A brief history of Graham.
OK, so maybe “adventure” and “intrigue” overstates it. But I am a teller of tales: an award-winning creative director, writer, and video journalist who makes content — and builds content orgs — with strategy and story and soul.
Graham Fact #47:
Graham does not eat at ramen shops that do not serve miso ramen. Nor, in fact, does he acknowledge that non-miso ramen exists.
Graham Fact #6:
A list of Graham’s current and forever inspirations: Italo Calvino, Joan Didion, Joss Fong, Charles Yu, Winsor McCay, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Andre the Giant, George Plimpton, Lindsay Ellis, Grant Morrison, Kanye West, Michael Tucker, Ezra Klein, Kelly Link, David Byrne, George Saunders, Edgar Wright, Mark Twain, Taika Waititi, and Stan Lee
Graham Fact #3,381:
In college, Graham wrote his colloquium on 18th and 19th century piracy in the Straits of Malacca. In the 21st century, he rode on a boat in the Straits of Malacca that was later stolen. By pirates.
Graham Fact #89:
Graham is a Virgo born in the Year of Dog. Astrostyle.com calls Virgos “perfectionists,” “uptight,” and “overly critical.” Chineseastrology.com says Dogs are “loyal,” “kind,” and “determined.” He has since bookmarked Chineseastrology.com.
Graham Fact #616:
There is only one bone that Graham has ever broken: his skull. This may account for many, many things.
Graham Fact #48
On his first business trip ever, a petrified Graham was sent undercover to film visiting North Korean dignitaries. He got the shot, but has been officially barred for life from the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa in La Jolla, California.
Graham Fact #223
Graham has had the chance to ask questions of — and even received answers from!— many important people: Secretary Hilary Clinton, Governor Sarah Palin, Senators Daniel Inouye and Carl Levin, and Pacific Commander Admiral Robert F. Willard. Yet, somehow, he is most proud that he once interviewed competitive eating champion Takeru Kobayashi.
Bachelor of Arts, History
College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Juris Doctor, Media Law
GW Law
Washington, DC
Lead Editorial Producer
TBS News
Washington, DC
Director of Innovation & Int’l
Aol Partner Studio
New York, NY
Founder & Creative Director
Vox Media
New York, NY
Creative Director & Show Runner
Netflix
Los Angeles, CA
Creative Director & Consultant
Freelance
New York, NY
Let me tell you a story.
I help brands, publishers, and agencies with anything and everything in content, from writing a 60-second script to starting up entire studios. Don’t see what you need listed? Talk to me, and I’ll figure out how to provide it through my production company, Half-Nelson Holding Company.
Ideation & Strategy
Content and experiential ideas that are so big they’ll grab the attention (and dollars) of clients and so achievable that they’ll earn the thanks of your production team — all wrapped in a beautiful, smartly written package. And it’s not just content — I’ve built entire studios.
Creative Direction
Leading and inspiring creative teams and providing a vision for award-winning storytelling, whatever the format or client goal. Got something new you want to try? That’s my favorite — let me pioneer it, then build a template for you to follow.
Writing
Scripts. Copy. Articles. Explainers. Essays. Sizzles. Infographics. White papers. Social posts. Novels, both graphic and otherwise. Heck, even musicals. I don’t think there’s anything I haven’t written for clients — or haven’t liked writing.
Consulting & Workshops
Honing your brand, your positioning, and your processes with years of experience, data analysis, and just a little flair. I’ve founded whole studios, built new design languages and pitch decks, and refreshed social strategies for clients big and small. (And I’ve talked about it around the world.)
Voiceover & Talent
They don’t call me “Two-Take Nelson” for nothing. If it’s right for the piece, I bring my expertise, enthusiasm, and (nerdy-yet-soothing) presence to both screen and VO booth. I get it done quickly, and have garnered awards in the process.
Editing & Script-doctoring
Sometimes a piece needs polishing — or even just a second set of eyes. But my philosophy is that rewriting without rewiring just isn’t enough. As someone with great mentors, I now greatly enjoy teaching young writers, producers, and creators who are still honing their craft.
Select Skills
Kind praise from very nice people.
Vox has perfected the art of creating explainer videos that are both entertaining and educational by weaving stories into every lesson. Finding out how Spotify’s customized Discover Playlists are built is interesting enough for a music and tech geek like me …
I love the real-talk nature of this piece. Let’s all believe we can make it better.
(Not to mention swell coverage in these very fine publications.)
And the response so far has been pretty good.
Just in case you wanted hard numbers about my work — or hard numbers and shiny hardware.
Average Time Spent (3:22)
Page and Video Views
Social Engagements
Side Hustles Just Waiting To Become Main Gigs
Photography. VFX & Animation. Short-form comedy. Who knows how we can work our magic together?
Fuji XT-2. South Africa.
Fuji X100V. Manhattan.
Sony A7C. Manhattan.
Star Wars AT-AT. Maya Sculpt.
Star Wars AT-AT. Maya Sculpt.
VFX Test. Adobe After Effects.I’m ready to believe you.
You may have already guessed this, but I like to chat. So, c’mon, let’s talk about your next project. And if you understood that Ghostbusters reference, let’s be best friends.
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