About Us
Video creation company that helps corporations captivate their audiences by mixing a documentary style with on-brand messaging.
When it comes to corporate video and commercial videography, there is a delicate balance between two often-competing agendas – the desire to create a cinematic masterpiece and the desire to force-feed an organizational message. The pinpoint balance is to nail the messaging while captivating the audience with good audio-video production.
Our intertwined backgrounds of broadcast journalism, corporate communications, and the creative arts enable us to deliver content that people actually want to watch – and is on message. Our video content agency works with real, human stories about real, human businesses.
Our video production business guides the customer from beginning to end – the beginning being that the company has a business problem that can be partially or fully solved with video and the end being a tangible video product that produces action.
Gillespie Productions is truly a product of my background
John Gillespie
Dating back as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a sports reporter in Wisconsin. My father and grandfather were sportscasters in Milwaukee, and I wanted to carry on the family tradition. I’ll never forget the feeling (nervous, mostly) of my first live shot on a statewide professional football pregame show. The job was a dream come true, and it challenged me to articulate an athlete’s story in a way that the average viewer would want to watch.
I carried on for about 10 years, and while I loved the thrill of covering local and national sporting events, the job just didn’t fulfill me as much as I always dreamed it would.
At age 32, I switched careers and entered the world of corporate communications. I loved it. I really enjoyed learning about business – how things work, how decisions are made and how to help gain alignment and excitement among thousands of stakeholders. While I loved the company, my coworkers and my job, there was just something inside me that was yearning for something different.
“I prayed about it for a long time, and I felt moved to start my own business.”
I prayed about it for a long time, and I felt moved to start my own business. I wasn’t totally clear on what the business would be, but I felt blessed with the ability to help tell a business’s story – whether large or small – and I really wanted to help other people make a connection with their audience.
I bought a used camera and pieced together a cheap gear kit and offered a free video to anyone in exchange for my being able to use it in a portfolio. I showed up to a bar/restaurant in De Pere on a Saturday morning to shoot my first video… and immediately, I knew with absolute certainty this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The owner put the video on Facebook, and more than 100k views later, he told me they saw a sizeable bump in sales. I figured I had something to work with.
I was a little (a lot) scared, but I took the leap and launched my own business with a lot of very expensive equipment sitting on a plastic folding table in my unfinished basement. I shortly realized, thanks in part to some great mentors, that I wanted to grow the business to heights I never considered. I quickly found that I absolutely love leading people and processes to achieve a greater goal.
to produce action for your business.
Meet the Team
Born and raised on Lake Superior, I have a big appreciation for the outdoors and the creative arts. I ventured a few hours South to study film and design in college, and eventually landed myself a full-time gig in a city with a Target, a true sign of success where I come from. I’ve always loved video whether it was blockbuster movies or television. We grew up with a camera that could record on VHS tapes, and I have fond memories of “acting” in my brother’s heist film. I was 5. I find that my strengths shine in the details and the planning, so when you bring us your vision, count on me to get the right people and the right tools in place to make it happen. I can’t wait to work with you!
I think deep down inside, I’ve always had a passion for visual storytelling. I remember as a child getting lost in movies and endlessly paging through any and every photo book I could get my hands on. This passion wasn’t fully realized until I took my first photography class during my freshman year of college. After that I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do for my career. Before joining Gillespie Productions, I spent 17 years as a freelance commercial and editorial photographer. Within those 17 years I expanded my knowledge beyond still photography and learned the art of video production. I strive to create the best visuals that I myself and our team can for each and every client’s production.
Before starting with Gillespie Productions, I spent 13 years in the world of broadcast journalism, including the last eight as a sports anchor and reporter in Green Bay. Joining the incredibly talented team at Gillespie Productions was a perfect opportunity for me to continue my passion for creative storytelling and producing engaging video content. I enjoy working with clients from start to finish on a project. From cultivating ideas in pre-production to the end result, we’ll help you produce an on-message video that tells a compelling story and produces action from the viewer. I truly believe that behind every great company there are great people, and I love telling their stories.
Storytelling has always been a passion of mine. It drew me to majors in creative writing and broadcast journalism in college. It was the foundation of my seven-year career at a television news station in my hometown of Green Bay. And it’s what led me to Gillespie Productions. This incredible team shares that same passion for creative storytelling. We see the power words and visuals have in forming impactful messages that inspire and provoke action. We love to tell stories. Let us tell yours.
I come from the world of broadcast journalism with nearly 20 years of experience in producing and digital content creation. I’m proud to bring that experience to Gillespie Productions as a storytelling video producer. I was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and I love the beauty and four seasons of the Upper Midwest. It’s hard not to be inspired by a leafy and crisp fall day, the first snow of the winter, the blooming trees in spring, and a summer day in Door County. I am excited to be inspired by clients and give them an incomparable video storytelling experience from pre-production to the final product.
I have lived in Green Bay my entire life, outside of attending a prestigious media program in Washington, D.C., which helped kickstart my passion for video production. Whether it is thinking about how to shoot something in a unique way or finding a creative approach in editing a video piece, each job is different and I thrive on being able to have the creative freedom to produce a video nobody has seen before. I am a self-motivated person, always looking to improve my skills and learn new programs or video techniques, but most importantly, I appreciate the mentorship of my coworkers. Together we produce action but have fun at the same time and that combination makes for a work environment that I love to be a part of.
As a film major at Columbia College in Chicago, I was taught that there are no small stories. I truly believe that no matter the subject matter, no matter the scope or scale, a story can – and should – be told in an emotional and captivating way. My career in the video production industry has taken me all over the country, from big cities like Denver and Los Angeles, to the more tranquil areas of small-town America. From editing sports highlights at a leading national network to filming and editing videos for some of the country’s biggest companies, I have a wide spectrum of experience in all facets of the industry. Despite my ever-changing career path, one thing has remained consistent: my love for telling stories. I’m looking forward to meeting you and working together to create a comprehensive, meaningful video. Let’s tell your story.
I grew my passion for video editing and video production at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Seeing the behind the scenes of movies, TV shows, and learning about ‘movie magic’ really inspired me to develop this into my passion and my profession. I’m constantly learning, whether that’s trying out new shot compositions, a new way to light a subject, or editing together videos in new creative ways. I’m looking forward to working with you and bringing a new look to your company through Gillespie Productions.
I look forward to supporting the experience you have with Gillespie Productions! As the Sales and Marketing Assistant, I help with project management, marketing support, and communication processes.
I’m a proud grad of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay communication program. In 2021, I earned my Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in public relations. My passion for writing and interest in media theory led me to the communications field. During college, I even dabbled in broadcasting and worked on-air for a local country radio station.
Outside of work, I enjoy checking out local events, attending concerts, and exploring new-to-me places in the area.