Really Useful Media is a full service, boutique production company based in Brooklyn, NY. We work on location around New York City, the US, and internationally.
Our videos tell world-changing stories that help clients engage donors, raise public awareness, secure new funding, break event attendance records, and make audiences laugh and cry. Our work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Artforum, among others.
Our creative team includes a roster of talented freelance directors of photography, editors, producers, camera and sound operators, lighting designers, and audio engineers.
Learn more about our values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Interested in joining our team? Check out our current openings.
Really Useful Media is the absolute best company I have worked with in filming and presenting the work of our non-profit. They operate with absolute efficiency and take all the necessary steps to ensure that my filming projects come out perfect. When it comes to more complicated projects, they are excellent partners and collaborators. They have helped us create timeless assets that showcase our organization’s strengths and can be used in multiple settings for years to come.
– Jennifer Riegle, Director of Student Programs and Special Projects
Eugene Lang College, The New School
Core Team
Dan founded Really Useful Media after completing his MS in Integrated Digital Media at NYU. He has worked in the creative back-and-forth between art, video, and technology for nearly twenty years, bringing together diverse disciplines ranging from filmmaking to interactive technology to improv comedy. As a director of photography, he draws inspiration from the direct cinema of Albert and David Maysles, the films of Errol Morris, and the narrative journalism at Frontline.
Dan’s love for experimentation, hacking, and toolmaking has made him a professional troubleshooter, always ready to solve creative and technical problems. He has a lot of flashlights.
Emily joined Really Useful Media in 2009 to combine two of her passions: mission-driven work and documentary storytelling. As executive producer, Emily partners with each client to discover their best stories, communicate impact, and develop tailored methods for audience engagement. An experienced content strategist, she brings her clients’ work to life through a proven method of interviewing and narrative building. Her detail-oriented project management style helps clients execute on their vision while meeting deadlines and staying within budget.
Her previous professional experience includes over a decade in nonprofit and education management and consulting, work that took her to more than ten countries on four continents.
Emily has a BA in History and International Development from McGill University and an MA in International Education Development from Teachers College, Columbia University.
When she’s not dreaming up new ideas for clients, Emily enjoys running and spending time with her family. She is also the author of Jaws Wired Shut, a culinary chronicle of her summer on a blender diet while recovering from a broken jaw, which has been featured in the New York Times, Serious Eats, and Eater.
Susan joined Really Useful Media in 2019 with several years of experience working in nonprofit development and studio management. Susan ensures our studio operations run smoothly so our producers and filmmakers can focus on what they do best — telling thoughtful stories for our clients.
A storyteller herself, Susan holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago and a BFA in Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Her first collection of stories, The Game We Play, was called “deliciously painful” by Paste Magazine. Her work has also appeared in MAKE Literary Magazine, Hobart, Another Chicago Magazine and elsewhere.
Lourdes joined Really Useful Media in 2022 after working as a video editor, producer, and independent filmmaker. As Video Producer, she brings her experience in documentary storytelling and live event broadcast to meet clients’ growing demands for online and hybrid video production.
Lourdes is enthusiastic about media’s power for good, and has seen its impact firsthand as an independent filmmaker. Her 2021 documentary “Searching for La Yarda,” generated discussion at numerous screenings and aided a city committee in preserving the history of a Mexican-American community in her hometown. She holds a BA in Film and Media Studies from the University of Kansas.
Khalid joined Really Useful Media in 2022 after working as a motion graphic designer, video editor, and technical director. As Video Producer, he brings years of success in fast, high-stakes environments and an aptitude for adapting to clients’ changing needs.
Khalid is a Jack of All Trades with experience in every phase and position in production spanning more than ten years. He loves to utilize media to tell stories and is vitalized by opportunities to use that knowledge to help people. He has given many start-ups the assets they needed to launch their business and has also boosted already existing major platforms. He holds a BA from CUNY York College where he studied Communications Technology.