Hello! My name is Keaton Applebaum.

I'm an enthusiastic and focused film director/editor and graduate of Art Center College of Design with a BA in Film Production. I used to play guitar in multiple bands, and for many years I thought music was going to be my future. Although I liked performing, I could tell it wasn’t my passion so I decided to try something new. Filmmaking! I shot my first film on a flip camera (remember those?) and I was instantly hooked. Since then I’ve written, directed, and edited more than 300 projects including short films, commercials, promos, events, and more! I co-created, directed, and edited a popular YouTube web series called PANIC, which has garnered over 560,000 views.


Being a lifelong video game lover, I self-taught myself game development using Unreal Engine 4. I found that my experience with filmmaking carried over to video game creation very well. I have self-published four games on Steam, one of which is currently being published on PlayStation.

Resume + Awards

Education

  • Art Center College of Design, Pasadena CA.  BA in Film Production, Fall 2018.

Experience

  • Writer/Director at Sparkhouse Productions.

    • In charge of managing video projects creatively.

    • Collaborate and direct large crews of people.

    • Keeping all projects on time and on budget, developing video and animation concepts, writing scripts, directing video shoots, and more!

    • Writer and director of numerous commercials.

  • Lead Video Marketing Specialist at Century Business Solutions.

    • Work with other departments, managers, and businesses to create a cohesive and powerful story through video advertisements.

    • In charge of writing, casting, filming, and editing multiple promos, commercials, tutorials, and more.

    • Created numerous video advertisement campaigns garnering over 1,000,000 total views.

  • Writer, Director, Producer, and Editor, for over 300 short films. Responsible for the entire creation process, managing a crew, and producing the films from start to finish. Creator, director, and editor of “PANIC” Web Series.

  • Editor at Lucas Rossi Photography. Editing weddings, BTS interviews, PSA’s, and more. August 2016-August 2019.

  • Edited a PSA for Dancers Against Cancer featured on People.com starring Christina Applegate, Stephen ‘Twitch’ Boss, and Maddie Ziegler, 2017.

  • Edited a commercial for Amazon’s Smartlife Roadshow, 2017. Commercial can be viewed on Amazon.com.

  • Intern Editor at NALIP - National Association of Latino Independent Producers, 2018.

  • Intern Editor at GO Film, 2016.

  • Intern Editor at Mancinetti Pictures, summer, 2014.

  • Camera Operator, National Geographic Channel's "American Mansion: Secrets of the Rockefeller Estate" TV pilot, 2013.

  • Guitar instructor at Guitars Not Guns, a program for foster kids and at-risk youth. 2012.

Awards

  • Winner “Best Comedy”, Couch Film Festival, 2020.

  • Winner “Semi-Finalist”, Los Angeles CineFest, 2020.

  • Official Selection, Golden State Film Festival, 2020.

  • Winner “Best Mockumentary”, ONIROS Film Awards, 2019.

  • Winner “Best Editor”, Top Indie Film Awards, 2019.

  • Nominated “Best Director”, Top Indie Film Awards, 2019.

  • Winner “Semi-Finalist”, Hollywood Screenings Film Festival, 2020.

  • Winner “Semi-Finalist”, Los Angeles CineFest, 2019.

  • Winner “Grand Prize”, Colorlab’s Summer Shorts 2017.

  • Winner “Best Drama”, Los Angeles Student Media Festival, 2014.

  • Winner “Best Film Maker Under 18”, Scion Summer Film Festival, 2012.

Skills

  • Adobe Creative Suite.

  • Final Cut Pro.

  • Avid Media Composer.

  • Final Draft.

  • Video Marketing.

  • Microsoft Office.

  • Unreal Engine 4

  • Google Docs, Drive, Sheets, etc.

  • Project Management.

  • Strong Graphic and Visual Sense.

  • Product Marketing.

  • Creative Collaboration.

  • Positive attitude, team player, excellent at multitasking, time management, self-motivated, and I play a mean guitar (12 years experience).