Last spring, we welcomed Lisa Purcell to the team as our new Office Coordinator! Lisa comes to us from New York with an extensive background in television and film production. Get to know more about her by reading her answers to some interview questions below!
What excites you most about working at Jpixx?
The Team! Everyone here at Jpixx is so welcoming, helpful and incredibly talented!
What sparked your interest in the entertainment industry?
When I was in high school, I watched “Eat, Drink, Man, Woman,” by Ang Lee, and that opening sequence made me fall in love with how film can evoke emotion, awe and inspiration.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy listening to live music and anything that involves being outdoors.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” hands down.
Fun facts about yourself?
There are so many…lol. I was onstage with Green Day at Woodstock ‘94! It was epic!
(See if you can spot Lisa backstage in this video! *hint, she’s wearing a pink shirt!*)
Tell us about some of the coolest projects you’ve worked on throughout your career.
Before my career in television and film, I worked in the music industry and got to tour with Youssou N’Dour, The Grateful Dead, and Peter Gabriel (pictured below, left to right).
What advice would you give to someone entering the creative world?
Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom and work your way up; there is so much to gain when you work in every aspect of the industry. And, be persistent! If you want it, make it happen.
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Jpixx, a Creative Video Agency based out of Virginia Beach, is the proud media sponsor of The Hurrah Players in their 39th Season! In addition to donating our time and services to Hurrah for the past year and a half, we develop commercial and branding content for businesses and government agencies around the globe.
If you’d like to support Hurrah Players, check out their website and see what they have in store. With summer camps, and a new Film and Television Academy opening up in the summer – there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
Interested in seeing more about how we #CaptureLifeCreatively?
Jpixx is honored to be the official video sponsor for the 48th Annual Norfolk Harborfest 2024!
Follow us on our social media pages to view all the content we collected from this years’ Harborfest! Our Instagram features a story highlight, housing all the reposts and reels – from our crew and YOU!
In case you missed it, we did an Instagram giveaway! Harborfest attendees took photos of our crew in blue, followed and tagged us on IG, and were instantly entered to win a $50 gift card! Our two winners are @yourfavoritemarketcouple and @jorg_hall. Thank you to everyone who participated!
If you stopped by our booth, or ran into a Blue Crew member, you might have had your video portrait taken – and maybe even shown on the main stage big screen! Download and share if your 3 seconds of fame were included in the videos!
Send us a DM or email (hello@jpixx.com) if you would like your video portrait sent directly to you.
Friday’s “Faces of Harborfest”
Saturday’s “Faces of Harborfest”
Watch these reels from our Instagram page to get a feel for the fun that was had over the weekend! We worked hard to collaborate with local sponsors and hosts to acknowledge everyone who played a part in making this weekend a success. Be sure to like and comment if you see yourself!
Curious George premiered last weekend at the Perry Pavilion in downtown Norfolk, VA.
Jpixx, a Creative Video Agency based out of Virginia Beach, is the proud media sponsor of The Hurrah Players in their 39th Season! In addition to donating our time and services to Hurrah for the past year and a half, we develop commercial and branding content for businesses and government agencies around the globe.
May 18 & 19: Curious George and the Golden Meatball
Jpixx, represented by a mini crew of Jon, Sage, and Teviya, captured the production on May 18th and will have the full edit available to families SOON, as part of our sponsorship.
Finally, we take a trip down memory lane at the Spring production of Matilda. Take a look at moments behind the curtain while cast and crew prepared for the opening weekend:
If you attended the Matilda Red Carpet event, click this link to view and download all the red carpet photos using the password provided on TeamPages.
If you’d like to support Hurrah Players, check out their website and see what they have in store. With summer camps, and a new Film and Television Academy opening up in the summer – there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
Interested in seeing more about how we #CaptureLifeCreatively?
In April, we welcomed one of our previous employees BACK to the team – this time with a new title. Caleb Chamberlain moved to Texas in 2020 after working at Jpixx as an editor & filmmaker, only to return to Virginia Beach with his family in 2024 and take on the role of Post-Production Supervisor. Since we’ve seen him last, he’s developed a super high-tech mini series on YouTube, made exclusively with AI. Check out his work and read on to learn more about Caleb through these Q&As!
What excites you most about returning to work at Jpixx?
Being back with a tight knit group of people! After working for a few companies and brands, it has become evident that the people you work with 8+ hours a day are what’s most important.
What is a skill you’re most proud of?
Most recently it’s been my deep dive into 3D animation and virtual production. I’ve come a long way in a short time and am excited to continue learning more about it!
What is something valuable you’ve learned during your career?
The most creative individuals are learners. Even at the highest levels of production, being open to learning, adapting, and problem solving with a group of people that have the same mindset is the most valuable place to be. Nobody likes to drink stagnant water.
So, it is understood that you are a coffee aficionado. What is your favorite brand and how do you take your coffee?
I’ve been trying different brands and shopping around some. It’s no lie that I can be a bit of a coffee snob and getting on board with a specific brand is hard to pin point. I will say, the best coffee brand I have had in the last few months is Foxtail Coffee in Orlando, FL. And if I am reaching way back, Flight Coffee Co. in NH is pretty solid as well!
If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be and why?
I’m a simple person. I don’t have a lot of global aspirations. But if I had to choose – quality time in Wyoming is at the top of my list, but out of the states would probably be Ireland.
Interested in seeing more about how we #CaptureLifeCreatively?
30 days, 240 hours, 14,400 minutes. That’s how long Marvin Gabriel, a dedicated Jpixx freelancer and social media foodie, spent with our team as a full time intern through the Department of Defense SkillBridge program, a transitory experience that helps those who are leaving the military find work opportunities in their area.
As he prepared to exit the military, Marvin was required to spend 45 calendar days (about 30 working days) with an organization of his choosing to assist him with the transition from Sailor to civilian – and we welcomed him with open arms. Now that it’s time for his next journey, we cannot be more thankful for the dedication, passion, and positivity he brought to Jpixx. On his final day in the office as an intern, we asked Marvin a few questions about the Program and his time here. Read on to learn more.
What is the DOD Skillbridge Program?
M: SkillBridge is a privilege- it’s not an entitlement. Your command can keep you for the duration of your program time from six months to 45 days. Outside of that, SkillBridge is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a bridge for a skill set that you want to apply in the civilian world. It doesn’t have to be a field where you excelled in the military, you could jump into a completely different work setting for the life that you want to create outside of the military. So for example, I was a mechanic. I knew nothing about mechanics. I was always into filmmaking and photography. And I had a relationship with Jpixx prior to getting out of the military so I guess I am their first guinea pig for Skillbridge, in a good way!
What did the SkillBridge process look like on the Jpixx side of things?
J: Marvin came to us at the end of last summer and proposed the idea [of the program]. When we looked at it, it’s a good deal for the business because they get somebody that is with them every day and the military pays their wage for the last x amount of days of their service. Because we had already worked with him, we felt very comfortable that he would fit well with our organization and it was a great way to get to know him better and to see what he can do. We filled out a lot of paperwork with several levels of certification, and now Jpixx is certified to be a part of the SkillBridge program for as long as I know, so we will very likely look into it in the future and open it up to anyone across the country. As a company, we’re really excited to be able to take advantage of the program, especially with the success of Marvin.
What have you learned while being in the Jpixx office full time?
M: The biggest thing that I learned being in an agency environment is that everyone has to do their part in order for jobs to get done. If one person slacks off, then the rest of the team has to pick up where you left off, so everybody has to be on the same page. I would say there’s a lot of similarities [between being here and in the military]. Timesheets, for example, are great because you can actually track how many hours are being spent on certain things in order to be more expedient. And in the military we have the same thing, where we log hours that we’re actively working in a specific job task so that the captain or the commander can get an overall view of how work is being delegated, on and off base.
What would you say about your filmmaking productivity since you’ve been here?
M: Jpixx was a catalyst that allowed me a place to continue developing my creativity and workflow. I found myself in what they call that ‘flow state’ where I’ve built a habit to continue editing and posting on social media continuously. The 9 to 5 is not a 9 to 5, it’s a daily grind for me. Once I get off work, I go straight into another edit. Or straight into another shoot. So being here at Jpixx has allowed me to make content creation a lifestyle, really.
Check out more of Marvin’s original social media content on his pages: @marvinnn.g (IG) and @marvingproductions (YouTube)
It’s been almost a year since Sage Thomas joined the Jpixx team as a filmmaking/editing intern. During her time here, she was tasked with putting together an internship project to tell a story that was meaningful to her and communicated her personality. From there, “Protective Styles” was born. This short documentary explores black female relationships with their natural hair, combining a powerful mix of moving interviews and strong supporting visuals. Check out the trailer below and be on the lookout for the full premiere coming soon!
What inspired you to create a documentary about natural hair relationships?
Originally, I was thinking of a story I could incorporate myself into somehow. I had a professor at Regent University who always encouraged me to pursue topics that I could answer the question, “why should I tell this story? And why now?” Hair has always been something that I knew carried cultural significance, but I only began exploring the various expressions of it in recent years as I saw natural and various expressions of hair celebrated more in society as a whole. My hair was very confusing to me for a long time. As a biracial female (half black, half white), with a hair texture unlike anyone else in my family, for years I viewed it as an unmanageable inconvenience, and was often encouraged to straighten it. Every black woman has a natural hair journey which often includes an experience with protective styles, including braids, twists, locs, etc. Practically, these styles guard against hair damage and encourage growth, but their social implications go much deeper. I wanted to dive into the double edge sword of what it means for these hairstyles to be “protective.”
Can you tell us about your concepting process? How did your documentary come to life?
I started with a proof of concept interview with a friend of mine in DC before I graduated who I worked at a summer camp. We talked about the challenges of navigating hairstyles where time and resources were limited, and most of the people we were around were not familiar with the nuances of it all. From there, I created a pitch deck and put it on the shelf…until I got to Jpixx. The summer after graduation I became a Jpixx intern, and I wanted to revive this idea for my internship project which was very well received by Jon and the team. From there, I interviewed black women of all ages and experiences to get a variety of perspectives on the subject, including my grandmother, Jon’s neighbor and home-stylist here in Virginia Beach, a filmmaker in Charlotte, and an organic beauty supply company owner in Philadelphia.
Where did you draw inspiration from?
Some of my biggest inspiration came from The Hair Tales docu-series with Tracee Ellis Ross, the short film Hair Daze by Tyla Barnes (who I interviewed), the marketing of the natural hair product company My Black Is Beautiful, and The New Yorker short documentary Black Power in Hair.
Interested in seeing more about how we #CaptureLifeCreatively?
Welcome to a page dedicated to everything Frost Fest 2024!
We’re STILL feeling the sugar high from our Willy Wonka themed client & crew celebration that took place at Central 111 on February 24th. In case you missed it, you can find promotional videos, photos, and behind the scenes edits about how we brought you the biggest – and sweetest – Jpixx party of the year, right here on this page. Check it out!
Check out our promo videos below!
Acting as a teaser for the event, we decided to attempt a stop motion (esque) video using a Jpixx Golden Ticket and a few hands dressed in true Oompa Loompa fashion. Fun fact: the top set of hands had to stand on two stools and bend over into frame for this shot!
And then we moved into Golden Ticket interviews! For the next four videos, we wanted to introduce our guests to each Willy Wonka character in a mock interview style, featuring a news anchor, captivating graphics, and unique costumes and personalities. The first winner is Augustus Gloop (Marvin Gabriel) and his mother (Jon Abrahams), all the way from the Hunan Province!
The second Golden Ticket winner is Veruca Salt (Hanna Lynch). She is joined in this interview by her father (Michael). How long will Veruca hold her breath to ensure she gets Wonka’s entire chocolate factory?
You’ll never meet a better duo; third Golden Ticket winner Violet Beauregarde (Savannah Heller) and her mother (April Campion) join Glenda Frost in this interview full of gum, sports, and competitive remarks.
In case you missed it, catch Mike Teevee (Alec Ritter) and his 2 million followers at mike.tv! His mother (Jessa Gaul) could not be more proud of all the fame – and fortune – winning the fourth Golden Ticket brings.
BREAKING NEWS! In this video, rival news anchor Joel Rubin stakes his claim over the fifth and final Golden Ticket winners: none other than Craig Sexton and Jonathan Cohen. No more tickets to be found, folks. Stay tuned for the factory tour updates!
To add a little flavor to the event, Joel Rubin had the opportunity to interview a few chocolatiers in the area. But don’t be fooled by their charm, Wonka remains number one for a reason!
Super Bowl LVIII… we laughed, we cried, we danced, we chewed our nails to the bed, but in the end we witnessed a game that will live forever in history; Kind of crazy to think we were just a few of the 123.4 million viewers of this most-watched American television broadcast. And none happier than co-founder Jon Abrahams (AKA – The Virginia Beach Chapter Prez of #ChiefsKingdom).
But beyond the football, “the commercials and movie trailers this year were BANGIN’!” – Glenn Dano
So we chatted as a team and came up with some of our favorite spots from this year’s game. Check out our top rankings.
1. Paramount +
Paramount + takes first on the Jpixx charts! With a mix of celebrity cameos, comedic dialogue, Peppa Pig’s one-liner, and Creed (of course), we all agreed that this one made us laugh the most – and even encouraged some of us to refresh our subscriptions to the platform. “Barrymore, shut your face!”
And finally, to round out the favs (which all included celebrities poking fun at themselves) – we have the DunKings, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. When your supporting cast includes Jack Harlow and Tom Brady, there is a lot at stake, but the best part has to be Matt hanging his head in shame at his best friend’s antics. “Sometimes it’s really hard to be your friend” – we’ve all been there before!
For the past year we have been working with Virginia Beach City Public Schools to show their commitment to preparing every child to be future ready. We visited dozens of Virginia Beach Public Schools and saw firsthand the amazing dedication of faculty and staff at each Virginia Beach school!
The campaign began with an idea to give VBCPS families a visual approach to the “Compass To 2025” theme. We started by creating 7 videos of each of the first 4 goals: Educational Excellence, Student Well-Being, Student Ownership of Learning, and an Exemplary Diversified Workforce.
VBCPS then wanted to create a new series of videos that would describe the 10 academies and advanced academic programs that are offered to rising 8th and 9th graders across the city. These videos included student testimonials and information on what these programs provide for their students. Eventually, the series was continued with the addition of Technical Career Centers, ATC, and VOTech videos.
All of these videos have been posted on the VBCPS website and socials. Give them a follow to learn more about all the accessible opportunities for growth, education, and passion in the VBCPS School System!
Interested in seeing more about how we #CaptureLifeCreatively?
At this year’s Harborfest, we embarked on several new voyages!
1.) Our very own booth! This became our go-to HQ on the festival grounds where we could conduct interviews, drop off gear, and recharge crew for the long and fun days out in the sun.
It was great having this booth as a pit stop for our team! Since we covered all the festival grounds this year, we needed all the help we could get! A huge thanks to our team and volunteers from the Governor’s School and George Mason University, who helped us capture some fantastic BTS on our socials!
Speaking of BTS…. 2.) We were around capturing more than just the official festivities …with the help of Matt leading the way, we also documented the planning, setup and staffing of Harborfest weekend, for a never-before-seen look at the incredible work of the Festevents staff.
and finally… 3.) The Boathouse Baby! Our team of Jillian and Cory set up shop to film candid stories about one of Norfolks treasures “The Boathouse” within the tribute section at Harborfest. So many stories to share!
The 2023 Highlight video will be out shortly and we will be sure to link it here once it’s ready! Stay tuned. It will also be all across our social pages as well as the FestEvents social accounts. the meantime, check out the other Harborfest videos that we have created over the years!
2022:
2018:
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