Blog

Here is Production Coordinator Kellie Ridenour with production intern Vanna Fut & the Seattle Mariners mascot. Thanks to the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce for their hospitality at the After Hours party at Safeco Field last week.  Our Inventive Team had a great time. 

We are producing an Academy Award type of video for the  Bellevue Chamber of Commerce The video will screened at the Eastside Business Awards on May 15th at Meydenbauer Center.

Last week RJ went to Bend, Oregon to help shoot a multi-camera High Definition production of a live comedy show starring nationally known Actor/Comedian Jimmy Shubert.  Jimmy is well known for his perfomances in COYOTE UGLY, THE ITALIAN JOB, and has been seen on COMEDY CENTRAL, HBO, and several TV series.  Jimmy is so funny it was hard to keep him in focus. Learn more at www.jimmyshubert.com

I was invited to do a presentation about Video Biographies at the Conversations & Cocktails event at the Bellevue Harbor Club.  The audience had a lot of great questions.

In March we interviewed Norman Blye, a local historian who has dedicated his life to telling the history and story of the ferry boats of Lake Washington.

Did you know that the original novel about Black Beauty was actually called the "Autobiography of a Horse.?"  Our family are animal lovers and we think there is nothing wrong in wanting to do a video biography of a horse or a dog or a llamma or any other animal.  If you would like more information on how we could create a video biography of your favorite animal, please call 425-747-4538.

On March 13th, the Junior Achievement of Washington recognized Bill Peare with entry into the Puget Sound Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. 

We are getting requests from all over the country to do video biographies.  Let all your relatives and friends know that YES, we will travel anywhere in the world to do an interview.

Thanks for your personal referrals.  There is no better way to help us grow than by giving a personal endorsement to your friends and family about Inventive Productions.  Thanks very much for telling your friends.

Congratulations to Mara Williams for getting her FIRST DANCE at a WEDDING DVD onto Amazon.com

Upcoming events:

April 12--my 19th wedding anniversary to my lovely bride Victoria

April 12--Korean American Historical Society event at the Univ of Washington

April 14--Washington State Genealogy Association Convention in Wenatchee

April 20--Association of Personal Historians meeting of local members, Poodle Dog Restaurant in Fife, WA

Investors wanted:

We are looking to grow our Inventive Productions business to other locations around the country.   If you would like to learn more about becoming an investor in our future, call RJ at 503-470-0728.

RJ's Filmmaking & Writing Corner

I am very excited to be Finalizing the Editing of my Ship of Miracles documentary.  A movie trailer from My award winning documentary UMATILLA is now on youtube. My latest book of short stories BONUS TIME is now available online at AMAZON.

Thanks to our Inventive Productions team:

Kellie, Tyler, Vanna, Bryan, Kenny, Mike, Shawna, Joshua, Gary, Eric, Nate, Nikki, Bekah, Jeff, Bill, 

Dedication:

To my sister Patti who is serving in the US Navy in Iraq 

Hi RJ 

Welcome to the Inventive Productions Newsletter

We started Inventive Productions in October 2005 with the vision to help people and organizations tell their story in their own words with high definition video.

 Ella Wheeler Wilcox:

The truest greatness lies in being kind, the truest wisdom is a happy mind.

 It looks to be a busy April.    Here is list of Commercial projects we are working on:

Emerald City Smoothie--educational video to be used on their flat screens in their retail showrooms

Dr Dan Baldin, Washington Institute for Pain & Wellness-- marketing video

Dr Mat Berry-- marketing video

Mara Williams TV commercial

Pacific Institute Documentary

Here is a list of Video Biographies that we are working on this month:

Irene & Richard Nicolazzi--school teachers from Wisconsin

Violet Folk--one of Seattle's first women business owners

Bob & Jackie Pappas--married over fifty years

Dr. Luke Kim--nationally recognized psychiatrist from California

Fran & Dave Divelbiss--former mayor of Roslyn, served in Vietnam and NATO

Robert Birkby--author, farmer, and Boy Scout administrator

Evelyn Birkby--housewife who has written 9 books and has had her own radio show for fifty years

Bill Endicott--local radio and TV personality from 60s, author, WWII veteran

Gordon Graham--former convict who became a motivational speaker and author

Bill & Dot Shaw--married over 60 years

Al Farmer--retired insurance man from Portland

Adeline Kim--nurse who was working in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941

The University of Washington Allumni Association Genealogy & Family History Group had their monthly meeting at our Inventive Productions studios.  It was a great get together, with people from all over the state, representing six or seven different genealogy societies.  We watched samples of our video biographies and demonstrated our green screen studio.  They are a fun group. You can learn more at:  CLICK HERE

We are creating a video biography of Evelyn Birkby, a housewife in Iowa who has had her own radio show for over fifty years.  You can learn more here: EVELYN BIRKBY

Last week I went to Monroe to video a Veteran's History Project interview for the Library of Congress.  Carl Hallstrom, 91, served in the 89th Infantry Division in the Rhineland of Germany during the last year of WWII.  Carl told some incredible stories about the horrors of the war, the release of the captors from several concentration camps, and the caputure of thousands of German soldiers during the battle at Berlin.

Last week I was fortunate to be able to interview Korean War hero, Edwin Allen Nixon, Jr for the Veterans History Project for the Library of Congress.  Ed has an incredible story.  He was a Navy fighter pilot who was shot down on his 25th mission over Korea.  He was captured by the Chinese and became a Prisoner of War for several months.  When he was repatriated from the POW camp, he learned that he had been considered by everyone to be KIA (Killed in Action).  A GI came up to him and said, "I was at your funeral."  In fact his family did have a funeral and the govt paid out $10,000 life insurance to his wife.  Everyone was shocked to discover Ed was still alive.  He became a well known figure at the time, even having lunch one day with Eleonor Roosevelt and he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, among many other medals.  Ed told about how the govt wanted their insurance money back and he said NO.  Ed is a real character and a real hero.  His interview is being put onto DVD and sent to the Library of Congress.  To learn more about the Veterans History Project, go to www.loc.gov  Inventive Productions has agreed to do at least 25 free interviews of US veterans each year for this Veterans History Project.

It was announced last week that John "Bud" Hawk will receive the LEGION OF HONOR from the nation of France for his bravery during World War II in a ceremony at the Navy Museum in June.  Bud Hawk is a resident from Bremerton and a living recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

We are proud to have produced his video biography.  To receive a free copy of this video biography DVD, call 425-747-4538.

Cue Cards & Teleprompter:

Inventive Productions is the leader in the Video Biography industry because we have been creating Video Biographies for almost 20 years.

We use 120 special questions that we put on cue cards and teleprompter to help the subject tell their life story in their own words.

Here are some of our favorite questions:

What advice do you have for your heirs?

Who was your favorite teacher?

How do you want to be remembered?

Who was the most influential person in your life?

What were the defining moments or turning point moments in your life?

What are you most proud of?