JTWO Welcomes Director/Editor Matt Sullivan

Matthew Sullivan


We are proud to announce the latest addition to our JTWO Crew in Director/Editor, Matthew Sullivan. Matt, a product of our [INC]ubator Project, comes to us from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Film and TV Production. His love for film is rooted in its ability to change perspectives, challenge ideas, and serve as a connection between viewers and creators alike.


Jtwo-Welcomes-Intern-Matthew-Sullivan

Jtwo Welcomes Intern Matthew Sullivan

SHARING PIECES


By Matthew Sullivan

As I was growing up my grandfather had a saying that he repeated to me over and over again – knowing I was the middle child of a big family and more than occasionally felt lost in the crowd: “You’re a combination of all these incredible people around you.” The idea was sometimes comforting and sometimes horrifying depending on how I felt about my family any given day. I clung to the idea as it gave me a sense of togetherness with my family, and provided me role models to look up to in my siblings. The concept of sharing qualities, interests, and points of view with those around me opened a world of new outlooks and took me from a little kid lost in the crowd to one learning from it. I have my older brother’s sense of humor, as I grew up desperately trying to make him laugh. I share in my sister’s relentless sense of empathy, and therefore her unending passion for social justice. Even my closet is full of vintage pants, t-shirts, and Hawaiian shirts after raiding my grandfathers’ closets to emulate, and revamp, their styles. These pieces, which I originally only emulated, eventually built a strong perspective and sense of self as I’ve grown and made them my own.

The idea of people having the power to influence each other is something that has always guided me creatively, personally, and socially. I’ve always kept in mind that my passions, interests, beliefs, and actions can all be shared to benefit those around me in the same way I’ve benefitted from others. This sense of impact whether it be with family, friends, or neighbors I barely know, has guided me to use film as a tool for change. Through storytelling, whether it be commercial, narrative, or documentary, we can communicate our struggles and solutions, and more importantly we can share in common experiences. In doing so difficult events, subjects, and possibilities can be dealt with and evaluated in a safe environment. These pieces of ourselves, whether they’re positive or negative, simple or complex, can be shared through stories in the same way they can be shared through personal relationships – and I think that holds a power to represent every community.

Though I don’t specifically know where I’m going with my journey in the film industry, I know that I’m bringing a piece of every single person who’s influenced me along for the ride. Whether I end up a Producer, a DP, or something else entirely different down the line, my goal, as vague and simple as it is, is to use the pieces of those around me and share them with others. When I work on social justice documentaries I hope a piece of my sister’s passion for others shines through, and when I’m working on a short or music video for YouTube I’m simply trying to make my brothers laugh. These pieces of others that I see in myself motivate me and help me keep my perspective.

I want to create work that reflects the incredible friendships, families, and communities that I’ve been a part of. This guided me to interning with JTwo, as their work brings attention to the stories of different communities, and brings to light issues and experiences that may not currently be solvable, but must be talked about, evaluated, and felt. The work JTwo does through its internship program specifically interested me as it not only gives young creators the space to figure out the route they want to take, but provides the steps and lessons required to get there. I see this internship as an opportunity to learn and develop both personally and creatively, and I couldn’t be more excited or thankful for the opportunity or to see what the next twelve weeks hold in store.

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

JTWO-INCubator-Project-Brings-You-The-Journey-Rachels-Story

JTWO's [INC]ubator Project Brings You "The Journey: Rachel's Story"


GO DEEPER

From the beginning, I knew I wanted a change of pace for this project. I’d spent the last year or so working on a narrative film as my thesis for college, and by the time I was done, the thought of doing another narrative piece made me want to tear my hair out. Don’t get me wrong, I love narrative work with all of my heart, but I was just so burnt out. Naturally, I shifted to another form that I greatly admire, documentary. I wanted to do a piece on an individual or organization that really stood out to me. I wanted to tell someone’s story and be able to give them a piece that they can use on social media doing just that. I soon ended up with the idea to do a piece around tattooing. I’ve always loved tattoos and have long admired the large amount of skill and effort that goes into making pieces of art become a part of someone’s body. I spent so much time in my adolescent years watching various tattooing tv shows (Best Ink, LA Ink, Ink Master, to name a few), daydreaming of what I’d get tattooed on my body once I was old enough. I think young Lauren would be a little disheartened to know that she’d still only have one tattoo by the age of 23, but hey, quality work is expensive, and rightfully so. 

Seeing so many memes and forums dedicated to exposing people trying to shortchange artists for their work has gotten me more and more fired up as time has gone by. Being an artist myself has only increased my awareness of it. A field I see so often treated this way is body modification, specifically tattooing. In the age of cheap piercing guns at malls and anyone being able to buy tattooing and piercing equipment online, the value of these skills seems to have decreased. Sure, it’s great that these things are accessible, but the appreciation of quality work has also decreased. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve seen friends and acquaintences get poorly-executed tattoos or piercings because they were cheap, resulting in infections, blurry lines, regrets, and keloids alike. That, and many years ago body modification was seen as reserved only for “bad people”. If you had a tattoo, you were up to no good. I knew that once I thought about doing a piece on tattooing, I had to do it. It’s my belief that the more exposure that can be given to the art and artisans in this field, the more people will come to accept and value the practice as an art form. I think it’s worked so far in the grand scheme of things! With each generation, more people are expressing themselves through body modification. So that was my plan. Once I figured this out, I still had one issue: Who do I do a piece about? I had several different ideas, but the one that stuck out to me the most was reaching out to an old friend from high school: Rachel Friel.

I’ve always admired Rachel throughout our time in school. If you had asked me to give an example of someone “cool” during this time, my answer would have been them, hands down. As someone who struggled with fitting in and suppressing who I was, I was in awe of the way they expressed themselves. They just seemed to march to the beat of their own drum, and that alone was badass to me. Rachel was also one of the most talented people I’d met during this time. Whenever I’d see anything they’d be working on I would ooh and aah over the quality of it. I knew they’d go places. Going forward, I kept tabs on Rachel’s journey through art school as mine progressed as well. I found that their journey of figuring out what the right path was for them reminded me of my own. When I saw Rachel had started tattooing over at Ahava I was thrilled! I had reached out to them a bit before even starting the internship to tell them that I was so happy to see that they were doing something with their artistic skills that really seemed to be something they love doing. It made me so happy to see them find their niche. I think small Lauren and small Rachel (pictured below) would be stoked to see just how awesome the quality of current Rachel’s work would be.

My biggest piece of advice: Have all of your ducks in a row before you pitch an idea. This just isn’t for future interns at JTwo, but everyone ever all the time always. This was my biggest mistake, and it lost me the entire first week of my 2-week period for this project and set me back substantially. I had waited to hear back from a potential subject for my documentary for a whole week with no response, and did not get an answer until that point. My line of thinking had been that I should wait until my pitch was approved so I don’t seem like I’m flaking on a potential subject if it isn’t up to par, but in trying to be considerate to others, the whole thing just kinda blew up in my face. Not fun. Thankfully, I was also considering Rachel at the time, and quickly reached out to them. They were gracious enough to let me poke around their apartment and Ahava on such short notice, and I’m very thankful for it. Having your head in the game is more than just lining up your documentary subject, however. I’m talking about shot lists, storyboards, call sheets, equipment lists, the whole thing. Thinking of these things in advance is something I’m getting better at, but wish I had down to more of a science like my co-intern Lana does. (I was in her project, so I got to see her organizational skills firsthand.) Seriously. Planning is so much of the battle. It’s nice to have everything in order when you step on set so you can really just focus on what you’re doing in the moment. All in all, I think I’ve learned so much during this process, and at JTwo in general. Sometimes the important lessions are learned the hard way, but even when you mess up and lose an entire week on your project you can always pull yourself together and do your best, learning from your mistake going forward. It can feel hard to admit that you messed up (in any way), but it’s more freeing when you acknowledge it, learn from it, and let it go as you move forward.

Meet the Director

Lauren Koob is a recent graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, with both a BFA in Film and a BFA in Acting. She seeks to create work that is rooted in the exploration of the depths of the human condition and hopes to show through her work in directing and cinematography what she believes to be beautiful.

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

Credits

Writer and Director – Lauren Koob
Cinematographer – Lauren Koob
Editor – Lauren Koob
Editor – Lana Duda
Sound: Audrey Zycinsky
Talent: Rachel Friel
Music by Dani Jalali – “NY Girl”
Music by Capt QUBZ – “Get Down”
Music by Rex Banner – “Easy Money”
Music by Ziv Moran – “Listed Thoughts”


Jtwo Welcomes Intern Lauren Koob

FIRE AND FILMMAKING


By Lauren Koob

For as long as I can remember of my 23 years, I’ve been labeled as “difficult” by others. Passionate, over-emotional, fiery, intense, whatever word you want to use for it. It was what frustrated teachers who didn’t have answers to my constant questions and irritated other kids. It was what I was told made things hard for me with socialization overall. When working in groups, I was labeled as “bossy” because I usually had a vision for whatever was being done, artistic or otherwise, and would give people directions. And yet, it was also praised by those same teachers, who would remark to my mother that I was the best out-loud reader in class, that I was the best kid to pair up a new student with, that I was a “pleasure to have in class”. It was confusing, to say the least. The same parts of myself that were applauded in gifted and talented programs and drama club were shunned in my realm of human interaction. This confusion added fuel to the fire, and led me to be even more of a “difficult child”. My angry crying when some boy would make a snarky remark in class increased tenfold, and I grew frustrated with myself. Over time, I grew tired of crying, tired of being the difficult girl, and by the time I was in high school, I wasn’t even myself. I was a shell of the person I was as a child, a mere flame compared to the roaring fire that I came into the world as. I became quiet and docile. I started to stutter when reading aloud in class. I sweat bullets any time someone spoke to me, regardless of who they were. But I was finally no longer “difficult”. In cutting out this part of myself, I had lost touch with who I was as a person, and began to question everything about myself. It was only in the world of art that I still felt that connection to the child I had been a long time ago. It was acting and film that kept me tethered to that last piece of myself left. 

By the end of my time in high school, I had grown bored with trying to fly under the radar. I wore weird clothes and strange hairstyles and said obscene things to make people laugh or get pissed off. I reveled in making people angry, a complete 180 from before. So when it came time to pick what to do with my life, I threw caution to the wind and kicked up even more of a storm than I usually did by deciding to go to art school. I was still an anxious little clam, though, so the concept of becoming a filmmaker and potentially being labeled as “bossy” again still scared me, despite my volatile fashion choices and sailor’s mouth. I decided instead to go to school for acting, and ended up at the University of the Arts (which I just graduated from) here in Philadelphia. Yet, I soon found myself deeply unsatisfied with just doing Acting Major things, and declared myself a film minor my first semester of freshman year. During the single film class I had, something had awakened in me. At the end of the year, I sat down in my advisor’s office and felt a question jolt through me out of nowhere:

“Can I be an Acting Major and a Film Major?”

The short answer was no. The long answer is that the two programs did not mesh schedule-wise, and there seemed to be some resistance towards the idea in general, as it had never been done before. Both my Acting and Film advisors were invested in the idea, though, so the three of us collectively pushed to change the system. I had chosen the school due to their narrative of interdepartmental and interdisciplinary crossover, so why not? It was exciting for all of us, and for once, it felt like I was being truly commended for pushing for what I want. From the beginning, I knew I would have to tack on an extra year of school to pull it off and go over the regular credit limit some semesters, but I had made peace with that. And so… it happened, making me the first of my kind at the University. Most of my time was spent running down Broad Street, booking it from my Stage Combat classes five blocks away to make it in time for Film History or anything else in that vein. Moving forward, I noticed that despite my constant grind, some professors didn’t take me as seriously as other students. At first, I had thought it was due to some lack of skill of mine, or the fact that I was originally just an Acting Major. I distanced myself from my theater school identity when in my film classes and pushed to learn everything I could, but soon realized it wasn’t my acting history; it was that I was female and the students that were treated like actual filmmakers were mostly male.

Growing up, I was the filmmaker of the house. Armed with a small digital camera (one which would be replaced every couple of years due to their inevitably short lifespan back then), basic editing software, and a bored friend or two, I made my first works as a filmmaker. Music video remakes, dramatic puppeted movies using American Girl Dolls as our actors, fake talk shows where I hosted; these were the works that came out of my adolescent mind. I commanded the controls of my ancient version of Windows Moviemaker with the ease of a expert pianist performing for thousands and churned out my 480p masterpieces. Sadly, many of these were lost to time and outdated technology, but honestly… it might be better that way. Those that have survived on old flash drives and laptops are cringeworthy at best, but it’s still nice to have something to look back on. And when I wasn’t making, I was acting in the yearly musical at school and watching anything I could get my hands on. I anguished over not being old enough as an actress or filmmaker to contribute to my favorite films in the ways I knew how. I lamented over the fact that I wasn’t swordfighting or directing a crazy scene or being hailed as my generation’s next big creator. But even during my gripes, I felt more alive than I had felt since I was that child kicking up dirt and driving the adults around me crazy. I clinged to that.

This is by no means me condemning all men in the industry or my male/masculine presenting peers. Men are just as lovely and talented as women! But time spent in feminist film classes and having a space with my female/femme friends to discuss what had been happening to all of us made us realize that our experiences weren’t singular by any means. It was the realization that we were being treated differently that launched me back into my childhood self, full of angry tears. Suddenly I was the same little girl who clenched her fists and demanded respect and an apology from a kid who said something I was told to ignore. I had grown tired of sitting by and letting my friends and I be disrespected, treated like we weren’t real filmmakers and that our work made about the female experience was inferior. Many of us chose to channel this into our work, myself included. But I was also not afraid to speak up. It was during this experience that I truly felt myself become free of my fear of being seen as a “nuisance”, and I realized why I had been labeled the way I have been my whole life.

Because I am female.

Knowing that there wasn’t something wrong with me, that if a boy were to do any of the things that I did which were considered “troublesome”, he would be applauded for “strong leadership skills” or “good character”– it was such a freeing realization. To know that I’m not wrong, but the patriarchal standards set for women, especially in the film industry, are wrong was mind-blowing. I started to actually believe the things I had been telling myself for so long, like that I was talented and a good filmmaker. This whole epiphany came while filming my senior thesis project, and the difference in my presence as a director and filmmaker in general was palpable on set. I learned something valuable. That I need to walk into the room and know that I am talented, that I am of value, and that if whoever it is I may be auditioning for or applying to can’t see that, then there will be someone else who does. I think that’s such an empowering perspective to take. There is nothing to be gained professionally by downplaying your skills and making yourself lesser, aside from patriarchal approval. I have come to embrace who I am, flames and all. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be passionate or intense or a leader or anything other than submissive and smiling as a woman. Those are qualities you need as a filmmaker, as an artist, as a person. As I’m writing this, I’m dealing with the internal struggle of “do I put this kind of thing out on the internet and potentially not get hired by someone because of it, or do I stay true to who I am and be open with that?” which is proof that I still have a lot of work to do, but I know I’ve come a long way. I’m not different from anyone else in that I have “too many” emotions or fire back when something upsets me. I am a person, just like men, just like other women, just like non-binary folks. It’s just in my nature to be more open about my thoughts and feelings, and I shouldn’t have to be ashamed of that. My journey as a woman and student of feminism and my journey as a filmmaker are so deeply tied together that if I were to separate the two for this, I think it would be a truly disingenuine representation of myself and the heart of my work. So here we are.

Wow, you made it through all of that! Now here’s the part you’re probably looking for: I am ridiculously excited to be interning at JTwo. I seek to create work that explores the depth and complexity of the human condition and am dedicated to raising the voices of those who cannot be or will not be heard in my work in both large and small ways. In addition to that, I have a passion for Stage Combat, and hope to have more opportunities to choreograph fights and expand my list of certifications so that I can use those skills in my work. I think combat is an extension of the extremes of human emotion, and am deeply fascinated by that. (Plus, I was raised by massive nerds, so my Lord of the Rings fangirl self has always loved it.) Overall, I just really want to tell a good story in the best way possible. It’s my belief that giving yourself to the story, to put your body and soul into your work, is one of the most selfless things possible that you can do as an artist. It’s not easy to be vulnerable, to let yourself dive all the way in, but the best work always seems to be made by those who put all of themselves on display and channel that into their creations. I think this philosophy reflects my work as both an actor and filmmaker, and why I was so drawn to this company. After all, “the story is everything”. If your heart and soul isn’t in the things you make, be it a feature film or just an introductory blog post for your internship that probably only five or so people will read, what’s the point?

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

Jtwo Welcomes Intern Lex Forge

THE TRAVELER - A SHORT AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL BLOG STORY


By Lex Forge

Character Description:
Lex Forge (male) – 21 Years Old
A Pennsylvania State University film major seeking inspiration

INT. BEDROOM – DAY

A man — early 20s, unshaven, disheveled hair — sits on the floor leaning against a bed. He’s occupied the same position for some time now. He sits unmoving, his eyes staring forward into space — they seem to be focused on everything and nothing at once. But his outward stillness is deceptive. 

INT. THE MAN’S HEAD – DAY

He’s wading through a thick haze. The room is quiet but a low rumble fills his ears. It sounds like a muffled chattering, an ensemble of indecipherable voices. They coo, they hiss, but they remain unclear. There’s too many, only the occasional word cuts through the noise. The man is tempted to listen closer, to try to understand them. But he knows following them will only pull him further into the fog.

The ever present fog. It envelopes him. In every direction there only seems to be more of it. It’s beginning to slow the man down. Moving through it is disorienting. There’s no tether to follow back to where he started, no indication of where he’s going or where he’s been. Has he always been in the fog? Was there ever a time without it? He just knows he has to keep wandering. He has to keep wandering through that oppressive uncertainty. But suddenly he stops. He has the distinct sensation that he’s reached a precipice. That one more step will send him plummeting over an edge and into that fog forever. Then the whole struggle will have been in vain. There’s a reason he’s reached this point. He believes that. He was meant to reach it. He doesn’t dare move. The rumbling has stopped. There’s an eerie sense of quiet. Is… is the fog thinning?

Then a bright flash erupts through the fog. It explodes with such force that everything is instantly illuminated. There’s nothing but the light now. It washes over the man and for a moment everything makes sense. The fog is gone. The journey is complete. Then as quickly as it appeared, the light vanishes. The fog descends once more.

INT. BEDROOM – DAY 

The man snaps back to reality, feverishly scribbling an idea down on a piece of paper. It was only a brief glimpse but there’s no mistaking it: inspiration has struck. He knows he will have to travel into the fog once more. But at least, momentarily he has silenced his doubts and remembered why he chose to be a filmmaker.

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

Jtwo Welcomes Intern Lana Duda

READY TO BE HEARD


By Lana Duda

I see filmmaking as the ultimate form of art. It’s visual, auditory, emotional, informal, and can bring people together. Visual media is something that has become so accessible and dominant in how individuals see and understand the world. Being a part of the film industry gives me the opportunity to create media that accurately represents the truth and heart of a story that can inspire and educate viewers. Film is a window into the cultures and the lives of others. My goal in this industry is to be a part of those stories and help those individuals be heard.

I grew up watching films that changed the way of visual storytelling, Citizen Kane, Tokyo Story, Vertigo, Touki Bouki, etc. Those films have become a foundation towards my storytelling, representation, and the history of film. Film is so powerful and I want to be a part of the new age of filmmaking that elevates these stories to a more equal, realistic, representative level that has allowed more individuals, innovation, and ideas to be seen. 

The funny thing is, I never saw myself heading down this career path. I always had a very natural creative ability, but I grew up in a very math and science dominated school and unfortunately, the arts was something to be budgeted and cut. Not until my senior year of high school did I question filmmaking. I applied to Temple University as a Biology Major and I was not happy. I was doing things that I thought others expected of me instead of taking the risk to say “I don’t know what I want to do”. I declared undecided and took a film class. I finally felt like I was in a space where I could be creative with others. 

From there I declared film and fell in love with Post-Production. In those four years I learned and dedicated myself to working on projects that told an important story. I cannot imagine doing anything else. Post -production is the perfect amount of creativity and technological ability that continues to teach and challenge me everyday. It’s something I can do for hours on end and never be sick of it.

As my final semester at Temple came to an end, I talked to a mentor who told me about JTwo Films. I reached out to their head editor to talk, connect, and ultimately learn from their experiences as an editor in Philly. They themselves interned at JTwo and through hard work and dedication they were recognized and rewarded. Besides their amazing works and stories, that is something that really stood out to me. I had nothing to lose. I applied for the internship and now I am extremely thankful to have this position and be a part of JTwo’s storytelling experience.

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

Not-On-Sundays

JTWO Produces Commercial for Responsibility.org


PROJECT DETAILS

We recently partnered with our long-time Projects That Matter partners Responsibility.org to produce a commercial titled, “Not on Sundays.” This spot was produced for several states that currently do not prohibit liquor sales on Sundays. It can be seen on web-based platforms such as Youtube in select southern states. Responsibility.org gave our team an opportunity to be creative with the script, which in return let our crew have a lot of fun with the production in this spot. We even had the chance to have some of our Jtwo crew members make cameos in it as well!

NOT ON SUNDAYS


Client: Responsiblity.org

Our team partnered up with Responsibility.org to produce a witty commercial for several states on prohibiting liquor sales on Sundays

PLAY

BEHIND THE SCENES


HemCalm

JTWO creates animation for HemCalm


PROJECT DETAILS

We were tasked by Boiron USA’s branding department to create a series of animations for their product, HemCalm, the Homeopathic Hemorrhoid Medication. Boiron is the World Leader in Homeopathic Medicine and the largest manufacturer of homeopathic products in the world.  The art style for these animations was light and uplifting, complementing Boiron’s natural, homeopathic branding. The entire spot was completed remotely in post production.

HemCalm


Client: Boiron USA

Our team partnered with Boiron USA to create the animations for social media advertisements for HemCalm, a homeopathic medicine that is made with plant-based active ingredients in a paraben-free formula that soothes and moisturizes; protects against irritation; and lubricates.

PLAY

Mighty-Ira-Documentary-Poster

JTWO Collaborates with FIRE on Mighty Ira Documentary


We recently partnered with The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) to assist in the post production process for their feature length documentary, Mighty IraBased on the life of Ira Glasser, the former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, this film chronicles his life story and the events surrounding the ACLU when a party of Neo Nazis decided to march on Skokie, Illinois to protest the desegregation of their neighborhoods. Part of the Projects That Matter initiative, the Mighty Ira documentary raises the question: Does the first amendment of the United States constitution protect the free speech of hate groups such as Nazis? Such a complex question requires an even more complex answer, one which Ira Glasser and other ACLU members beautifully articulate throughout the length of the film. Featuring interviews from lawyers, activists, and holocaust survivors, this film is sure to inspire questions about liberty, protest, and individual rights.

 

Mighty Ira can be found streaming on Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play, and YouTube Movies and is coming soon to Blu-ray DVD.


Everyone's A Critic: Our Team's Favorite Projects


WE DON'T LIKE TO ADMIT IT, BUT WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVORITES

For Aaron: The Documentary

This project will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the one project that defined who I would become as both a filmmaker and a man. It was deeply personal and taught me more about life then I had learned in the 23 years combined leading up to it. No matter where we go in the next decade or what projects I have the opportunity to direct, “For Aaron” will always be my favorite.

Justin Jarrett, Director

FOR AARON: THE DOCUMENTARY

Jtwofilms.com 1.0

My favorite project of all time would have to be the first iteration of the JTWO website. We transformed an alley from Ninja Turtles into a functional website. I had to learn Flash in one weekend in order to create all of the functionality Justin wanted incorporated. It was pretty cool until Apple killed Flash and everyone stopped using desktop computers.

Andrew Broft, Web Designer

Two Lou’s. One Club.

I think I’ll always love this project for a number of reasons. First, it was the direct sequel to, “This is Lou” which we had created the year before to open the Louix Awards. We wanted to create our own take on a Guy Richie film and we just had a blast on set experimenting with transitions, camera angles and makeup. For “Two Lou’s” we wanted to up the ante and really go all out.I grew up on 80’s action movies like Bloodsport and if you watch it today it is one of the most over the top ridiculous pieces of popcorn cinema out there. You can’t watch it and not laugh! So we wanted to take that and put our spin on it. When my sound guy Steven got his teeth knocked out in the opening credits, I knew we had succeeded.

Justin Jarrett

My favorite project with JTwo has been the Louix Award openers that we shot the past two years. It’s rare you get to have complete creative control and boy did we. Over-the- top characters, dramatic lighting and JCVD-inspired fight scenes are just some of the chaos that we cooked up in our narrative masterpiece.

Maria Vattimo, Cinematographer

TWO LOU'S. ONE CLUB.

Barre None

Of all the videos I’ve had the pleasure of working on at JTWO, my favorite will always be the one that started it all, my intern project: “Barre None.” I love this piece not only because it’s about my best friend, but because it was the first time I worked with everyone in the office. I’ll always be grateful for the guidance they gave me. From working through challenges during the process to then watching the final cut win multiple awards, I had really proved to myself that I can do this. Now if I hit points of frustration in my work, I’ll give my video a watch to remind myself that it can be done, it will be done and it’ll be pretty damn good.

Maria Cantu, Director

Barre None


Directed by Maria Cantu
The [INC]ubator Project

In her short documentary, Maria tells the captivating and beautiful story of a young ballerina who is able to push through the harsh realities and overbearing pressures of the dancing world with unconditional love for the art.

PLAY

The BluePrint

My favorite project is the book trailer for The Blueprint. It is the first true test of all the After Effects work that I’ve been learning. I got to work closely with Maria Cantu which is a fun and different dynamic than being directed by Justin; I love working for Justin but he’s more of a mentor figure while Maria is more of a peer figure. This is just a fancy way of saying that I feel more confident being rude to Maria. Working long nights is tiring, but when you get to make the single greatest book trailer of all time, it feels like it’s worth it. However, please consider the fact that I am the type of person that would brag about beating a 6 year old at monopoly. My favorite memory was when Travis and I tried to get the Popeye’s chicken sandwich on 4 different occasions. The 4th one was the only one where the sandwich was actually available. It was a good day.

Omar, Editor

THE BLUEPRINT

Fred’s Footsteps

 Kyle’s Story: Getting a chance to sit in a room and hear Kyle Pszenny’s story with Fred’s Footsteps was really an incredible experience for me. After hearing all he went through and to still have a positive attitude about his life and to really use his tragedy as a springboard to help others was really impactful to me in my personal life and I have to say he was an inspiration that still sticks with me today.

 Jelani Thomas, Sound Engineer

FRED'S FOOTSTEPS: KYLE'S STORY

Visit Philly

Working on a series of Visit Philly Commercial spots was fun for our team for many reasons, but to be given the opportunity to really put a stamp on the city we call home was special. Our content was everywhere from TV to billboards.

Travis Capacete, Producer

"City of Summer Love"


Client: Visit Philly + Wawa

This Spring we teamed up with Visit Philly to produce a spot for Wawa Welcome America’s July 4th annual celebration, which features 7 days of 50+ free events citywide including fireworks, concerts, block parties, and more! In an effort to showcase the event’s festive family atmosphere, we worked closely with Visit Philly and actors to bring a giddy, light hearted sketch to life.

PLAY

Finley Untamed

Right out of school in 2013, I interned with JTWO. This was the first time I was able to work on something that wasn’t graded. I was tasked with a few projects, but one had stuck with me and that was the Jermichael Finley documentary project, Finley Untamed. It was my first project outside of school that I felt connected to. The story was inspiring and being part of such a dedicated team made it that much better.

Logan McGee, Graphic Artist

FINLEY UNTAMED

Lost Boyz of Chicago

My favorite project that we worked on was our first ever project in Chicago on the South side with the Lost Boyz of Chicago. We placed our crew in the south side of Chicago to understand exactly what day to day life is like there while on production. We got to see first hand how the community pulls together to help each other through the rough times that can come about, while being surrounded by gun shots as we were outside on set.

Conor Hare, Producer

LOST BOYZ OF CHICAGO

Victus Product Catalogue

Victus has given us so much creative freedom and variety in design projects, so creating the layout for the entire product catalogue was one of my favorite projects overall. It was exciting to not only create the catalogue, but to incorporate and showcase years of our design work throughout.

Monica Grevera, Graphic Artist

Responsibility.org

My favorite JTWO project I got to be a part of was the mini doc we filmed in Texas for Responsibility.org in November of 2018. On this shoot, we followed a man named Issouf throughout his daily routines as a recovered alcoholic and got his story first-hand on how he recovered through the DUI Court program. His story of hitting rock bottom and getting back on his feet was very powerful and getting to film him graduate from the program and give his speech was heartwarming. The b-roll shots we got all had a grittiness to them that I really loved.

Alex Siwik, Cinematographer

Victus Vandal

The Victus Vandal bat was easily my favorite project to work on. The incorporation of hand-drawn elements and usage of gold foil made for great printed pieces. Being able to be the face of the Vandal and the artist on set is something I’ll brag about for the foreseeable future.

Christian Debuque, Graphic Artist

My favorite project I’ve worked on would probably have to be the Victus Vandal series. Working together with Federal Grip Co. to create the sets in their studio was a blast, but my favorite part was mixing all of the spots. There were a lot of cool drones, music and sound effects that made mixing everything a fun challenge, especially the main spot. Sonically speaking, it was all over the place and I really enjoyed trying to make a punchy mix that was just as aggressive as the edit. I’m super proud of the final product, and I’m even more proud of all of the hard work our team put in.

Steven Layton, Sound Engineer/Swiss Army Knife

VICTUS VANDAL

Philadelphia Flyers: Playoff Hype Video

Our crew loves Philly sports so when the Flyers asked us to get the city hyped with a new spot for their playoff push we couldn’t say no. We had fans getting haircuts, tattoos and going crazy all across the city.

Philadelphia Flyers - "Get Hyped"


Client: Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers reached out to our team to produce their postseason playoff hype video. As a studio full of fans, we couldn’t wait to get to work.

PLAY

Janssen Storytellers

San Diego: My favorite JTWO project was the Janssen storytellers shoot in Los Angeles. I got to drive a solid 2002 minivan with super cushy seats (a lot of butts sat where I was) and the shoot itself was dope. It was my first time in LA, it was the longest flight I’ve ever experienced and the first time using my new drone. Solid shoot with all around.

Jay Miller, Cinematographer

JANSSEN STORYTELLERS SERIES

Avian

This opportunity was identified in 2013 through one of JB’s colleagues in Leonardtown but it wasn’t a referral gig. We had to respond to a proposal as well as additional questions. What set us a part was our responses which embodied JTWO’s deep rooted creativity and approach to designing a solution that told AVIAN’s story. The outcome was a modernized website (simple, single scroll, responsive) with embedded content that created a marketing stunt from within and outside of the their organization (their customers were mainly Department of Defense) that ultimately demonstrated their capabilities of being progressive and forward-thinking to solving client challenges. It also led to follow-up media work!

Jim Pettit, Account Manager

Legion Transformation Center

As I looked over the extensive collection of JTWO projects I’ve had a hand in editing into existence, it was tough to find a favorite. Was it the project buoyed by intense, emotional interviews? The one with the most beautiful sunset drone shots? Which challenged me the most? Or felt right when I made the last cut? Comprehensively, it has to be “Legion Transformation Center: Why Franchise With Us.” It’s got real people (unlike those horrific chevy commercials) some quick sexy cuts, good music tracks and a story that cut through my skepticism and actually managed to resonate with me. Though I don’t have any ambitions to own a franchise of anything, I think this project will tip the scale for someone who actually does.

Ian Schobel, Editor

WE ARE LEGION