Creative Staff

Born in the hill country of Germany, north of the Rhine, Brian Tyrannus Ulrich is as interesting and diverse as his name. On one side of this flat three-sided coin, Brian is a hard working, fun-loving filmmaker who has worked on films all the way from LA to Tokyo and back. He’s always up for lending a listening ear or to offer a moral boosting back rub, but watch out! On the second side of the three sided coin, Tyrannus is always analyzing the best way to immobilize people with his ninja skills, (if the situation calls for it) and keeps an arsenal of swords and other historic weapons on display to remind his visitors. On the third side, Ulrich is a professional who has presented in front of Senators (of the student body government), and interviewed the President of the United States.

Brian has worked as an assistant children’s pastor, a ranch hand and karate instructor. He’s managed student tech crews for live events, and directed crews of up to 30 people on film sets. After shooting films in Japan and the mountains of northern New Mexico, Brian graduated with honors from Biola University with a degree in Cinema and Media Arts, a minor in Biblical Studies, and fiance in his back pocket.

At Contexture, Brian is primarily an editor, but also contributes to on-location shoots in the areas of audio, grip, lighting, and camera, and on stressful days, is the in-office masseuse. He’s always up for a friendly chat, but watch out – this mysterious three-sided coin might have a fourth…

Kevin is an enthusiastic, hard working, and overall absurd member of our team. When he is not directing our latest whiteboard shoot, you can generally find him cutting away on his editing system humming “Pinky and the Brain”, much to everyone’s annoyance. From a young age, Kevin has had an overactive imagination, and he uses that imagination to bring a fresh and innovative flair to any project he is given. His true passion is stop-motion animation. “You can do anything with stop-motion. ANYTHING! You want to have a giant centipede attacking a moose? Make it! The sky is the limit! Well…and the number of hours in a day. That’s a limit too.”

Kevin studied film production at Biola University, and in 2010 was presented with the “Cinema Student of the Year” award. His thesis project, a half-hour claymation fantasy film, received seven awards in the film festival circuit, including “Audience Choice Award” at the Savannah International Animation Festival. Kevin has interned with stop-motion veterans, the Chiodo Brothers, and also had a brief stint working on The Hobbit: There and Back Again in New Zealand.

Kevin’s dream job is to one day write and direct fantasy films, both live-action and animated. “The fantasy genre gives you so much potential to explore life in a new setting. With stories, you can explore the deep questions of life, and ask ‘what if’ questions that are so much harder to address in real world settings. So, if you happen to have a lot of money, and want to see an awesome fantasy movie with Airships and Lizard soldiers, give me a call. I’d love to take your mone—mhhm—I mean, I’d love to chat with you”

On his free time, he creates stop-motion films out of Lego and clay.

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.”

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?)

Bio coming soon!*

*or as soon as George writes one!

"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."

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 works closely with clients to understand their message and mission, and together with the entire Contexture team, helps conceptualize the best visual tools and messaging that will lead to successful outcomes. As Vice President of Creative Services, she most enjoys the creative storytelling process and seeing a plan come together with an incredible group of fantastically gifted artists.

Torry graduated from Vanguard University while interning at Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold! Show, The Leeza Gibbons Show and Neo Motion Pictures. After two years as an online producer at AltaVista’s Shopping.com, she became a producer and editor for Saddleback Church and then went on to work for several production houses before finding Contexture.

She’s produced several public television specials for Dr. Daniel Amen and Brendon Burchard, and edited projects for Sunkist, T Mobile, Charlotte Russe, the in-room channel for the Four Seasons Resort Maui, two full documentaries, “Teen Challenge: 50 Years of Miracles” and the internet marketing story “Add To Cart: The Movie”.

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.