JTWO

Alyssa Capitini Graduates [INC]ubator Project

Final Thoughts

By Alyssa Capitini

As my internship comes to an end here at JTWO, I am reflecting on all that has happened these past few months. I truly believe I am a different filmmaker from when I first started. However, I feel this in ways I did not expect. I’ve learned quite a bit on a professional scale of what it’s like to work under other creatives and learning how to take criticism as well as standing up for yourself when it’s necessary. I’ve also been challenged in positive ways to be a more intentional writer, director, shooter, and editor. I’ve gotten to dip my toes in each of these areas and realize where my strengths fall and what I enjoy most.

My final project was a rewarding experience for me as I poured my heart and soul into the final picture. Writing has always been a daunting task for me but with this project I wrote a story close to my heart and with the help of JTWO I was able to hone in the story and think intentionally on how I wanted to portray it. Through every step of the way I had guidance on my editing, sound, and color choices which pushed me to become a better editor. My favorite part of the final project was getting to take my quality of sound and color to the next level.

It was definitely a lot of preparation leading up to the shoot, and if I had to fix how I did anything it would have been to think through some of my shots and block the actors better. I believe this project is just the beginning to my career path whether I choose to be a director or editor.

I will take everything I learned and continue to build off of it as I continue. I hope I never get too comfortable, because there is always something to learn no matter what stage of life you are in.

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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.

Benny Flora Graduates [INC]ubator Project

Final Thoughts

By Benny Flora

When I first started brainstorming for my final project the only thing I knew was that I wanted to do a documentary. I had never been involved in the production of a documentary in anyway, so I figured this would be a good chance to spread my wings a little bit. I originally wanted to do a portrait of a teacher at my high school who quit to be a full-time rapper, but he never responded to my messages (I assume he got too famous to have time for me now). Before I was struck with my accordion idea, I was tossing around several other potential docs in my mind. Nothing was super exciting to me though, and I was feeling like I was going to have to settle for something I wasn’t truly enthusiastic about. Then one night I was laying my weary head to rest and it popped into my head: “last winter break I visited an accordion store in the city. Wouldn’t that be a weird documentary?” After that night I was super excited; I emailed the owner of the store, Mike, the following morning and he responded within the day.

In the week before the shoot I was getting pretty nervous. Knowing that this was my first documentary made me scared I wasn’t doing everything I needed to do to prepare: my shot-list wasn’t in-depth enough, I didn’t have enough questions for the interviews, etc. I kept asking my fellow interns what I should do to be ready, wishing that their response would free me from my anxiety. Come shoot day, I was pretty amped up, albeit still nervous. As soon as we got there, a very old man and his slightly younger companion (the details of their relationship weren’t entirely clear…) were waiting for Mike to open the store, accordion cases by their feet. They greeted us with enthusiasm for the documentary. Mike came and opened the store up, and pretty shortly after an argument began between the old man’s friend and one of the employee’s. I wasn’t really sure what the nature of the argument was, but I whispered to Alyssa and Brooke to roll camera and sound – I knew this was gold. What shocked me about this was that the people behind the camera weren’t even fazed by our presence, they didn’t try to act friendly or dial down their anger or ask us to stop, they just went on like we weren’t there. I was surprised, and that was absolutely my favorite thing we captured that day.

The rest of the shoot went smoothly, and I was really happy with all the footage we got. The weight of my pre-shoot anxiety was lifted! Watching back the footage, I saw things that went worse than I had hoped and things that had went better, but I guess the unpredictability of a shoot, doc or fiction, is just part of the game. Starting my edit was fun, but as the days went by I got sick of looking at my footage. The initial excitement dwindled and the editing process became strictly business. I had a cut that I was pretty happy with, however Justin gave me a lot of notes that required me to rethink my whole structure. I was really grateful for this guidance; by this point I had become numb to the contents of my short that I really couldn’t think about it critically. After several more cuts, I came out with an acceptable product and was ready to move on to color and sound-mixing.

My final product had things I liked and things I didn’t like. I was happy with the shape it was in and the story I brought to life, but even so there’s always some regrets that surface when finishing up a project. Even though these regrets are no fun to face, they are ultimately the reason we make these projects: to improve. I’d say that I always rush when I’m on set, and I think I can attribute that to the nervous energy I get when I’m directing. If I was more cool and collected, I could have got more of the shots I wanted. On top of that, I wish I took more risks with the stuff I shot. Towards the end of the day I was getting tired, and I was not nearly as pumped to get myself out there as I was at the beginning of the day when we filmed the argument scene. Going into my next documentary, I would say taking the extra step to get that money shot, even if it risks putting me in an uncomfortable situation, is the most important improvement I can make.

Overall I am super grateful that I got to make this project a reality. I couldn’t have done it without Alyssa and Brooke, and everyone at JTWO. This has definitely been a huge learning experience for me.

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MEET GRACE SOUTHERN

JTWO

LEAD VISUAL DESIGN ARTIST

SCROLL DOWN TO LEARN MORE

LET'S GET WEIRD

Grace Southern joins JTWO as our new Lead Visual Design Artist on the JTWO Design Team. She will oversee all interactive, packaging, graphics and marketing for our clients. With a background in set design and photography she will also dive into the production side as well.

We had one of our other new creatives and fellow [INC]ubator Project grad, Matt Sullivan, sit down with Grace to hash out a few questions on everyone’s mind.

Matt: If you had to choose one member of the JTWO Crew to fist fight to the death, who would it be, and why?

Grace: Steven Layton because he’s too nice to fight back, it would be a slaughter.

Matt: Agreed. Gun to your head, in a JTWO Fire who would you save, Nova or Ken Griffey Jr.?

Grace: Whichever one is lighter, I’m not very strong.

Matt: Do you think you have the emotional fortitude to start your own cult?

Grace: Sure. What I lack in physical strength I make up for in hardcore emotional intelligence. Why? Do you want to join?

Matt: No. I’m the one asking questions here. How many turns does it take you to parallel park in Old City?

Grace: One. I can butter it.

Matt: Okay, I have no idea what that means. Who is your main in Mario Kart? Keep in mind the answer of this question determines whether your first day will also be your last.

Grace: You’re going to roll your eyes. If we’re talking Wii I either do a Mii or Dry Bones. On the Switch I pick the Pink Villager with a Pink Kart, white wheels, and cloud parachute because it looks pretty.

Matt: If you could master one skill overnight what would it be?

Grace: That’s a hard one, I have a lot of hobbies and would like to be good at at least one of them. Maybe learning a new language, that’s something I try to do a few times a year and consistently give up.

Matt: What’s your death row meal and what did you get sentenced for?

Grace: A huge bowl of pho, and also a large charcuterie board. I would be sentenced for killing Steven in our aforementioned fight.

Jtwo Welcomes Intern Brooke Gollmer

UNIVERSAL FEELINGS

By Brooke Gollmer

My name is Brooke Gollmer. I go to Temple University, and I will be graduating next Spring in 2023. I would like to focus on post- production, but I am a jack of all trades and a quick learner. I got into film making because I like to listen to people’s stories and find the synchronicities of life through the thoughts and feelings we have universally. The universal feelings that we have are what connect us to each other, so if you are observant of those thoughts and feelings, you will be able to present them on screen in a way people relate to. I believe that curiosity is important because it can reveal to a person a lot about what is around them, maybe even things that are always there and go unnoticed. Being passionate within the presence of our purpose is one thing I live by.

One project I finished in November truly defines who I am as a person and a filmmaker. My Air Conditioner broke, so the mechanic came to fix it. As he was fixing my Air Conditioner, let me remind you I have never met this man in my life, I was having a conversation with him, making him feel at home, and he asked me what I did. I told him I was a student filmmaker, so he asked me if I would film a music video of him to surprise his wife at their wedding. I said yes because why not. So, as he was fixing my Air Conditioner, he gave me his pitch of everything that he wanted to see within the music video. I listened and took notes, not knowing if he was truly serious about filming this music video, and we exchanged contact information. Still not knowing if he was genuinely serious, I made a storyboard with the vision he was describing to me and sent it to him.

I matched his vision pretty well, we ended up creating a short film before the music video which lead to the video being 13 minutes long, starting with the short film representing his wife and how she is a rose growing from a hard place, followed by a song called Flor Palida which he did a cover of changing it up a little for his wife. 13 was an important number for Reynaldo Deane and his wife, so I had to pay attention to detail and hid the number 13 throughout the video in subtle ways. He paid me for it, more than I asked for, which gave me the courage to say hey maybe I can do this storytelling thing for a living. I love to create and you cannot create without love. Finding love in everything will show that everything is already created with love, so if you re-create that love then it will be understood by the audience.

JTWO named Top UPCITY Video Production Company Philadelphia

JTWO NAMED UPCITY'S TOP VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANIES IN PHILADELPHIA

PROJECT DETAILS

JTWO NAMED ONE OF UPCITY’S TOP VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANIES IN PHILADELPHIA

JTWO, a leading video production company with studios in both Philadelphia and Chicago, has recently received recognition from UpCity.com, one of the premier resources for business owners and marketers seeking quality services. JTWO was named as one of the top video production companies in Philadelphia, a testament to their quality work and the trust placed in them by their clients.

With a focus on creating high-quality video content, JTWO has established itself as a trusted partner for businesses looking to take their brand to the next level. The company’s state-of-the-art studios and experienced production teams, combined with their commitment to delivering exceptional results, has made them a go-to solution for clients looking to achieve their marketing goals.

Over the years, JTWO has helped businesses in a variety of industries to produce engaging and impactful video content that connects with their target audience. Whether it’s a brand video, commercial, or a documentary, JTWO’s production teams bring a wealth of expertise and experience to every project they work on.

At JTWO, the client’s success is always the top priority. The company’s commitment to delivering quality work, coupled with their attention to detail and unparalleled customer service, has earned them a reputation as one of the top video production companies in Philadelphia. JTWO is proud to be recognized by UpCity for their hard work and dedication to their clients, and they look forward to continuing to provide the highest quality video production services to businesses in the Philadelphia and Chicago areas.

If you’re looking to create high-quality video content that connects with your target audience, look no further than JTWO. With a team of experienced production professionals and state-of-the-art studios, JTWO is your partner for success. Check out some of our clients reviews for more insight!

VIDEO PRODUCTION

Creative Direction
Concepting
Scripting
Scheduling
Budgeting
Casting
Storyboarding
Location Scouting
Management
Permits + Approvals
RED Weapon 8k Package
ALEXA Cinema Package
Sony FS7 4k Package
Drone Capability
Producers
Directors
Cinematographers
Grip
Lighting
Full Crew
Location Sound
Set Design
SteadiCam
Ronin + Movi

VIEW THE WORK

VFX + ANIMATION

2D + 3D Animation
Cinema 4D
Houdini
After Effects
Blender
3D Product Renders
Compositing
360 Degree Virtual Reality Stitching
Motion Graphics
Finishing Client Suites
Broadcast Delivery

MOTION GRAPHICS

2D Motion Graphics
Motion Design
Kinetic Text Design
After Effects
Finishing Client Suites
Broadcast Delivery

COLOR GRADING

DaVinci Resolve
Professional Calibrated Monitors and Equipment
Broadcast Safe Video Delivery
Visual Coherence (balance and tone)
Excessive Exposure Fixes
Scene to Scene Color Matching
Facial/ Surrounding Enhancements
White Balance Fix
Dailies

SOUND DESIGN

Sound Design
Sound Mix and Master
Voiceover/ADR
Voiceover Talent Sourcing
Music Licensing
Original Score Development

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.

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Jtwo Welcomes Intern Alyssa Capitini

CREATED FOR THIS MOMENT

By Alyssa Capitini

Have you ever wondered why you desire what you desire? Or why your brain is wired a certain way or why you’re so drawn to that one thing? You continue to pursue that thing knowing it gives you a sense of fulfillment and enjoyment but uncertain why that is until one day it all clicks. It all clicked for me one day and since then I’ve been on a nonstop journey of creative expression through the eye of the camera. I realized that from a young age I’ve always desired a life of creative expression.

From dancing to singing to painting that was how I expressed my enjoyments as a little girl. I’ve looked back on old family videos when my dad would record me with his camcorder, and all you can see and hear is little five year old me saying “let me hold it!” Fast forward to middle school and I had developed a passion for photography. I remember my dad buying me a small point and shoot camera and I thought it was the best thing in the world. I would take my brother to soccer practice and while I waited I would take pictures of the flowers on the field or action shots of the kids kicking soccer balls in the goals. This all brought me a sense of fulfillment and enjoyment but it didn’t click until high school that this was more than a hobby, but rather a lifestyle that not only can bring myself fulfillment but others as well. I moved onto high school being accepted into an accelerated 4 year video production program. My time through high school was full of learning moments and experiences in a variety of film settings. I loved every bit of the program but could not help shake the feeling that I felt and thought differently from my classmates.

My peers all desired a career in the Hollywood industry, and for some reason I did not desire that same path. I questioned why I did not feel the same and often tried convincing myself that would be the path I take. It wasn’t until I dipped my foot into other aspects of the production industry that it all clicked that there are other paths to this vast world of film. After visiting New Mexico on a missions trip my Junior year and experiencing the life of the Navajo tribe and the impoverished life they live I realized there are so many stories to be told of places most people don’t even know about. During that trip I was able to build relationships with children in the community and tell their stories on camera. A documentary I created my Sophomore year on the school’s musical showed me there are stories to be told even right in front of me at my own school.

Continuing my passion for photography in College helped me to instill confidence to the people I got to take creative portraits for. The music videos I’ve helped create have taught me there are people in this world that need help also expressing themselves creatively and I have the tools and the skill to do it. All of these experiences in so many routes of film have taught me that my path in this industry is my own and its unique to me. I was able to have confidence in high school and moving forward in college that I knew my own path and why I was driven to create. I want to continue creating for the rest of my life, in whatever capacity that may be. I want to not only express myself but share the stories of others, and create stories that are waiting to be told. I am excited for what the next chapter of my life looks like as I finish up school and continue my internship with JTWO films. I hope to grow in creative ways where what I produce can impact those in inspirational and thought provoking ways.

Jtwo Welcomes Intern Benny Flora

IN WITH THE OLD, OUT WITH THE NEW

By Benny Flora

The waves rolled in under a quaint and colorful town in southern Italy. A small, aged villa that had been converted into a hotel housed a single family of Americans; a mother and three sons. It was March and on the colder side, and so an off season for visitors. The family ran out of their picturesque cottage and sat looking at the ocean. There were two brunettes and a blonde kid. The blonde one happens to be me, the writer of this very blog post, and the middle of the three brothers. So I can speak from experience when I say it was a truly breathtaking environment. My oldest brother, 15 at the time, was the tallest and clearly undergoing puberty, with awkward mannerisms and an asymmetrical face (sadly for him he is still ugly). My little brother was short with long straight hair, and a little chubby (in a couple years he would outgrow both of us). And I was on the brink of puberty, with straight blonde hair and sporting a European soccer zip-up. Carefully painted tile lined the walkways of the hotel and moss hung from the stone walls. We had everything we needed out there in southern Italy… Except one thing was missing: Video games! As a 13 year old kid I could not go without my video games for more than a week. I loved them as much as any other 21st century adolescent, and I was eager to return home so I could crack open the latest Dragon Ball Z game that had released while we were abroad. I could not wait to play it. But we still had about a week left on this trip, so I began to play the game in my head, seeing the characters in the beautifully aged palaces and streets of Italy in order to appease my cravings. I tried to get my brothers in on it, too, but they weren’t interested. Funny enough, viewing Italy in this way did not increase my love for Dragon Ball Z or even video games; instead it allowed me to see how much story and life can exist in a setting. Suddenly, I was imagining stories that came from the smallest and most ancient cracks in the stones lining the European streets. I came up with stories that came from the blocked off and crumbling staircases in the background of our tour of the coliseum.

Naturally, upon our arrival back home I busted out my new game and played it for hours. What was strange though, was that it was not as exciting as my imagination made it out to be. Surprisingly, not playing the game was actually more fun than playing the game. I longed for the streets of Italy that let my imagination go crazy. Video games did not satisfy my imagination anymore. I wanted to see the stories in real life, not on my screen. I started paying closer attention to details in life, the things that make an object look worn or old or aged. Those are what the stories originate from; every crease, bend, bruise, or crack has its own story.

Years later, when it was time to decide where to go to college, I had my sights set on sunny Los Angeles. I had to get out of the cold weather, and I wanted to be in an action-packed environment for film school. When I finally got there, I quickly noticed that everything is a whole lot newer than the Philadelphia area where I am from. Suburban sprawl and motor malls dominated most of the land, with the “new” and “fashionable” taking precedence over the historically buildings. When I’m in LA, I feel uninspired by the modern simplicity of everything. Often I turn my back to my friends who want to go downtown to check out the fast excitement of modern urban living. I prefer the run-down beach shacks that sit by the water, stained by sand and ocean salt. There are still buildings and environment that hold the history of Los Angeles, but my worry is that they will soon all be gone.

Returning home to Pennsylvania for this summer reminds me of how I felt as a kid in Italy: distracted by the stories that are overly manufactured and consequently missing the ones that are real and inspiring. Without the hustle and bustle of west coast life I feel free to explore nature and the historic setting the grew up in with a more mature eye, and in doing so I will take my storytelling to the next level. It seems fitting that my life led me to interning at JTwo, in the heart of old-city Philadelphia where every building is aged with a good story.

JTWO Welcomes Intern Jul Heiden

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A DAY DREAMER

By Jul Heiden

When I was a child, I found the monotony of my cushy, comfortable life in the East Coast incredibly boring. As the product of a father who grew up in New York City during the seventies and eighties, my parents were understandably protective of myself and my younger sister during childhood. However, the routine of school -> homework -> swim practice -> home -> repeat was hard for someone like me, and I was often envious of my friends and classmates whose parents let them stay out unsupervised until the streetlights turned on. Because of this, I spent a lot of time at home reading books, losing myself in page after page of fiction and fantasy novels. I was especially fascinated by the characters’ relationships with one another, the small things that made them intrinsically human, even relatable. I would spend hours during school daydreaming about the characters in the novels I was reading. I would always alter the story, though, imagining situations that I felt should have happened instead based on the characters’ personalities and relationships with one another. Eventually, as I aged from a child to a “preteen” I started to create my own original cast of characters with the help of a brand new internet phenomenon: social media. When I was around ten years old I began writing my own stories on Word 2003 on my mother’s beat up, virus-infected Dell computer which began my transition from daydreamer to storyteller.

Throughout my middle school years I would consistently start writing stories without actually finishing them. Something I would write in one novel would inspire me to write another with a whole different cast of characters and an entirely new setting. And onceI got the ball rolling with the second novel my attention would be drawn to something different. By the time I reached eighth grade I had a flash drive full of unfinished stories perpetually inserted into my mother’s laptop.

However, during this time in my life I had began to focus my attention on music. I had been discovered by Jennifer Diamond, a successful opera singer and Juilliard graduate who helped me hone my vocal abilities for the better part of five years. While I continued to daydream, I began to write less and less in order to make time for choir practice, voice lessons, and performances. Opera became my whole life—my identity—I rarely had time for anything else. I was in Midtown five days a week for hours on end after school when I was recruited by the New York City Youth Opera, I would commute to Bergen, New Jersey twice a week to rehearse with the Verismo Opera Company, and I even performed at Carnegie Hall with my high school choir. When it was time to submit college applications, I had all but stopped writing stories in favor of preparing for music school auditions.

When I got accepted into music school I was ecstatic, and my first semester at Boyer College of Music & Dance at Temple University was exactly what I expected it to be. However, as I continued my higher education, I felt like something was off. I didn’t know what it was, but I began to feel miserable. How could I not be happy? I thought to myself. This is everything I ever wanted, the culmination of my blood, sweat, and tears. But it wasn’t. I felt myself withdrawing from my studies, my grades began to drop, I stopped practicing as often. For the next two years I tortured myself in music school, trying to force myself to enjoy singing like I used to. It was useless. In the Summer of 2020, I switched my major to Tourism & Hospitality Management, but after taking one class I realized that it was not for me. In a panic, I turned to my advisor who asked me a question that turned the course of my college career on its head: “Was there anything you used to be passionate about before music?” Yes, yes there was.

It took a lot of digging, but I was eventually able to find the flash drive I used to save all my stories on, buried in a box in my closet that I had not opened since I got to college. As I sat down and read through them, I noticed that the premises of many of my unfinished stories would make great television shows or short films. After several days of research, I officially changed my major to Media Studies and Production and started attending the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University.

Which leads me to today: nineteen months, two premiers, and one award later, starting my first day as an intern at JTWO Studios. I don’t know what’s in store for me here, but I’m excited to see where it takes me (and also to hang out with the dogs)!