Contexture’s Creative Staff
Meet the team behind some of today’s most successful video, web and print campaigns.
Telling a story that connects with the heart of your target audience requires a creative team that understands your vision and knows how to communicate it in the most effective context. That team is Contexture.
Hand-picked for their broad range of skills and depth of expertise, each member of Contexture’s creative staff is at the top of his/her field. Contexture’s core values of passion, excellence and integrity guide the staff individually and collectively on every project.
More than a production company…
Contexture is widely praised for its thorough attention to details that matter, to you and your audience. Decades of marketing expertise are applied to every project to maximize R.O.I. and add value. You’ll experience the difference throughout the process – from concept, to production, to final delivery. Contexture considers each project a collaboration to achieve your vision of success.
Get to know the members of our team. We’re here to enable you to succeed.
Select a profile above to read more.
Joe
President & Creative Director
For more than 30 years Joe has told stories through film and video that serve major corporations, non-profit organizations and everything in between. National and international clients range from literacy, community development organizations, Fortune 500 companies and their subsidiaries, to hi-tech and bio-tech organizations, as well as government entities.
He has served ABC News, New York and worked on numerous Hollywood feature films at LucasFilm including Return of the Jedi, E.T., Poltergeist, and Star Trek 2 – The Wrath of Khan. Joe has traveled to more than 70 countries, uncovering inspirational stories and sharing them with millions.
Brian Miller
Director of Post Production
"Under-promise and over-deliver" is a motto Brian Miller lives by. "I just love surprising a client," he says, "by giving them more than their expectations or their budget would suggest. Often it just takes a little creativity to come up with ways to go above and beyond. I love finding those creative solutions."
Brian got his start in video production while in high school, and now has over 13 years of professional experience. He’s shot and edited countless award-winning productions, ranging from television spots and corporate videos to documentaries and heart-tugging ministry appeals. He’s traveled to 28+ countries, and often journeys to the farthest corners of the world to capture compelling stories.
"While I love to shoot – especially playing with lighting – my favorite task is in the edit bay. I really enjoy starting with bits and pieces and shaping a story that comes to life and connects with the audience’s mind and heart. Post production is where the ‘magic’ happens."
Rick Cortez
Art Director
From rebranding corporate images to animating CGI characters, Rick Cortez considers each project to be an opportunity to create something inspirational.
"A valuable key to each project’s success, I’ve found, is to find something in it that I can feel truly passionate about," explains Rick. "That enables me to put my heart into it, every time."
For over 20 years, Rick has immersed himself in visual arts, with an increasing emphasis on dramatic storytelling. His creative vision and editorial design talents are much in demand as he creates stunning website designs, banners, brochures, direct mail marketing, logos, DVD and book covers. Rick’s visually compelling 3D graphic elements are second to none and grace several PBS specials, indie films and corporate logos.
In Contexture’s video productions, Rick works closely with the director of photography and the editor to achieve a distinctive visual style that complements a project’s unique emotional signature.
"Our focus at Contexture is to connect with the hearts of our client’s audience. The best way for me to contribute to that focus is through creating images that inspire people."
Torry Dechert
Vice President of Production
Torry graduated from Vanguard University with a TV/Film degree while interning at Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold! Show, The Leeza Gibbons Show and Neo Motion Pictures. After two years at AltaVista.com, she transitioned to editing for Saddleback Church and then went on to work for several production houses before finding her way to Contexture.
She’s worked on the in-room channel for the Four Seasons Resort Maui, projects for Sunkist, and won several awards for her documentary "Teen Challenge: 50 Years of Miracles". As an editor and writer at Contexture, she is most often found piecing together hours of documentary footage into a cohesive story, and enjoys the challenge of turning any subject into a moving and compelling visual experience.
"What I appreciate most is that everyone here is such a great team player and collaborator. We all mesh well to perfect every aspect of a project, from sound design to graphics and the integration of special effects. Everyone is literally at the top of their game, and there’s incredible creative teamwork which I’m sure plays into why our clients have such trust and loyalty to our work."
Joel Garcia
Producer
Joel possesses the astute eye of an artist, the skilled hands of a master craftsman and the sensitive heart of a caring friend. Around the office, he’s known as "MacGyver with a Bible".
Joel transforms design ideas into tangible sets and systems. He’s developed entire live-production sets, constructed ingenious backdrops, and is capable of visually transporting viewers to any location in the world. Whether fabricating the illusion of an entire burned out church or engineering computer infrastructures, Joel can be counted on to achieve optimum results quickly and efficiently… within budget!
Joel also excels at building bridges across cultural barriers. Many of Contexture’s on-location shoots in other countries depend upon the good will and cooperation of the local people and authorities. Joel has 25 years of experience from within international organizations specializing in ministry to minority language groups, including living and working for four years in Africa. Joel’s training and gifts uniquely suit him for fostering positive relationships around the globe. Contexture’s projects have taken him to every continent except Antarctica and South America (how ironic is that for someone named Garcia?)
Jerrol Krause
Senior Designer
"What I love most about the projects we work on is the unique challenge each one presents," says Jerrol. "In the rapidly evolving world of the web we have to be constantly learning in order to keep up with the latest advances in trends and technology."
Jerrol serves as Contexture’s Senior Designer where he is responsible for developing the vision and strategy behind Contexture’s online projects. He can also be found coding or designing as the need arises.
Jerrol began his career in online media back in high school where he took over and led the school’s web publishing class. He now has over 12 years of experience in the interactive and online media world.
Matt VanAndel
Director of Interactive Media
Matt has been a web fanatic since the days of AOL on Windows 3.1 – building his first website using MS Paint and Windows Notepad in 1995. Today, he is Contexture’s Senior Developer, fighting for truth, justice, and HTML 5. A far cry from his days using Notepad, Matt now uses the latest techniques and technologies to craft highly interactive, state-of-the-art websites for desktops, mobile phones and emerging media.
When asked what motivates him, Matt responds “I want to push the envelope of what is possible on the web. I refuse to think in terms of ‘is it possible?’ If we come up with a great idea, I make it my mission to figure out ‘how do we make this possible’?”.
While his foremost passion is coding, Matt has an extensive art background, including a Bachelor of Science in Multimedia Design Technologies. “Finding that synergy between design, usability, and functionality is what transforms a ‘plain vanilla’ website into an amazing interactive experience.”
