Nathalie Engdahl painting

96 and Still Painting

When Jacksonville sculptor David Engdahl commissioned a film about his 96-year-old mother who’s been painting for more than 40 years, I jumped at the chance to explore where David and his sister, watercolor artist Ellen’s artistic talents come from.

Nathalie uses a palette knife to give people a glimpse of nature raw and untouched. She paints images of places where the family lived or spent vacations, sometimes combining several into one painting.

During filming one of the main challenges we faced was bringing the paintings to life.  Cinematographer Gareth Paul Cox used a Cineslider, a small dolly that attaches to a special tripod head, to add some movement and guide the viewer through a scene in the woods or a patch of colorful flowers.

Being able to capture Nathalie’s creative spirit, energy and zest for life was incredibly meaningful for me. But even more fulfilling was the opportunity to create a legacy piece that tells the story of the Engdahl’s artistic roots that the family will enjoy for many generations to come.

A big thank you to David and Nathalie Engdahl for giving me this opportunity and allowing me into their lives.

Screen shot 2011-07-25 at 5.02.01 PM

These Consultants Really Talk the Talk

Stop at Nothing, headquartered in Jacksonville Beach, works with companies around the world to increase leadership effectiveness and transform corporate culture. They needed a powerful way to capture their consultants’ passion for unlocking the potential of leaders and teams to collaborate more and innovate.

Its founders decided that would be best accomplished through visual storytelling and ask me to produce three short Web films to tell the “Stop at Nothing” story and highlight the motivation behind the transformative work the company does.

Here’s one the videos I produced.

Screen shot 2011-03-21 at 10.44.27 AM

Accept the Challenge

Each year thousands of cyclists and their corporate sponsors accept the Bike MS challenge – riding 150 miles from St. Augustine to Daytona Beach and back to raise money for multiple sclerosis.

I don’t actually know how to ride a bike (it’s true…) but instead was given the opportunity to capture the energy and excitement of the event in a video the MS Society of Northeast Florida will use to engage other corporate sponsors.

Documenting the commitment of these riders to create a world free of MS by raising more than $1 million was an amazing experience. I’m honored to use the power of video storytelling to help an organization that impacts the lives of so many people in our community.

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David Engdahl Sculpture

Watch and learn about what inspires sculptor David Engdahl and how he transforms plywood into curved, multi-toned laminated wood sculptures.

Piotr Szewczyk
  • June 14, 2010
  • Posted by: nhalpern
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  • Films

The Passion Behind Piotr Szewczyk’s Music

Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra Violinist and Composer Piotr Szewczyk shares the passion and inspiration behind his music and the creation of “First Coast Fanfare,” which premiered at Jacoby Hall on April 15, 2010.