through sound. Her interest in social media addiction and observations about digital obsessions led her to write a story about the issues with getting to know people through social media. It’s impossible to see the whole picture when people only show the parts of their lives they want people to see.” 

I can’t believe my first day at JTWO was three months ago. The time I spent in the office and on set flew by, but it was a blast! When the [INC]ubator project was introduced, I was at a loss and was struggling to come up with any interesting ideas that would be within the scope of the project. All I knew was that I wanted to do a narrative and use sound as a major aspect of the storytelling. I came up with an idea that I liked, but didn’t really know if I could effectively communicate what I wanted to say in 3-5 minutes. Afterall, I’m a sound recording student and this would be my first short film ever. After deciding my first idea wasn’t the one, I started thinking about frustrations and challenges in my life. At some point, I started considering social media and how I have a love/hate relationship with it. On one hand, it’s a great place to share life updates and see some of the cool projects people are working on. On the other hand, it can be a platform that promotes superficial relationships and allows people to show others their “good side” while not giving an accurate picture of reality. Along with that, social media is a great place to feed delusions, especially in my generation’s crush and dating department. While I also feed into it (unfortunately), I strongly dislike some of the ways we flirt and “meet” people through digital platforms (even though I, too, am guilty of this). Because of this, I wanted to write a story about how easy it is to let the delusions and obsession take center stage in our lives. 

I got my pitch approved (yay), wrote the script (good dialog is hard to write), and started the pre-production process (I was so out of my element). I wanted to film one scene in a cafe, so I had to go talk to cafe owners which was scary, but huge shout out to GFG (Greek from Greece) on Drexel’s campus for letting us use their space! I had to make sure I had all the gear I needed, then effectively communicate the schedule to everyone involved. I had to balance my perfectionist tendencies with the situations and trust my crew to do their thing (they KILLED it!!). I had to do a lot… Through this process, I learned that directing is not my passion. I love how everything came out, but I have no desire to do the planning and organizing and gear-gathering thing again. I was super happy with the results from the filming days and the footage I had to work with, but there was a lot of stress and responsibility involved in getting there.

Once I got into the post-production phase, I was a lot happier. Stress was still a constant because I really wanted the overlay graphics to look good and feel natural (I’ve seen a lot of cheesy-looking social media short films) but with my limited After Effects experience, I knew there would be a learning curve. I also started editing and cleaning up the dialog, which was more difficult than I’d anticipated. It took a lot of time, but I got the overlays to a good place, got the final footage cut to my colorist, and then exported it. Finally, I could finish up the dialog and start the part of the project I’d been looking forward to: the sound design… except it was Wednesday and our final short film presentations were on Friday. And I had finals for school. The next two days were a blur of working on different projects BUT at 5am on Friday, I exported the final cut of my project, the posters, and my presskit! Then I went to bed. 

I learned a huge amount about the filmmaking process and I’m so grateful for the experience I got at JTWO. I’m very happy with how my short film, “Socializing,” came out (although I might do a director’s cut and make a few minor adjustments to the sound design and overlay graphics) and I can’t wait to show it to friends, family, and the world! Everyone around me during this process was incredibly supportive and I don’t think I can adequately express my gratitude for their help. I had so much fun, met amazing people, and discovered a lot about myself during this process. It was time consuming and took a significant amount of effort, but my time at JTWO was truly an unforgettable experience. Thank you all!


MEET THE DIRECTOR

Sienna Bigelow is a sound designer and audio post production assistant dedicated to bringing media to life through sound. Alongside studying recording arts and music production at Drexel University, she has worked on a number of films including Sparkle: A Unicorn Tale, Rittenhouse Square, and others. She is passionate about connecting with viewers through audio and media, and strives to perform at the highest level on all of her projects.

This project was created as part of the JTWO [INC]ubator Project. A semester long internship program built from the ground up to give young filmmakers, content creators, and all around hungry for a challenge individuals a place to stretch their creative minds while preparing them for the road ahead.

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"REFLECTIONS" BY JENNA WALKER

"REFLECTIONS" 


Director: Jenna Walker

A girl is picking out her outfit for a party but talks herself out of options due to rising insecurities about being afraid of what people may think of her.

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“This film started with alluding to a moment that everyone has gone through at some point. You’re trying on outfit after outfit and it seems like nothing is working. The frustration builds and you end up going with the first option just because you assume you’re overthinking it. 

As a young woman in college I have struggled with the feeling of insecurity when it comes to my appearance. Being a young woman in general in today’s world is extremely difficult due to the unrealistic beauty standards that have been set by society. More specifically, I’ve found that college party culture has caused me to compare myself to my peers and stress about how I look. With this film, I wanted to aim to show how insecurities can affect such small moments in our lives an dhow something as simple as wearing an outfit is a step closer to overcoming those insecurities. it was important to me to have my subject appear to overcome her anxious thoughts once she is surrounded my her friends, to show that it really was all in her head and people around her think she is beautiful no matter what. 

I hope ‘Reflections’ will help young women embrace the reflection they see in the mirror, despite their insecurities making them believe otherwise”

As my time at JTWO has come to an end, I’ve gotten to reflect on all of the amazing experience I got to have and all of the valuable lessons I’ve learned. Coming into this internship, I was so excited to have this opportunity but felt extremely nervous and had major imposter syndrome the first few weeks. As time went on and I got comfortable in the office, I felt a new level of passion for production that I’ve never had before.

In just come semester, I’ve done so many things that have helped me grow into the person I am today. I can say I’ve been on three professional commercial shoots, two overnight shoots, appeared in a commercial (as an elf!), and got to write and direct my own short film which I am very proud of.

Like any new experience, there were challenges along the way. One of my biggest struggles was the post production phase of my project. There were times where I felt lost because I didn’t know how to do certain techniques needed to capture my vision. Thorugh taking a step back, asking questions, finding tutorials, and getting feedback from others, I was able to get to a place where I felt confident in my edit.

Through completing the [INC]ubator Project, I learned a lot about myself as an aspiring director. When struggling to come up with an idea, I feared that I was not creative enough for this field. I believed that I could only think of ways to enhance the ideas of others and not be able to connect with my own. It wasn’t until shooting day that I really fell in love with my idea and felt extremely motivated to make it look beautiful on screen. I feel that I have achieved my goals that I had set for myself when beginning this internship. I got a taste of directing something I am extremely passionate about and there is no better feeling than that. JTWO was an experience I will never forget and I am so grateful to have this opportunity.


MEET THE DIRECTOR

Jenna Walker is a third year at Temple University and an aspiring director. With the [INC]ubator Project being her first internship program, this will also be her first short film. Jenna has always been inspired by the art of filmmaking and is passionate about making lasting impacts on her audience. She is heavily involved with Temple’s television station, TUTV, where she is the director of the late night show “Temple Tonight.” Jenna has also held other positions within TUTV such as Assistant Editor for the talk show “We Need to Talk” and a News Brief Editor for “Temple Update.”

This project was created as part of the JTWO [INC]ubator Project. A semester long internship program built from the ground up to give young filmmakers, content creators, and all around hungry for a challenge individuals a place to stretch their creative minds while preparing them for the road ahead.

Learn More