Facebook Pixel

Video Production & Freelancing

CINEMATOGRAPHY, VIDEO EDITING, & PRODUCTION ROLES BY KATHERINE AMY VEGA

Kataklizmic Design offers professional video services to bands, artists, individuals, small and large businesses.


Past projects have included promotional videos, live concert music videos, EPK videos, interview videos, b-roll videography, personal projects, and contest entries. Katherine is also available for freelance production assistance, behind-the-scenes photography, footage, & editing.

We'll form a production crew and recruit talent to create cinematic music videos or promotions. We'll recommend the best options for your production value, and are highly flexible with alternatives. Just ask! Contact Us to request a consultation!

When you would like video services, expect questions so that we can determine the amount of cameras & operators, how much the footage will be edited, what type of sound recording we're doing, where we're shooting, and how the footage will be used. These are basic probing questions in order to set proper expectations and deliver a product that you're more than happy with. If someone doesn't talk to you about these things, they are not operating professionally, and you are gambling with your money. We will make things as simple and easy as possible for you, in the most professional manner!

Nate Ruess "Let's Go Crazy" (Prince Tribute)



Client Request: HD Wide Frame to Capture Full Band, No Panning, Synced 4-Channel Audio

Management contacted Katherine with a request to produce this video of his tribute performance just two days after Prince's passing.

"Hey Katherine, This is awesome... really excited on the final product." - Management

Nate Ruess "Let's Go Crazy" (Prince Tribute)



Client Request: HD Wide Frame to Capture Full Band, No Panning, Synced 4-Channel Audio

Management contacted Katherine with a request to produce this video of his tribute performance just two days after Prince's passing.

"Hey Katherine, This is awesome... really excited on the final product." - Management

The Audition -
A Unique Competitive Dance Event

Client Request: 60-90 Second HD Promotional Video, 1 Camera (6 hours), Video Editing, Client Provided Licensed Music

Featuring the famous choreographer Tina Landon for Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and more top artists; and dance instructors Scott Bodily, Leo Gallegos, Grace Gallagher, Jose Soto, and dancer Audrey Caldwell - winner, signed by The Movement Talent Agency.

Startup Grind Phoenix
(Powered by Google for Entrepreneurs)

Video Production (Video, Audio, & Editing)

Christie KernerChristie Kerner (Director, Phoenix Chapter, Startup Grind)

LinkedIn Recommendation

"I hired Kat to produce a business video for me and was extremely pleased with the outcome. Not only did she capture high quality footage, but with little direction on my part she produced a well thought out "commercial" of sorts for my company.

"She was also very professional in her communication, demonstrated excellent follow-up and always maintained attention to detail. Sometimes it can be a challenge to work with creative artists because they behave in a less-than-organized way. So not the case with Kat - she balances the business end well along with her high level of creativity. I highly recommend her!"

Year first hired: 2014
Top Qualities: Great Results, High Integrity, Creative

- August 2014

Video Editing Contest Entry:
Imagine Dragons "Believer"

Created in April 2017

The Adobe Premiere Pro 25th Anniversary "Make the Cut" video editing contest for Imagine Dragons' "Believer" supplied contestants with music video footage, audio, Adobe stock footage, and NewBlueFX filters. The animations in the original video were not included in the download, nor was all of the footage that you see in the original. Contestants were required to use only the content provided in the download per the Official Rules.

Editor Commentary by Katherine Amy Vega

About the Edits

In contrast to the official "Believer" video, I made my edit into a cleaner and linear storyline. It's from a slightly different angle than the official version, but staying true to the theme of overcoming emotional and physical pain to arrive at a place of self-confidence. I believe that my interpretation is along the same lines as what the band and director intended, but a little more spelled out for the viewer.

I incorporated a lot of color psychology and storytelling into my edit. Also, I love making the footage follow along with the lyrics, while keeping the cuts punchy to the drum & bass, and using the edit styling for further psychological suggestions. I'm one that's more for subtlety, tasteful edits and boldness in my art projects; with edits that serve a purpose, rather than edits just for the sake of flashy edits or special effects. Even the type of transitions I used have meaning behind them. I used longer cuts than the official video, because I felt they were more impactful in telling a story, and allow the audience to soak more in.

While some consecutive cuts match the original, I made those choices unaware of this. I made a special point not to watch the original before I started working, and for it to have VERY little influence on my choices.

I chose to change the amount of usage of the band member (instrumental) footage for each iteration of the chorus, going from most inclusive to least. I think it's an effective way establish the rock, to let each band member shine, and then transition focus as the story comes to a climax. The band really rocks it in the first chorus, and then with the slow-mo clips in the 2nd it adds to the drama of the crescendo up to the climax.

My Story & Message

Over the course of the video, it is somewhat unclear which Dan is present-day Dan. It starts off with Dan's younger, vulnerable self, who is dealing with intense feelings. With the pressure boys face to hide their feelings, he uses catharsis as an outlet… drawing and imagining his grown self who has overcome these pressures. But then, you also see the young adult Dan drawing, which could serve as an indication that he is working to nurture his inner child.

As Dan is imagining his stronger, superhero-like grown self, the man is still shrouded in a blue sadness, because it's hard for young and naive Dan to fully picture and comprehend a well-adjusted self that he does not yet know. But that healthier, adjusted adult Dan flashes in from time to time, and he displays confidence and has a strong voice… This is the ideal Dan. Meanwhile, we see the sad and unassured self who is compensating and posturing, with hints of self-doubt.

Then, the storyline progresses and the natural result of this psychological timeline takes shape - sadness becomes anger. Cue the angry middle-aged version of Dan. He has been stuffing down his feelings, and succumbing to pressure for far too long. He looks down upon the young adult version of himself, while the young adult version wants to resist becoming that angry man.

Dan battles with himself in an inner struggle, which we witness a physical representation in the form of a boxing match. As young adult (sad) Dan takes hits from mid-aged (angry) Dan, the anger grows harder to resist. As he starts to gives into anger, nearing the point of being consumed by it, he checks himself and finds the voice to set a boundary to stop it… But angry-Dan, who is too set in his ways at this point and convinced he cannot allow himself to be vulnerable, tells him they can't stop. The anger rises back up in the young adult Dan.

The anger overcomes him. Darkened and fueled by it, he nearly kills his middle-aged self. At that point, young adult Dan remembers who the child self wanted him to be, as the child flickers into his mind. In getting punched out by his young adult self, the middle-aged Dan finally seems to express remorse at losing sight of himself. And the young adult Dan starts to realize what he has done... finally he is able to feel and cry.

At the end, there's a quick cut of the confident and well-adjusted (natural color) Dan raising his arms as the word "Believer", written by the child, fills the screen. That cut wasn't part of my original ending, but I was inspired to add it while writing up the commentary. I felt like it tied in more with the "arriving at a place of self-confidence". Following the word, it's a sort of bittersweet ending as a somber young adult Dan stares blankly, still kind of working it out. It's almost like a challenge to catch yourself before you reach this point… you have thought about the options, and now it's up to you to decide which path you choose.

I think that this video also sends a message that through art and music, you can find a healthy way to cope; and that's really important during this time when a lot of our arts have been politically threatened.

In Closing

I work in Adobe Premiere on a regular basis, but I don't always have the chance to experiment and get creative with it because my projects will have specific budget limitations with the clients. I learned about this contest late; with about half a month left to create my version. It was an amazing opportunity to be able play around, teach myself and discover new things, to work with such beautiful footage, to work with a story that has great meaning to me, and to work with such a great dramatic song that I didn't get sick of despite hearing it repeatedly! Regardless of the outcome of the contest, I'm proud to have this as part of my portfolio. Although I was on a time crunch, I am very happy with my version, which I think is worthy of being an official version, despite not being selected as one of the Top 25. This has definitely made me a bigger fan of Imagine Dragons, and I look forward to an opportunity to photograph them in concert!

The Maine Interview with Burning Hot Events

Former Burning Hot Events journalist Mckayla Hull interviews Kennedy Brock (Guitarist) & Pat Kirch (Drummer) of The Maine before their Phoenix, AZ concert at The Van Buren on November 22, 2017. Check out the concert review & photo albums too: Phoenix Got Lost in Nostalgia at The Maine's Hometown Show 11-22-17.

WillBloodworth's Final Fantasy Randomizer - Bonus Stream 3 Hype



"I came to Ms. Vega with a rather specific vision for a video project I needed to have created for a niche audience. After giving her a few key details about what I was looking for, she picked up on my vision and ran with it, almost as if she could see what I was imagining. Working to fill in some remaining details throughout the project was easy, as Ms. Vega is incredibly approachable and communicative. When I left out details, she competently and effectively adapted.

"The completed product was exactly what I wanted. It is apparent that Ms. Vega is a total expert, drawing from and switching on her skill set, she executed the project flawlessly. I hear 'perfect is the enemy of complete' often - somehow, she managed to achieve both, and did so on a relatively short and demanding timetable. I've seen projects of this kind worked on by entire teams of professionals, and fell short of the standard Ms. Vega set.

"Because I will have similar needs in the future, and because of how utterly impressed I was with her work the first time, I am 100% certain to be hiring Ms. Vega for more projects. I will also be fully recommending her services to anyone in need of them."

- July 2019

Kataklizmic Design offers professional video services to bands, artists, individuals, small and large businesses.


Past projects have included promotional videos, live concert music videos, EPK videos, interview videos, b-roll videography, personal projects, and contest entries. Katherine is also available for freelance production assistance, behind-the-scenes photography, footage, & editing.

We'll form a production crew and recruit talent to create cinematic music videos or promotions. We'll recommend the best options for your production value, and are highly flexible for alternatives. Just ask!



Featured

Nate Ruess "Let's Go Crazy" (Prince Tribute)

Client Request: HD Wide Frame to Capture Full Band, No Panning, Synced 4-Channel Audio

Management contacted Katherine with a request to produce this video of his tribute performance just two days after Prince's passing.

"Hey Katherine, This is awesome... really excited on the final product." - Nate Ruess Representative


Video Editing Contest Entry:
Imagine Dragons "Believer"

Created in April 2017

The Adobe Premiere Pro 25th Anniversary "Make the Cut" video editing contest for Imagine Dragons' "Believer" supplied contestants with music video footage, audio, Adobe stock footage, and NewBlueFX filters. The animations in the original video were not included in the download, nor was all of the footage that you see in the original. Contestants were required to use only the content provided in the download per the Official Rules.

Editor Commentary by Katherine Amy Vega

About the Edits

In contrast to the official "Believer" video, I made my edit into a cleaner and linear storyline. It's from a slightly different angle than the official version, but staying true to the theme of overcoming emotional and physical pain to arrive at a place of self-confidence. I believe that my interpretation is along the same lines as what the band and director intended, but a little more spelled out for the viewer.

I incorporated a lot of color psychology and storytelling into my edit. Also, I love making the footage follow along with the lyrics, while keeping the cuts punchy to the drum & bass, and using the edit styling for further psychological suggestions. I'm one that's more for subtlety, tasteful edits and boldness in my art projects; with edits that serve a purpose, rather than edits just for the sake of flashy edits or special effects. Even the type of transitions I used have meaning behind them. I used longer cuts than the official video, because I felt they were more impactful in telling a story, and allow the audience to soak more in.

While some consecutive cuts match the original, I made those choices unaware of this. I made a special point not to watch the original before I started working, and for it to have VERY little influence on my choices.

I chose to change the amount of usage of the band member (instrumental) footage for each iteration of the chorus, going from most inclusive to least. I think it's an effective way establish the rock, to let each band member shine, and then transition focus as the story comes to a climax. The band really rocks it in the first chorus, and then with the slow-mo clips in the 2nd it adds to the drama of the crescendo up to the climax.

My Story & Message

Over the course of the video, it is somewhat unclear which Dan is present-day Dan. It starts off with Dan's younger, vulnerable self, who is dealing with intense feelings. With the pressure boys face to hide their feelings, he uses catharsis as an outlet… drawing and imagining his grown self who has overcome these pressures. But then, you also see the young adult Dan drawing, which could serve as an indication that he is working to nurture his inner child.

As Dan is imagining his stronger, superhero-like grown self, the man is still shrouded in a blue sadness, because it's hard for young and naive Dan to fully picture and comprehend a well-adjusted self that he does not yet know. But that healthier, adjusted adult Dan flashes in from time to time, and he displays confidence and has a strong voice… This is the ideal Dan. Meanwhile, we see the sad and unassured self who is compensating and posturing, with hints of self-doubt.

Then, the storyline progresses and the natural result of this psychological timeline takes shape - sadness becomes anger. Cue the angry middle-aged version of Dan. He has been stuffing down his feelings, and succumbing to pressure for far too long. He looks down upon the young adult version of himself, while the young adult version wants to resist becoming that angry man.

Dan battles with himself in an inner struggle, which we witness a physical representation in the form of a boxing match. As young adult (sad) Dan takes hits from mid-aged (angry) Dan, the anger grows harder to resist. As he starts to gives into anger, nearing the point of being consumed by it, he checks himself and finds the voice to set a boundary to stop it… But angry-Dan, who is too set in his ways at this point and convinced he cannot allow himself to be vulnerable, tells him they can't stop. The anger rises back up in the young adult Dan.

The anger overcomes him. Darkened and fueled by it, he nearly kills his middle-aged self. At that point, young adult Dan remembers who the child self wanted him to be, as the child flickers into his mind. In getting punched out by his young adult self, the middle-aged Dan finally seems to express remorse at losing sight of himself. And the young adult Dan starts to realize what he has done... finally he is able to feel and cry.

At the end, there's a quick cut of the confident and well-adjusted (natural color) Dan raising his arms as the word "Believer", written by the child, fills the screen. That cut wasn't part of my original ending, but I was inspired to add it while writing up the commentary. I felt like it tied in more with the "arriving at a place of self-confidence". Following the word, it's a sort of bittersweet ending as a somber young adult Dan stares blankly, still kind of working it out. It's almost like a challenge to catch yourself before you reach this point… you have thought about the options, and now it's up to you to decide which path you choose.

I think that this video also sends a message that through art and music, you can find a healthy way to cope; and that's really important during this time when a lot of our arts have been politically threatened.

In Closing

I work in Adobe Premiere on a regular basis, but I don't always have the chance to experiment and get creative with it because my projects will have specific budget limitations with the clients. I learned about this contest late; with about half a month left to create my version. It was an amazing opportunity to be able play around, teach myself and discover new things, to work with such beautiful footage, to work with a story that has great meaning to me, and to work with such a great dramatic song that I didn't get sick of despite hearing it repeatedly! Regardless of the outcome of the contest, I'm proud to have this as part of my portfolio. Although I was on a time crunch, I am very happy with my version, which I think is worthy of being an official version, despite not being selected as one of the Top 25. This has definitely made me a bigger fan of Imagine Dragons, and I look forward to an opportunity to photograph them in concert!


The Audition -
A Unique Competitive Dance Event

Client Request: 60-90 Second HD Promotional Video, 1 Camera (6 hours), Video Editing, Client Provided Licensed Music

Featuring the famous choreographer Tina Landon for Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and more top artists; and dance instructors Scott Bodily, Leo Gallegos, Grace Gallagher, Jose Soto, and dancer Audrey Caldwell - winner, signed by The Movement Talent Agency.


The Maine Interview
with Burning Hot Events

Burning Hot Events journalist Mckayla Hull interviews Kennedy Brock (Guitarist) & Pat Kirch (Drummer) of The Maine before their Phoenix, AZ concert at The Van Buren on November 22, 2017. Check out the concert review & photo albums too: Phoenix Got Lost in Nostalgia at The Maine's Hometown Show 11-22-17.


Startup Grind Phoenix
(Powered by
Google for Entrepreneurs)



Video Production
(Video, Audio, & Editing)

Christie KernerChristie Kerner (Director, Phoenix Chapter, Startup Grind)

LinkedIn Recommendation


"I hired Kat to produce a business video for me and was extremely pleased with the outcome. Not only did she capture high quality footage, but with little direction on my part she produced a well thought out "commercial" of sorts for my company.

"e;She was also very professional in her communication, demonstrated excellent follow-up and always maintained attention to detail. Sometimes it can be a challenge to work with creative artists because they behave in a less-than-organized way. So not the case with Kat - she balances the business end well along with her high level of creativity. I highly recommend her!

Year first hired: 2014
Top Qualities: Great Results, High Integrity, Creative

- August 2014


WillBloodworth's Final Fantasy Randomizer - Bonus Stream 3 Hype



"I came to Ms. Vega with a rather specific vision for a video project I needed to have created for a niche audience. After giving her a few key details about what I was looking for, she picked up on my vision and ran with it, almost as if she could see what I was imagining. Working to fill in some remaining details throughout the project was easy, as Ms. Vega is incredibly approachable and communicative. When I left out details, she competently and effectively adapted.

"The completed product was exactly what I wanted. It is apparent that Ms. Vega is a total expert, drawing from and switching on her skill set, she executed the project flawlessly. I hear 'perfect is the enemy of complete' often - somehow, she managed to achieve both, and did so on a relatively short and demanding timetable. I've seen projects of this kind worked on by entire teams of professionals, and fell short of the standard Ms. Vega set.

"Because I will have similar needs in the future, and because of how utterly impressed I was with her work the first time, I am 100% certain to be hiring Ms. Vega for more projects. I will also be fully recommending her services to anyone in need of them."

- July 2019

Concert Footage & Video Editing

Kataklizmic Design offers tiers of services, depending on your project's needs and your budget. You may opt for raw and basic, or fully edited and mastered, video and audio recording.

Viewers are ancouraged to set the player to full quality HD (or highest your system will allow) and allow videos to load fully before watching. Videos may need to be clicked twice to start.

Quantum Colossus -
"Human Experiment" Live

Date: 3-3-17


Client Choices: Still Wide Shot, 1 Camera, 4-ch Audio


Radiofix -
"Way Outta Line" Live

Date: 6-21-13

One of 7 videos of full show.

Client Choices: Basic Edited Footage, 1 Camera, Stereo Mics, Entire Set (7 Songs)



Vial of Sound Concert

Date: 1-5-13

Go to Playlist

Client Choices: Fully Produced - Edited Footage, 2 Cameras, & 4-ch Audio, Entire Set (5 Songs)

"Kat is great to work with! Vial Of Sound commissioned Kataklizmic Design to shoot video of our live performance and she did a great job. My vision was to have our visuals the focus of the video and she kept that in mind the whole time. It's frustrating to work with some people because they ignore what you want, but Kat wants to make sure that if you hire her, you will be pleased with the product. Kat actually gave us a product that was better than what we were expecting. The sound quality was great because we used an external device rather that just the camera on the microphone which makes the live sound not of great quality. She also took pictures at our release show, and they were of great quality as well. I feel more than comfortable recommending Kataklizmic Design for any video and photography needs you have!"

- Josh Gooday,
Vial of Sound


Daniel Martin -
"Nevermind" Live (May 2013)

Date: 5-17-13

One of 9 videos of full show.

Client Choices: Basic Edited Footage (1 Camera) with 4-Ch Audio (Soundboard & Mic), Entire Set (9 Songs)


Grindhouse Concert

Date: 6-14-13

Client Choices: Raw (Unedited) Video, 2 Camera, Stereo Mics, Entire Set (10 Songs)

"I'm a *very* picky customer. Very. I want to know what my provider is doing, when they are doing it, how it's being done and I want to know it at all times. Kataklizmic Design provided all that, in spades! Her communication was perfect: detailed, timely and the right mix of professionalism, friendliness and graciousness.

"As for her work? I can't praise it enough. Hands down the best audio and video we've ever had. The quality was fantastic and the footage had the 'feel' of actually being at our show! Truly, truly brilliant work! I can't recommend her services enough!"

- David Patterson of GrindHouse - The Zombie Experience


Hush

Date: 12-15-12

Go to Playlist

Client Choices:Raw (Unedited) Video with Raw Stereo Camera Audio, 3 Songs

Footage Used in Band Videos

Angelspit -
"Defibrillator" Official Music Video

Shot live during the ALL THE RAGE North American Tour, 2011


Directed by:

The Liar & Angelspit


Footage by:

Katherine Vega - Kataklizmic Design
(Tucson & Phoenix, AZ)

Luke Haughwout @Regen Magazine
(Allentown, PA)

Tommy Wilde @The Rave
(Milwaukee, WI)

Aaron Saye
(Denver, CA)


Graphics by:

Chris McCard (Noblerot)

Walt Watts (Creative Distortion)

Bunny Design by Jessii Addiction

Japanese translation by Briony Mamo


Hardwire System Shock Music Video (LIVE)


Footage by:

Kataklizmic Design and George A. Gifford


Editing by:

Mike Marsh
(Band Member & Video Professional)


GrindHouse "Dragula" Music Video (LIVE)


Footage by:

Kataklizmic Design

Editing by:

David Patterson
(Band Member)

Promotional Videos

Kickstarter Promo Video

"Professional, Talented, Personable! I have been a fan of Katherine Vega's work ever since first having my photo taken by her at an anime convention photo booth! She has a keen eye for capturing the perfect shot and is a perfectionist when it comes to detail. Her approach to projects is low stress, to-the-point, and always professional. Working with Katherine was a fantastic experience and it was a great feeling when our ideas 'clicked.' Quick to adapt and open to change, Katherine has amazed me with her recent work on a video for my Kickstarter campaign. Her quick turn around time and dedication to providing a quality product are a plus! I look forward to working with Katherine more in the future and recommend her highly for all of your project needs!"

- Mary Cakes (Photographer, Model, Artist)

Behind-the-Scenes Photography

Charley Rocket Jabaley's
"The Dream Machine Tour"

View Episode


On the Set of
Fairy Bones' "Notes from Wonderland"
Music Video Shoot

View Music Video

Day 1 Album

Day 2 Album

Editor

#iwokeupbadass Episode 5

Edited by Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design. Web series by Endless Dream Pictures, LLC

Credits

Katherine Amy Vega:

Staff Me Up Profile

IMDB Profile


Production Assistant / Grip - Lemonlight - Special Olympics Washington Ad

Production Assistant - Lemonlight - Jetoptera Corporate Video

Production Assistant - National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA) Winter Warm Up 2020 Video

Production Assistant - Jimmy O. Yang: Good Deal Live Taping

Production Assistant - WME's "Together Live" Event

Production Assistant - "The Players' Tribune"
View Episode

Production Assistant - HGTV's "Island Life" (Season & Episode TBA)

Camera Production Assistant - Seattle Univeristy

Production Assistant - TLC's "Long Lost Family" (Season 4, Episode No. TBD)

Camera Production Assistant - Boeing

Camera Assistant - SPIKE's "Bar Rescue" (Season 6, Episode 28)

BTS Photographer, B-roll - Charlie Rocket Jabaley's "The Dream Machine Tour"

Production Assistant - CBS' "Pink Collar Crimes" (Season 1, Episode 6)

Production Assistant - NBC's "The Voice" (Season 15, Phoenix auditions)

Jib Assistant for The Human Jib - EA's FIFA Real Life Skill Games (2018)

Producer, Camera Operator, Sound Recorder, EditorThe Maine Interview with Burning Hot Events at The Van Buren

Editor, Self - #iwokeupbadass (Episode 5)

Producer, Camera Operator, Sound Recorder, Editor - Nate Ruess "Let's Go Crazy" (Live Music Video)

BTS Photographer - Fairy Bones "Notes from Wonderland" (Music Video)

Producer, Camera Operator, Sound Recorder, Editor - Startup Grind Phoenix (Promotional Video)

Actress (Extra) - Second Chances (Short)

Self - Beautiful Women (Documentary)

Web Series: Concertographer Cam

(Project on Hiatus)

Episode 1 - Quantum Colossus

This is the first episode of our Concertographer Cam web series - A perspective unlike any you've seen before! It's an exclusive behind-the-scenes look from the viewpoint of a camera attached to a concert photographer, Katherine Amy Vega. (Best viewed in HD)

Since concert photographers are typically allowed to shoot the first 3 songs of a concert, episodes are the first 3 songs of the show, cut down to 8 minutes.

See moments pinpointed when many of the shots were captured! See the challenges a concert photographer works around, the judgement calls and movements that need to be made to capture the shots!

Being that the video is shot with a GoPro, the view is actually much wider and further back than through photographer's eyes. The sound is intentionally raw and un-produced.

Support this web series through Patreon!

YouTube Channel: Kataklizmic Videos



Back to Top