We’re the heart of Out of the Blue Productions, a team dedicated to capturing powerful stories. From commercials to documentaries, and everything in between, we specialize in all phases of video content creation, production, and post-production. We believe healthcare stories have the power to connect, inspire, and drive change.
Our Team
Crafting Your Vision, Together
Meet Our Team
RON COHEN
Creative Director
Ron has a knack for not just telling a story, but moving the story along.
He passionately dives into his projects, finding the nuance, the specifics, the sweet spot, whether for a patient conquering cancer, a researcher developing new medical techniques, or someone learning how to live with a lung transplant.
He’s worked closely with numerous internal healthcare marketing groups. His vast knowledge of oncology, cardiology, and pulmonology brings an important understanding to take the technical and make it accessible to the average consumer. Plus gain the respect of the physicians he works with for being able to talk their talk.
Ron has worked on campaigns ranging from pharmaceutical launches to rebrands of cancer centers. He often says that in the world of marketing there is nothing better than knowing your helping educate people in their healthcare journey.
VIKKI SMITH
Executive Producer
Vikki’s 25+ year professional life has taken her all over the country, from Line Producer to Agency Producer, and finally Executive Producer/Sr. Account Manager at Out of the Blue Productions.
She is the quintessential personification of the left and right brain working in concert. She has incredible efficiency and astute creativity. She gets into the client’s head and stays on task to make sure the story remains focused.
Having spent decades working on healthcare accounts, Vikki has a realistic outlook for how to manage campaigns, safely and successfully. She consistently contributes to the creative process, insuring all the client’s needs and objectives are being met from the initial meetings through to the finished project.
DEXTER GRESH
Lead Video Editor
We’ll lead Dexter’s bio with the fact he’s an Emmy award-winning editor. He’s amazing…and that’s not us talking, it’s our clients. They absolutely love his ability to find the best of their footage and create stories they didn’t even know they had.
Dexter has edited everything from reality TV shows (Wedding Story, Trading Places) to TV spots and complex interactive videos. Versatility in all edit systems, plus adeptness at After Effects, let him seamlessly integrate graphics and animation into his productions.
Dexter’s adventurous side has seen him and his girlfriend traveling to Spain, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan in recent years.
RICH LAVERICK
CFO/Technologist
Trained as an electrical engineer, Rich lives his credo of “iterative thinking” – thinking through things several steps to always be one step ahead. His passion for all things space and digital leads to great discoveries for our group, and helps keep us able to handle anything new.
Rich is a problem solver with a track record of bold solutions and remarkable success. But he’s also the guy who helped corral our recent 3D stereoscopic program on a huge projected screen, knocked out a variety of digital videos, and everything in between. When not helping on the tech side, Rich wanted everyone to know that he is ready and willing to go to space in a moment’s notice!
TED HARRINGTON
Digital Imaging Technician/Editor
We’re fortunate to have Ted, who is at the intersection of technology and creativity. He’s a great blend of research, adaptability and sheer wizardry. In a world of ever changing social media needs, where the format and files are as important as the content itself, that’s where Ted’s special brand of magic comes into play. He keeps us on our toes and helps suss out what the latest systems are for running web and streaming content. The real question is, what can’t Ted do?
CRAIG NEEDELMAN
Director of Photography/Drone Pilot
Craig is one of Out of the Blue Productions’ top picks for Director of Photography. He can often be found on an Out of the Blue shoot, lining up the next shot, as well as helping keep our interview subjects at ease.
He has a tremendous eye and knack for capturing the most interesting angle in any location, and he makes our subjects look terrific with his natural lighting. AND, he has become a maestro drone pilot. Flying in and out of bridges, banners, you name it Craig can navigate it, creating beautiful choreography.
Craig is the easy-going, “been there, done that” kinda guy you want on a shoot as all heck is breaking out. From small interview setups to large commercial shoots, Craig brings his easy-going nature and penitent for great shooting to every project.
