Bryan Keeling

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

I am an Emmy-nominated motion designer and graphic artist with over fifteen years of professional experience. In 2008, I was nominated for a Primetime Emmy award in the category of “Outstanding Main Title Design” for my work as lead animator on the opening titles of “New Amsterdam.” I originally hail from the South Shore of Boston, and spent the majority of my career in New York and LA creating motion design and animation concepts for film, video and the web. In the summer of 2012 my wife, daughter and I packed up our tiny basement apartment in Hoboken, NJ and struck out for the Midwest. Four bedrooms, two and a half baths and one French Bulldog named “Bear” later, we’re living in the idyllic suburbs of Kansas City and never looking back!

Jon Bazata

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jon was born in a theatre during a Burt Reynolds movie one wintry night in the Midwest. Since then, Bazata has spent the majority of his time cutting content while trying to grow a mustache. He has enjoyed over a decade of working at post-houses and advertising agencies in Kansas City. Working on numerous big name brands to create their broadcast commercials and digital campaigns for various social platforms, he loves collaborating with artists and creatives to bring all styles of content to life.

Troy Weaver

EDITOR

I grew up in Kansas City where I enjoyed consuming stories or creating my own through any possible medium, from books to comics to filmmaking. My constant love for knowledge, creativity, and new experiences took me on an adventure to Chicago. After spending some time getting to know the city, I studied video editing and other post-production techniques at Columbia College Chicago, eventually graduating and becoming an assistant editor. As a lover of both stories and puzzles, video editing made the most sense to me as it was everything I enjoyed rolled into one. Eventually I moved back to KC, leading me to meet the wonderful people at 19 Below where I am honored to be a part of the team.

Jim McCullough

MOTION DESIGNER

Stories connect people. Collaborating with others to bring stories to life has been Jim's passion since childhood.

He was the writer and visual effects artist for a short film that premiered at the Cannes FIlm Festival. He has created original animated episodes for Hulu and Vet TV, created VFX for pop stars such as Ariana Grande, Barbra Streisand, Shakira, and Heart, created VFX & animated titles for feature films & TV, and animated commercials & digital campaigns for Hallmark, NBC, Sprint, DiGiorno, and Alienware.

Recently, he was the creator, head writer, and animator of the award-winning animated series, "Balthazar & Snirt".  He also enjoys traveling, the great outdoors, and spending time with his wife and children. He is excited to work with the awesome folks at 19 Below to help tell your story.

Nick Balda

COLORIST/FINISHING ARTIST

Growing up, I was drawn to anything creative. Art was the one thing I felt really good at. After graduating from The University of Kansas (BFA), I discovered the world of post-production. It was a perfect fit. I love to be immersed in the work. I look for inspiration everywhere, and I wouldn’t trade time with my two daughters for anything. I never get tired of exploring nature, visiting art galleries or learning something new.

Nick Balda has over 20 years experience in post-production. From color grading to compositing, visual effects and finishing. Nick is passionate and dedicated to the craft. His client list includes: Adobe, Google, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Puma, Gatorade, Wendy’s, Beauty Brands, NASCAR, Walmart and more.

Craig Brock

SOUND DESIGN/AUDIO ENGINEER AND PRODUCTION

I’m a native Kansan and have been involved in professional audio since 1989. I got my training at the Record Plant recording studios in Los Angeles where I was lucky to work with world class artists, engineers and producers. I left California to run a small private studio on an island in Oregon for several years, before escaping the rain for the heat of Austin, TX. While in Austin I became involved in theatrical sound design, eventually taking on the role as the Resident Sound Designer and Audio Supervisor for ZACH Theatre. I’m happy to be back in the Kansas City area and working with the talented team at 19 Below.

Credits include: Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Ray Charles, Guns n’ Roses, Warner Bros., Universal, MTV, Atlantic, Epic, Capitol, Sony, BMG, Univision, WEA Music International, RCA International, and Evidence Records, SXSW, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and more than 150 theatrical productions.

Brando Triantafillou

ORIGINAL AUDIO

Brando is always striving to help communicate a story through sound and music. With over 30 years of experience, he brings a high level of creativity and sonic know-how to any project. After graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Music and a minor in Electrical Engineering from the University of Miami, Brando moved to Chicago and began working as an audio-post engineer at Editel. Five years later he and two partners opened Rhythm Cafe, focusing on original music/sound design and mixing for the advertising community. In 2006, Brando left Rhythm Cafe to branch out on his own. During his time at Rhythm Cafe, Brando began a collaboration with Bark Productions and developed what became a great working relationship. After many collaborative projects, that relationship has grown and continues to this day. Brando is glad to be able to offer his services as a composer/sound designer/audio engineer to Bark Productions and the 19 Below team.

Credits include: beat box legend Doug E Fresh on a Gatorade campaign, composed the score and recorded the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague for Maytag and composed and produced the score for the Netflix film "Pottersville”, starring Michael Shannon, Ron Pearlman, Judy Greer and Tom Lennon.

Carley Hail

POST-PRODUCER

Carley Hail is a portrait photographer who makes bold, colorful, and bright imagery. After leaving her small farm town in Illinois to study photography at the University of Central Missouri, Carley was drawn to the commercial and advertising industry. Her love for making images took her to many places around the world during college. Carley did assignment work in India and studied abroad in Auckland, New Zealand. Her most recent trip was a 14 day trek in the Himalayas to Everest Base Camp. After graduating with a photography degree, Carley joined 19 Below. She loves meeting new clients and sharing social media content for 19 Below.

Diana Gonzalez

POST-PRODUCER

I studied Communications at Truman State University but always knew I wanted to work in film. I am passionate about filmmaking and storytelling. I have worked as a freelance production assistant throughout Kansas City for several years. I’ve met the most amazing people in the advertising and film community who have helped me push forward in my career.

I am thrilled to extend my production experience into post-production and work alongside the talented creatives at 19 Below.  When not producing, I like to hone my documentary photography skills, write about my Latine experience in the States, keep up to date with great shows and films, and travel. I believe everyone should have the chance to tell their story through art. I strive to support and encourage everyone to be confident in their work. I’m a hype-woman!

Brad Slaughter

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & PARTNER

Brad brings over 25 years of experience as a producer to his responsibilities at Bark Productions + 19 Below. Brad co-founded Bark Productions in 1999 and partnering post-production company 19 Below in 2007, where he serves as Partner / Executive Producer. The companies produce TV commercial and web content work for clients across the United States. Clients include McDonald’s, Garmin, Wendy’s, Intel, LG, and the US Navy. Brad has served multiple roles during his career in the production industry, including Senior Producer at Bernstein-Rein Advertising and Unit Production Manager on the feature film “The Painting”; produced through Santa Monica Pictures.

Mark Schotte

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & PARTNER

Since graduating from Mizzou in Radio, TV and Film, Mark’s never thought of doing anything other than production. His career began in Dallas working in the film industry, including GoldenGlobe and Academy Award winning films. Back in Kansas City, he had a stint on the client side with a national retailer, and then moved on to Bernstein-Rein as Executive Producer. Here he built a team of producers filming commercials for Wal-Mart, Blockbuster, H&R Block, Planet Hollywood, and Russell Stover. Brad Slaughter happened to be one of these producers. Realizing a void in the KC production community that could be successfully filled with the right contacts and creative talent, the two started a company together and aˆ partnership was formed. 25 years later Bark is still going strong. In 2007, the partners co-founded 19 Below, adding editorial to the creative mix and one more layer of production value to their company. Mark’s passion for the process is evident in his extensive knowledge of the equipment involved in making quality commercials. He brings a unique perspective and approaches to each project creatively and with efficiency. When not at the office, Mark is a drummer, golfer and an avid fly fisherman.