JR Steendahl

So great to catch up with with JR Steendahl in Edmonds last week on the hashtag#ReconnectRoadshow. JR is a motion graphics and video editing whiz who headed up video production at The Garrigan Lyman Group (now The Agency at DCG ONE) when things were flying high. I remember JR, senior producer Kathy Minnis, and I regularly orchestrating a whiteboard grid of productions to align shoot dates, edit dates, review meetings, and delivery deadlines. It was hair-raising and so much fun.

At our coffee together, JR and I recalled what a great team we worked with featuring Nicolette Welch, Taylor Beeghly, Alexis Smith, Mario Quintana, Justin Kauer, Jen Peel, Afi Catellani and, of course, the rest of the GLG creative team.

Since then, JR has spent the last decade leveling up and doing even more beautiful work for Microsoft. Check out his reel and hire him, JR is a terrific talent, knows all there tricks, and is a gem of a guy.

Three things I learned in our coffee catch up:

1) Creative by Committee: It’s always "fun" to bring creative work to life when it goes through multiple levels of review, particularly by people who are risk-averse or cost-oriented. It reminds JR of the 1989 Kevin Bacon movie “The Big Picture.” Check it out.

2) Prompt Jockeys: With AI-powered production tools, such as Midjourney and Dane AI, video professionals are increasingly AI-prompt jockeys generating audio, video, and motion-graphics content. It's a future pointing to less hands-on making and more directing and fine tuning. Hmmm.

3) This is the year, baby: JR is a Seattle Mariners season ticket holder and true believer. Look at that retro jersey. He’s all in and you should be, too. Go M’s!

JR, it was so great to see you. Let’s do it again soon.

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