About

David Vyorst
Founder and President

David Vyorst is a critically acclaimed documentary film producer and DC social media guru. David’s recent release “The First Basket” is about Jewish basketball history. Current ZejMedia film projects include “Unusual Pairs” about interfaith Community Organizers and Peacemakers in the Middle East, and web projects include: ReasonsToKill.com, Rich Rubenstein’s blog about Conflict Resolution; The Greater Washington Chapter of The Internet Society – http://www.isoc-dc.org; The Asylumist; MarcGopin.com; CenteredPolitics.com; and The Learning Breakthrough Blog.

ZejMedia is the realization of David’s vision to synthesize the trajectories of documentary film, narrative, and social media to engage audiences in substantive issues and conversations. He is also obsessed with making “the real” Elvis documentary.

During decades past, David directed Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide’s Internet media department, and worked on two presidential campaigns, as well as on Capitol Hill, and in public opinion research. David is the Co-Convener of The Greater Washington Chapter of The Internet Society and  holds a Bachelors Degree from UCLA and a Masters Degree from the London School of Economics.

Brian Danin
Technology Advisor

Brian Danin is currently the Senior Web Developer at The Georgia Institute of Technology, and a close advisor to ZejMedia. In May 2009, Brian started working for ZejMedia in Washington, D.C. on documentary film production and web development. Concurrently, Brian is the owner of BZD Productions, an Atlanta based independent media company. He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in film production from the University of British Columbia in 2007 and his MBA at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Brian has produced films for about a decade, everything from animations, comedies to documentaries; his films have played world-wide and his 2007 film “Personal Growth” is in international distribution. Also an avid photographer, he has worked on commissioned projects, had his art exhibited in galleries and does freelance production and camera work in Atlanta. He was a founder of the Vancouver Short Film Festival (VSFF) and was Director for the festival’s initial two years.

Alan Zucker
Senior Web Developer

Alan Zucker has been managing internet strategy and implementation for various companies since 1995.   As Webmaster and Manager of Online Business and Operations at Yoga Journal, Alan played a key role in creating, developing and delivering the award-winning YogaJournal.com.  With a keen understanding of technology, design, and business, Alan delivers websites that function on every level.

Joel Rothschild
Senior Web Developer

Joel Rothschild is a seasoned, versatile Web Application Developer and Designer, with a decade experience building dynamic Web Sites on many platforms. Joel prides himself as a big-picture, holistic problem-solver with aggressive commitment to usability and quality in the details, with a social sensibility uniquely suited to close-knit teams and projects that serve real communities. He is a Principal at MahZeh.org, a Seattle based community web development company and more interestingly, Joel is involved in Ravenna Kibbutz in Washington state.

Allen Kalman
Mobile and iTV Consultant

Allen Kalman is the President of AlKal Media Group, which specializes in consulting and production for the mobile and iTV space. He led digital production for American Idol and has worked with many brands including CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, MTV Networks, Lifetime Television, Bravo, the NBA, Wired Magazine, Random House and many others.

Irene Kaoru
Lead Designer

Irene Kaoru Malatesta is a graphic designer, artist and writer from Seattle, living and working in Manhattan. In 2008, she completed a program in graphic arts and digital design at Parsons the New School for Design. She attended Barnard College, where she earned a B.A. with honors in Art History with a focus on 20th century Conceptual art.

She has worked as a graphic and web designer, a creative director for a public relations firm, and an art curator, event promoter and project manager for several non-profit arts organizations.

http://irenekaoru.com/index.html

Gary Keith Griffin
Director of Cinematography

Sundance Award winning cinematographer Gary Keith Griffin is Artist in Residence at the American University in Washington, D.C. and served as Director of Photography for Educating Peter (Academy Award 1992), its sequel Graduating Peter, Autism is a World (Academy Award nominee 2005), and Barbara Kopple’s Shut Up and Sing (Toronto Film Festival 2006). Griffin has made several films about life in the Czech and Slovak Republics, including Come Brother, We Go To America, The Death of Ales Martinu and Fighter. Griffin holds an MFA from Prague’s FAMU Film Academy of Performing Arts.  Gary is currently producing and Directing “Listopad“, a film based on true stories from the Velvet Revolution.

Carol Slatkin
Senior Editor

Carol Slatkin is a highly regarded television editor, specializing in long format documentary programming. Over the past 20 years Ms. Slatkin has edited a wide variety of award winning projects broadcast on PBS, National Geographic Television, Discovery Communications, NBC, and Turner Broadcasting, including the critically acclaimed Frontline: Is WalMart Good For America? Carol also co-produced and co-edited Discovery Docs With All Deliberate Speed, a feature length documentary about the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Ms. Slatkin is a co-owner of a post production facility, P&C Post, Inc., where she edits, and manages post-production on various programs.

Uri Ackerman
Cinematographer

Uri Ackerman, the lead cinematographer on “Unusual Pairs” is one of the most acclaimed cameramen in Israel. His credits include the 2008 drama series”Polishook”, and the award winning 2007 documentary feature “The Unmistakable Child”.

Contact: info@zejmedia.com