Brooks Eaton

In May to 2017 I accepted a job at a cutting-edge Boston software company called PTC. PTC makes software that helps people create. Products from Legos to ATVs, to Smart Fridges, PTC has a hand in their design and manufacturing. At PTC I had the opportunity to learn about these tools and technology, and then help tell compelling stories about them. Of the hundreds of demo videos, analyst reports, vision videos, promos and internal advertisements I led and contributed to, here is a small selection.

In late 2017 I was contacted by the Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprints director Jeff Byron. The Sprints are an annual event that my high school alma mater puts on every year as a fundraiser for the TC Williams Crew Team (go Titans!). He asked if I would be interested in coming down to live stream the event as for the 2018 event World Rowing and US Rowing would be making it the location for their Indoor World Championship. Needless to say I accepted and for the first time we live streamed the event.

In July of 2014 I started a three month contract at a small MIT startup named Grove. That short contract evolved into another three month extension and then finally a full time offer in December of 2014. During my time at Grove I produced hundreds of videos from investor relations pieces, to how-to and installation guides, to a banner Kickstarter  campaign piece and finally an ad produced in conjunction with the agency R/GA that made a run to the finals at Cannes Lions Film Festival as a joint submission in the ‘Innovation’ category.

Video was not my entire job at Grove though, product shots, maintaining the Shopify web storefront, renderings, animations, media relations, social and even some soldering and assembly fell into my wheelhouse.

After finishing school I went back home to Alexandria, Virginia and had the chance to film some good friends play a fantastic local venue called the Fish Market. This is their home turf and they really showed it by packing the house!

During the polar vortex of 2013-2014 I was contacted by some friends of mine in a campus band called Porky’s Groove Machine. They had the bright idea to warm everyone up by recording a live studio album they entitled Magic Brunch. It was a big project involving many moving parts but in the end we were able to capture eight new tracks totaling about 65 minutes of live music. I managed wrangle some of the members of the band to record a goofy video entitled “How to Funk” as well. These are some very funky dudes and I hope you enjoy watching these as much as I did shooting and editing them! Follow this link to see all of the videos.  https://www.youtube.com/user/porkysgroovemachine

In the fall of my senior year at Lawrence University Allan Katz a writer/director/producer/actor from LA came to Appleton, WI to direct a feature film called Bucky and the Squirrels. I was able to tag along with the production as a camera department assistant part time and then later on as an assistant editor. I had the chance to sit down with Allan after shooting wrapped to learn a little more about his life.

I spent my summer at Cutters Studios, a Chicago based production house that specializes in commercials. I got to learn the ins and outs of the advertising industry from a video perspective and collaborate with some co-workers on competition films for an organization called MoFilm. I also got some hands on experience working on commercial shoots and doing client videos. The first two films are MoFilm pieces and the last is a client video for the Bison Council of America to show the build of a crucial prop for a commercial.

Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem is an enormous project for the best of professional orchestras and choruses. Watch professors and students of Lawrence discuss the process of tackling this extraordinary composition in the undergraduate conservatory setting.