Max Kuzma
Documentary Filmmaker
With over 10 years of experience in production environments ranging from television to documentary and short films, Max is a multi-talented cinematic story-teller. Starting out in the non-profit world, he worked as a video editor and producer telling powerful stories on shoestring budgets before moving into the feature length space to work on documentaries, one of which was filmed on location in Israel. Award winning projects include two short films, and he also worked as an assistant editor on a music video which won an Emmy.
Senior Editor
American Dream TV Media and Tech, San Diego, CA
Dec 2020 - Present
•Driving the storytelling and creative aspects of lifestyle segments from across America
•Incorporating animations, overlays, stock footage, etc to create compelling visuals
•Responsible for color, audio, choosing high-energy music, story-cut, and uploading the final segment for the client.
•Assembling full episodes for national broadcast and communicating with local stations
4 minute (firm) CNBC Segment
New Orleans Market Promo Video
4 minute (firm) CNBC Segment
Producer, Cinematographer & Video Editor
Today's Homeowner Media, Mobile, AL
March 2019 - Nov 2020
•Producing, filming, and editing broadcast commercials and other videos for nationally recognized brands, such as Home Depot, The Weather Channel, and Broan NuTone.
•Filming and editing episodes of the telly award-winning web series, Checking in with Chelsea.
•Editing social media videos and sponsor exposure reels from the television show Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford for Todayshomeowner.com.
•Using storytelling skills from my documentary background to produce, film, and edit short form promotional videos such as a recruiting video for a landscaping company, real estate videos for Anne Dorman, and promotional videos for the Baldwin County Board of Education.
•Graphic design—creating online adlets as well as gifs to be used in PR and marketing materials.
Behind the scenes on Checking in With Chelsea, photo by Rhand Mccoy
Director of Photography, Drone Pilot, Editor
For an even more detailed look at some of my work during this time, please click here.
Freelance Work
Director, Producer, Editor, Photographer, Designer
Huge variety of client types and projects, please contact me with any special requests.
2007-Present
Shot and Edited by Me - This is a travel video I made about my experience traveling to Israel with 4pm Media as a camera assistant.
Edited by Me - Freelance video editing project with San Francisco based company, Webflow.
I directed, shot, and edited this 12 part online video class on NFP for Pastoral Counseling Solutions.
Directed, Filmed, & Edited by me , this is one of the videos from the Who We Are Campaign. Please visit https://prismunited.org/who-we-are/see-us/ to see the full series.
Video for Trans Day of Visibility. Written, directed, filmed, and edited by me for Rainbow Mobile.
Directed, Filmed, & Edited by me
Check out the Facebook post for number of views and shares… click this.
Video sponsored by Prisim United (non profit LGBT youth related org in Mobile Albama) to respond to the anti-trans bills in Alabama. I filmed this, (lit the interviews etc), and edited it
Companion piece sponsored by Prisim United, this is just Adrian’s story
Full time Video Editor (with some producing work, writing, and camera assistant).
4pm Media, Fairhope AL
Dec 2017 - Dec 2018
•Lead Video Editor / Story Guru. Took documentary projects from idea to 3 act story structure, logging the footage in premiere and creating a story arc with interviews and b-roll.
•Assistant directing - worked with talent and clients to assist the director. Did some gaffing, some camera assistant and camera operator work (using Ursa Mini and Ursa Pro cameras by Blackmagic). Functioned as director’s “right hand man” on set.
•Photographer - took behind the scenes photos on several projects.
•Social Media - created and uploaded instagram stories to the 4pm account.
Lead Editor
Lead Editor, Production/Camera Assistant
Lead Editor, Camera Op
Assistant Editor
First Assistant Camera on location in Israel.
I worked as First Assistant Camera on this, as a Behind the Scenes Photographer, and as an editor did logs and rough cuts in post production.
SHORT FILMS
I participated in two films for the 8Beats anthology, both of which toured several film festivals and won an award.
On Claire McKenna (click here for more info), I worked with Cinematographer Nick Staresinic as 1st Camera Assitant.
On Scarlet Begonias (click here for more info, no trailer available) I worked with director Dan Johnson as lead editor.
Synopsis: A young woman struggles with addiction and identity over the course of three months and three very different scenarios.
Behind the Scenes on Claire McKenna (I’m that dark shadowy figure in the background because I was the camera assistant)
This was towards the end of 2017/early 2018
Behind the Scenes on Location filming Scarlet Begonias
This was filmed in the summer of 2018
Full time Videographer
Dynamic Catholic, Cinncinati OH
Feb 2017 - Dec 2017
•Pre-production - screened and interviewed potential subjects, compiled database of stories.
•Video editing - organized footage for a Bible Study program called The Turning Point, created multicam sequences in Premiere. Another video editing project was Best Advent Ever 2017.
•Consulted at weekly design meetings
•Ideation - conceptualized ideas for videos and shared with manager.
•Cinematographer - used the easy rig with the scarlet RED camera to shoot and edit Garys-Welcome-Story.
Lead Editor (click to play video)
Lead Editor (click to play video)
Lead Editor, Director of Cinematography (click to play video)
Full time Lead Video Editor
Apostolate for Family Consecration, Bloomingdale OH
Jan 2016 - Jan 2017
•Media Management on a server - tasked with ingesting, labeling, and organizing footage.
•Lead Video Editor - Responsible for editing the majority of AFC video projects, including the Be Not Afraid Family Hour (a 40 minute educational program made up of 5 segments) as well as all promotional web videos. Utilized Adobe Premiere’s multicam function in this role.
•Pre-Production - Consulted on projects, offering ideas and story structure options for videos, interview questions, etc.
•Cinematographer - created a lead for a video, pitched to manager, wrote interview questions, filmed the interview and b-roll, edited the final piece. Shot with GH4 cameras, edited with Premiere.
Lead Editor
Lead Editor
Lead Editor, Some Camera
Lead Editor
Lead Editor
Freelance / Piloting Intern Program 2015
Likable Art, Fort Wayne IN
•Started as an intern, editing a Adobe Premiere multicam class (Couple to Couple League, Lead Editor for Class, Assistant Editor for Promotional Video, also Brandon Vogt Return Series - Lead Editor, Class and Promotional Video).
•Tested the intern curriculum being developed by Likable Art, adding more content and links.
•Assisted on shoots as a camera assistant.
•Ideation - conceptualized ideas, shared and communicated them with my manager.
Editor
Editor
Script Writer
Intern Summer 2014
Spirit Juice Studios, Chicago IL
•Started as an unpaid summer intern coming in twice a week. After the owner was impressed with my work, (such as editing this Annual Membership Meeting), he added a third day to my schedule and began to pay me.
•Worked as an assistant video editor on the emmy award winning project, Salve Regina.
Editor
Assistant Editor, this won a Regional Emmy
Attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, completed a degree 2011-2015
Bachelor of Arts, Major in Communication Arts (Radio/TV Concentration)
Minors in Film Studies and Philosophy
Let's work together!