Zinnia Films

07/05/2024

Reflecting on the meaning of this week’s American holiday, we look back at The Grapes of Wrath, the 1940 film based on John Steinbeck's 1939 novel of the same name. If you haven't read it recently, it's beautifully written and tells a heart wrenching story.

The film follows an Oklahoma family of sharecroppers who lose their farm in a perfect storm of mechanization, the Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl. They struggle to make ends meet in and on their way to the “promised land” of California. The film is a deeply moving exploration by filmmaker John Ford. We selected this clip for its clear message of empathy, a quality of character worth striving for, especially toward those whose American Dream may not have turned out quite as they would have wanted, if not turned out downright nightmarish, as it does for the Joad Family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jxLp9PHvDQ

Beautiful scene from the classic movie - The Grapes of Wrath (1940), based on the award winning best seller novel of the same name.All rights belong to their...

07/04/2024

We hope you have as much fun today as our diver here did BEFORE he hit the water!

Take a well-deserved break and jump into summer! Happy 4th! 🥳🎆

07/03/2024

He may not clean your windows, but if we're going to do a fly over of a house, the CEO of Atlas Home Energy Solutions might hop on the roof to clean bird p**p off a solar panel!

06/28/2024

Moonlight (2016, dir. Barry Jenkins) is an adaptation of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s semi-autobiographical play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. Moonlight received universal critical acclaim, with praise for its in-depth portrayal of themes of blackness, sexuality and masculinity, among many technological achievements.

Here’s a great article detailing the film’s complex coloring process: https://www.indiewire.com/awards/industry/moonlight-cinematography-color-barry-jenkins-james-laxton-alex-bickel-1201740402/

“For ‘Moonlight,’ which is told in three distinct chapters, the decision was made that each chapter would emulate a different film stock, giving each its own look.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfKvIXAi7MM&t=37s

Mahershala Ali's Juan teaches Alex Hibbert's Little how to swim in Barry Jenkins' Moonlight.Subscribe: https://bit.ly/36dnr0kFind Netflix Film Club on:➡️INST...

06/28/2024

Took a break while working in the to see the Sutro Baths. Too bad we couldn't see the because of !

06/21/2024

The Watermelon Woman is a 1996 comedy-drama-mockumentary by Cheryl Dunye. The main character Cheryl, played by the director, is an aspiring Black le***an filmmaker who wants to share the history of Black le***ans in early cinema.

The film blends documentary and narrative styles - this clip in particular leaving the audience wondering what genre it really is.

Cheryl Dunye’s autofiction comedy was the first feature directed by a Black le***an filmmaker. A highlight of the ‘90s New Q***r Cinema!30 Days of Great Cine...

06/18/2024

"Hurry up and wait”

06/16/2024

Happy Father’s Day from Zinnia’s dad’s to you and yours!

Here are some of our memorable dad moments 🥸

06/14/2024

For today’s , we are celebrating Paris is Burning, the iconic 1990 documentary by Jennie Livingston.

Paris is Burning offers an intimate portrait of the Harlem drag balls, where rival “houses” compete for trophies and cash prizes. Through candid one-on-one interviews, the film offers insight into the lives and struggles of its q***r, trans, African-American and Latino subjects and the strength, pride, and humor they display to survive in a "rich, white world."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Is_Burning_(film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbv6OR1Fzpk

Octavia Saint Laurent and members of the gay and drag communities describe the meanings and benefits of holding a ball. In this scene: Octavia Saint Laurent ...

06/12/2024

Every year in June, people around the world come together to celebrate .

Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, MD hosts an annual event that celebrates patients and families of those who have survived cancer.

We are honored to be a part of great causes such as this one!

06/11/2024

Happy warm weather!☀️

Even though it's not officially summer yet, we are getting our summer vibes on!

Anyone have any fun, film-related summer plans? Maybe an outdoor summer film series, or a makeshift bedsheet + projector screening with friends?

06/07/2024

We couldn’t kick off June/Pride month without including an auteur who shares Zinnia’s Baltimore roots. Unfortunately, a lot of our favorite clips from the legendary John Waters are probably inappropriate for us to share here. So in lieu, this 45 second clip played in many movie theaters and art houses in and around Baltimore before the previews. If you’re in the right theater at the right time, sometimes this clip still adorns the silver screen in Charm City.

While not a great piece of cinema (and in 2024, it’s altmodisch), it’s also silly, and wow–there’s nothing like actual film that can get those gorgeous skin tones!

A "No Smoking" PSA featuring John Waters preserved by the Academy Film Archive, with special thanks to Landmark Theatres.

06/03/2024

When you need a last-minute actor, sometimes you have to cast your videographer…

Happy belated birthday to our videographer and resident dress-up pharmacist, Se Jin! 🙌🥳🎉

05/31/2024

Dreams (夢, Yume) by Akira Kurosawa is a 1990 film consisting of eight episodes, all based on Kurasawa’s recurring dreams. In this segment, “Crows”, an art student encounters Vincent Van Gogh, and finds himself traversing through his paintings.

This film captures the magical surrealist nature of dreams, and Kurasawa’s history as a painter shines through in each vignette. A bonus feature: this segment stars Martin Scorsese as Van Gogh.

Dreams (夢 Yume, aka Akira Kurosawa's Dreams) 1990 film.Prelude No. 15 in D-flat major ("Raindrop") by Chopin.

05/30/2024

We had a great time at BelongMed: Embrace Belonging in Biomedical Healthcare's event highlighting Korean Culture for AAPI month!

This segment of the event centered around music as medicine, and included music and dance performances, and .

05/28/2024

Huge congrats to our editor Allegra for placing first at the Geneva International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024, hosted by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF)!

https://ibjjf.com/

05/24/2024

To follow up the f***y pack kung-fu clip we posted last week, here’s Ke Huy Quan’s Oscars Acceptance Speech for Best Supporting Actor in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Ke Huy Quan reflects on his experience as an immigrant and making his way to “Hollywood’s biggest stage”, exclaiming that his experience is the “American Dream”.

We hope you have an enjoyable and reflective weekend!

Watch Ke Huy Quan's full acceptance speech at the 2023 Oscars for Best Supporting Actor in Everything Everywhere All At Once.http://bit.ly/VarietySubscribeht...

05/23/2024

Big day supporting three Goodwill affiliates in their commitment to environmental responsibility and !

05/18/2024

Location scouting ahead of a big shoot coming up!

05/17/2024

For AAPI month, we wanted to share this awesome scene from Everything Everywhere All at Once of Ke Huy Quan and his f***y pack.

Director Daniel Kwan stated that “The f***y pack is… a derisive image for stereotypical Asian dad tourists… so we asked: why don’t we take the f***y pack and make it this amazing, powerful, fun weapon?”

This scene is laden with classic kung-fu homages, and is (in addition to the film as a whole) a must-watch.

Quote from: https://gizmodo.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-fight-scene-breakdown-1848787652

SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/A24subscribeNow Playing in Theaters & On Demand. Get the exclusive 8-minute blooper reel with purchase on AppleTV.How to Watch: http...

05/10/2024

Here at Zinnia, we love flying. Whether it’s heading off to a shoot in Tucson or a conference in Columbus, or even just taking one of our drones out to film exteriors for a client, we love being in the air.

When we saw this compilation of flying scenes from Hayao Miyazaki, we knew we needed to post it for our .

Check out the great animation, and tell us: where are you flying to next?

Flying with Hayao Miyazaki.

05/09/2024

When we asked Goodwill of Greater Washington if they would help us explain the we have and the value we can create with , we knew OUR side of the story, but it was so lovely to hear their side.

We serve as GGW’s outsourced video team and we help with many different types of video, from TV spots to internal messaging, to fundraising, to advocacy. It’s a robust pipeline of work, and we’re doing it in English and Español.

We’re passionate about our work with , whether we’re making a single fundraising video every year for an organization or 100+ videos annually, like we’re doing with Goodwill. Want to talk to a team that cares about your mission? Hit us up!

While Zinnia Films and Goodwill of Greater Washington had done several projects together, the need became more and more apparent that Goodwill needed to work...

05/09/2024

We had a wonderful time on this video. Thank you Maranda and Mercy Medical Center for letting us share your story!

05/07/2024

Southwest Airlines: the official airline of Zinnia ;)

Picture taken at CMH as we traveled home from some video shoots in Columbus, OH.

05/06/2024

in Cincinnati and happened across the one-man band Bobcat on tour! He plays multiple instruments and gets the audience involved.

Great stuff!

05/03/2024

Kicking off AAPI month with this awesome clip from Drunken Master. If you haven't seen it, this is a must-see film: Jackie Chan brings humor and levity to this scene, and the Jackie Chan Stunt Team has choreographed a lovely 'dance' in this scene.

As film snobs, we apologize for posting a dubbed version of this - we couldn't find this iconic clip in the original language of the film :)

The Legend of Drunken Master movie clips: http://j.mp/1uwhbvPBUY THE MOVIE: http://amzn.to/rAQZGaDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCL...

05/01/2024

When we work with a nonprofit, we WORK with a nonprofit! We’re so appreciative of the solid engagement that The Arc Baltimore and Zinnia have had over the past decade+. As an added bonus, it’s been incredible to see how Chris Knoerlein has grown into and eventually outgrown his role at the organization (Congrats!). We’re so grateful for the great folks at The Arc Baltimore for helping us put together this piece about our partnership.

If you’re on the staff or board of a organization, and you want a committed partner to help you tell your story, hit us up!

Video production company, Zinnia Films, loves partnering with nonprofit organizations in developing and executing a video production strategy to solve organi...

04/27/2024

In honor of Earth Day, this week’s Film clip Friday is from the environmental documentary Kiss the Ground - featuring Jason Mraz. Who knew the famous singer-songwriter was passionate about agroforestry?

“Kiss the Ground reveals that, by regenerating the world’s soils, we can completely and rapidly stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems and create abundant food supplies.”
- https://kissthegroundmovie.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoaahKYuUtc

Narrated and featuring Woody Harrelson, KISS THE GROUND is an inspiring and groundbreaking film that reveals the first viable solution to our climate crisis....

04/23/2024

David, Se Jin, and Gideon waiting for some words from David Maine, the president and CEO of Mercy Medical System about the importance of in the 150th anniversary of the healthcare system.

04/19/2024

Continuing the ecological theme this week, this 7-minute sequence is utter GOLD. Seriously, this is such beautiful time-lapse work, and the way the music interacts with the image. Montage sequences like these are the kind our team loves to look at and discuss, and think about ways to apply the techniques to our work.