Patient Connect: Bernie
GENENTECH
Patient Connect: Bernie
For this series we were commissioned to drive home the emotional impact of diseases and treatments on patients and their families.
GENENTECH
GENENTECH
Patient Connect: Bernie
For this series we were commissioned to drive home the emotional impact of diseases and treatments on patients and their families.
GENENTECH
GENENTECH
Smush was asked to create video and still content for this rich media piece about scientific breakthroughs that have transformed the treatment of an aggressive form of breast cancer.
HERITAGE SALVAGE
Heritage Salvage founder Michael Bug Deakin rescues sustainable building materials from a fate of landfill. We follow him as he repurposes reclaimed wood into country furniture.
GENENTECH
Making Medicine depicts the epic journey of a molecule to a medicine in a dynamic web experience with videos, galleries and articles, translating rigorous scientific processes into accessible and engaging content. On our own 10-week, 20-video journey, we had the pleasure (and challenge) of interviewing 53 of the brightest minds in science, and earned our honorary PhDs along the way… Making Medicine premiered at the Birth of Biotech exhibition at the Smithsonian.
GENENTECH
The latest episode in our Big Ideas animation series exploring recent scientific breakthroughs. It’s science with a twist, complete with a colorful cast of characters working together to put the smackdown on pain.
DREAM FOUNDATION
The first and largest national wish-granting organization for adults, Dream Foundation enhances the quality of life for individuals, their families, and their caregivers battling life-threatening illnesses.
GENENTECH
Client: “Your mission should you choose to accept it – Capture the inside perspective of our 12,300 employees’ daily activities in 120 seconds or less. Oh, and shoot it with Google Glass…”
GENENTECH
The latest in our series of personal profiles features Wendy Kan. Inside Genentech, she’s a programmer on the BioInformatics team, developing software to help make science faster. Outside, she’s a triathlete and a mentor to other women computer professionals.
ROCHE
Access to Clinical Trial data has been a recent subject of contentious debate within the scientific community. We created this piece to help bring some clarity to the process for both research scientists and the general public.
GENENTECH
In our Big Ideas series, we start with a complex scientific discussion about a breakthrough discovery, distill it to a story we can actually understand, add hand crafted animation, mix in freshly composed music, a couple of high-kicks and… Well, you should see for yourselves…
Everything that surrounds us has a story of intrinsic value, we just have to listen for it.
Smush Media was founded on the idea that documentary narratives can change the world. Our approach to every project, documentary and corporate, embodies a spirit of curiosity, wonder and discovery. We ask questions we truly want to know the answers to, and listen intently for the story to emerge. We look for beauty in the ordinary and capture this aesthetic in our filmmaking. What results are films that captivate, inform and entertain with compelling content, arresting imagery, and impeccable detail.
Geralyn Pezanoski is an award-winning director and producer with over 20 years of experience in commercial, corporate and documentary filmmaking. She embodies mindfulness, commitment and precision in all facets of her work. As Executive Producer of Smush Media, she combines her passion for storytelling with her sharp production acumen to guide the creation of meaningful content in projects of all sizes and budgets.
Geralyn co-founded Smush Media in 2001 with a dual vision: to create documentaries that could effect change in the world, and to harness the power of documentary style and sensibility to make meaningful corporate and commercial films. She set about organically growing a company around a simple idea – every story matters. Smush’s body of work reflects this ethos.
Geralyn made her feature directorial debut in 2009 with the critically acclaimed documentary MINE. MINE premiered at the SXSW Film Festival (Audience Award for Best Doc), followed by a national theatrical release and broadcast on PBS Independent Lens (Audience Award for Best-of-Season).
Most recently Geralyn directed and produced the multimedia AMERICAN STORY PROJECT featuring several medium-format documentary films, and is in various stages of development and production on several new documentary films. Standout film producing credits include the award winning feature, Motherland (SXSW), and the narrative short, On A Tuesday (Santa Barbara, LAIFF).
Geralyn’s corporate clients have included Genentech, Apple, Gap, Levi’s, Banana Republic, Hugo Enterprises, Leap Motion, Oracle, Dream Foundation, nVidia and others.
COMING SOON!
A documentary short film all about the famous centenarian sisters, Gramma and Ginga, the world’s oldest internet superstars! Get ready to go behind the scenes with “The Girls” in their hometown, with never-before-seen footage of them dishing about their lives, each other, and what they really think about all of this “fame bull$#!%”
Generation 2 Film Highlights
Smush was asked to transform a collection of genealogical reports, historical documents, and DNA research on one American family’s ancestry into a compelling entertainment experience. Our creative approach was to develop a multifaceted storytelling platform – an immersive web environment – showcasing short documentary films, photo, audio and archival galleries, and contextual passages.
You can view film highlights from the second generation, spanning from 1851-1937. Our productions ranged from intimate interview shoots to full-scale location shoots with detailed period recreations that involved dozens of actors, including several children and plenty of farm animals. We directed live action scenes with dialogue, employed multiple splinter crews, and engaged drone units to provide some of the sweeping visuals that illustrate the wild country that the family called home.
Play to view HIGHLIGHTS
Generation 1 Film Highlights
Smush was asked to transform a collection of genealogical reports, historical documents, and DNA research on one American family’s ancestry into a compelling entertainment experience. Our creative approach was to develop a multifaceted storytelling platform – an immersive web environment – showcasing short documentary films, photo, audio and archival galleries, and contextual passages.
In this first generation, spanning from 1802-1894, we engaged Pulitzer Award-winning historians, dozens of actors, full-film crews, and period-specific locations, sets and wardrobe in order to fully illustrate the adventures and hardships of this American pioneer family.
Play to view HIGHLIGHTS
Documentary Film
A diverse cast of non-professional runners attempt to complete the four most difficult ultramarathon races on Earth. Their dramatic journey takes them across the World’s most picturesque yet brutal landscapes, pushing their bodies, hearts and spirits through myriad external and internal obstacles. A glimpse into the mindset of ultra-athletes, and the complex ways in which human beings deal with both heartbreak and triumph.
Documentary Film
MINE is an award-winning, feature-length documentary about the essential bond between humans and animals, set against the backdrop of one of the worst natural disasters in modern U.S. history.
PBS Independent Lens 2010 Audience Favorite
Documentary Film
This award-winning documentary film explores the timeless subjects of grief and healing through the story of a very unique journey. When six women from the US — all of whom have experienced a devastating loss — travel together to volunteer with children in need in South Africa, they find an opportunity to experience their pain as a part of a community. Ultimately it is a story about resilience, triumph of the human spirit and the power of unconditional love.
Everything that surrounds us has a story of intrinsic value, we just have to listen for it.
Smush Media was founded on the idea that documentary narratives can change the world. Our approach to every project embodies a spirit of curiosity, wonder and discovery. We ask questions we truly want to know the answers to, and listen intently for the story to emerge. We look for beauty in the ordinary and capture this aesthetic in our filmmaking. What results are films that captivate, inform and entertain with compelling content, arresting imagery, and impeccable detail.
Jennifer Steinman is a Director, Producer and Editor with over 18 years of experience in television and filmmaking. She approaches her work with intellect and insight, and has an exceptional talent for translating the essence of a story into a compelling narrative.
Jennifer began her career as a staff editor at CBS, both in New York and San Francisco. She has produced and edited for television networks including ABC, PBS, Discovery, National Geographic and Sundance Channel. She won a Telly Award and has been nominated for an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Achievement in Editing. Jennifer’s work has screened at major film festivals around the world including SXSW, Rotterdam and Sundance. Her corporate clients include Levi’s, VISA and Gap.
Jennifer directed and produced the feature documentary film Motherland which had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, winning the Emerging Visions Audience Award. The film went on to win several other best-of-festival awards and was released by Vanguard Cinema. Jennifer’s most recent documentary film, Desert Runners, premiered to sold-out audiences and was voted “Best of the Fest” at the 2013 Edinburgh Film Festival. The film is currently touring theaters worldwide, and is available on DVD/Digital HERE.
Geralyn Pezanoski is an award-winning director and producer with almost 20 years of experience in commercial, corporate and documentary filmmaking. She embodies mindfulness, commitment and precision in all facets of her work.
Geralyn made her feature directorial debut in 2009 with the critically acclaimed documentary MINE. The openness of her subjects is a testament to her sensitive and perceptive approach to directing. The result is a film about a divisive topic which avoids polemics and creates a space for conversation. MINE premiered at SXSW (Audience Award for Best Doc), followed by a national theatrical release and broadcast on PBS’ Independent Lens (Audience Award for Best-of-Season). Other directing credits include the documentary series Firehouse (Sony
Pictures Entertainment) and the short film Owen (in production). Standout film producing credits include the award winning feature, Motherland (SXSW), and the narrative short, On A Tuesday (Santa Barbara, LAIFF).
Since 2011 Geralyn has added Genentech, Leap Motion, Dream Foundation and Hugo Enterprises to Smush Media’s list of corporate clients. She has also produced for Apple, Gap, Levi’s, Banana Republic, nVidia, Oracle and others.