Daniel Rucci is a cross-trained creative project manager, media producer, director and editor with ten years of wide-ranging professional experience. He specializes in video production for internet, branded content, advertising, corporate, documentary and broadcast. His project management work extends to mobile apps, websites, OLAs and augmented reality experiences.
As a concept-to-completion producer, Daniel works in partnership with creative teams, creating and shaping compelling communications with varied visual styles. He has a track record of on-time, on-budget results on highly complex projects.
Daniel is a solution-finder–a creative & technical team leader; a hands-on specialist with the vision of a director and budget-conscious producer. He is cross-trained and deeply familiar with web technologies (HTML, Flash, Javascript, CSS) and is a fluent leader of hybrid teams of programmers and designers working with video and other media assets.
His clients include: Maxwell House, Research in Motion, Kraft, California Pizza Kitchen, JCPenney, McDonalds, Eli Lilly, MillerCoors, Whirlpool, BP, United Stationers, Wrigley, CBS, The Big Ten Network, Northwestern University, Broan/NuTone, Chicago Faucets and many more.
Qualification Summary
- Producer of commercial, broadcast, industrial, branded content, documentary and video for interactive- Digital media/interactive project manager and team leader with advertising agency experience
- 10 years video editorial, production and post-production management experience including I.T. management, compression & distribution
- SOW & RFP writing, client-facing experience, creative ideation/storyboarding/previsualization
- Recent clients: HP, Kraft, RIM, McDonalds, JCPenney, Eli Lilly, MillerCoors, Whirlpool, BP, Wrigley
- Spanish bilingual, excellent communication and leadership skills
Professional Experiernce
Design Kitchen (WPP network), Chicago, Agency Producer
February 2011, Client: HP
- digital project manager for twitter hashtag scraping, CMS & Flash air application
- produce video content for massive online campaign (300k hits in 1 week)
- liaise between creative, developer, design, vendor and account teams
- vendor selection/vetting, casting, production management
Razorfish (Publicis), Chicago, Agency Producer
Freelance, May 2010 to Present, Clients: Kraft, RIM, JCPenney, CPK
- project manage & produce video content for major national brand campaigns
- liaise between creative, developer, design, vendor and account teams; inter-agency collaboration
- produce & direct motion media content for interactive campaigns, OLA, microsites, social media, AR
- ensure success/represent client and agency interests in video pre-production, production and post
- vendor selection/vetting, casting, production management
Pixel Brothers, Chicago, Producer, Director, Editor
Staff and Freelance, October 2008 to Present
- produce, direct shoot, edit shoot studio, field and live-events productions
- creative concepting, co-writer, treatment writer, ideation, storyboarding, bidding, sales pitches
- editor, compressionist, color/sound correction, 2D graphics, camera, lighting, audio
Digitas (Publicis), Chicago Senior Motion Media Producer
Freelance, January 2007 to December 2008, Clients: MillerCoors, Eli Lilly, Whirlpool, Maytag
- produce and direct video for OLA, interactive sites, radio, social media
- manage budget, vendor selection, schedule and creative/technical/client team communications
Sedgwick Productions, Chicago, Associate Producer, Senior Editor
Freelance, May 2000 to Present
- script-to-screen work on videos for hundreds of clients over ten years
- senior editor, compressionist, color/sound correction, graphics & post production management
- manage multiple simultaneous tasks while maintaining highest standards of quality, business operations
- lighting, audio, camera on mobile and studio shoots; equipment maintenance
- create new workflows for video deployed to non-traditional displays
Independent Projects: Video/Interactive/Web, Producer
Freelance, 2002 to present
- UI design, project management, conceptualization and agile/waterfall software production of iOS applications
- “former life” as a web producer and designer, hand coded HTML, Flash, UX design
Technical Proficiencies
- experienced camera operator on ENG/Cinema cameras, film and digital photography
- expert and seasoned video editor on Final Cut Pro Suite, intermediate-level experience with Avid
- expert in Photoshop, Motion, Livetype, intermediate with After Effects
- expert compressionist, custom web video deployment, DVD authoring
- video and audio core engineering knowledge, including DIT/card wranger and in I.T./file management
- highly proficient maintaining and repairing advanced electronics technology, machinery, devices etc.
- music and audio engineering/mixing and mastering, live event systems, home and live theatre
- extensively experienced in studio and location lighting for video and film production
- deep experience in theatrical and live-event staging, lighting, sound, video and projection
Education
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Design and Technology, emphasis in Lighting Design, 12/2001
The Lorenzo De’ Medici Art Institute
- Art, Design & Photography intensive study, January-May 2002 (Florence, Italy)
The Dale Carnegie Course for Young Adults (Downers Grove, IL)
- Dale Carnegie Certification, May-August 1994
Interests and Skills
- entrepreneurial projects
- fluent in Spanish, some experience with Italian, extensive international travel and production experience
- creative development, storyboarding, previsualization, keynote listening (sketching/drawing)
- musician, percussionist, singer, and live performer; confident public speaker
Recent CV
- HP “Everybody On” kickoff campaign, DesignKitchen (WPP), Project Manager/Producer, Feb/2011
- Maxwell House “Drops of Good” online voting website, Razorfish (Publicis) Video Project Manager/Producer, ongoing
- Kraft Lunchables “Created by You” Augmented Reality campaign, Razorfish (Publicis) Video Producer, 2010
- California Pizza Kitchen “Unordinary Choices” video series, Razorfish (Publicis) Video Producer 2010
- JCPenney “Teen Haulers” youtube videos, Razorfish (Publicis) Producer 2010
- McDonalds Corporation, internal videos, Bilingual Producer/Director, Ongoing
- The Treasure Hunters Roadshow” NATPE TV Pilot, Producer, Editor, B-Camera, 2010
- Entourage Edge, promotional video, Director, 2009
- “We Believe” authorized feature documentary about the Chicago Cubs, Sound Mixer, 2008-2009
- MillerCoors, 2009 combined sales conference sizzle reel, Director, 2008
- “The Craft” video series, Miller Brewing Co., Digitas (Publicis) agency Producer/Director, 2007
- Miller Genuine Draft production process video Miller Brewing Co., Digitas (Publicis) Producer/Director, 2007
- Sparks, four :30 second radio commercials, Miller Brewing Co., Digitas (Publicis) Director/Producer, 2007
- Eli Lilly, Cymbalta Interactive patient assessment tool, Eli Lilly & Co., Digitas (Publicis) Producer/Director, 2007
- Whirlpool appliances interactive landing page, Digitas (Publicis) Producer/Director, 2007
- Video News Gathering Pilot Project, Chicago Sun-Times, Director/Producer, 2006
- Chicago Marathon & “Shamrock Shuffle”, in-race camera producer, LaSalle Bank, Producer, 2005/2006
- Northwestern University McCormick Engineering school centennial/tour videos, Editor, 2009
- Big Ten Network, Northwestern University half-hour broadcast shows, Editor, 2009
- Shell Vacations Club new membership sales video, Mauge, Inc., Editor, 2008
Other clients Include: The Steve Wilkos Show, Illinois Bar Association and Foundation, Steamist, Chicago Lyric Opera, BP/Amoco, Accenture, Broan/NuTone, United Stationers, Chicago Faucets, AOSmith, Gerber, American Standard, Franciskan/Skemp Hospital, Storandt/Pann/Margolis, Rhea & Kaiser, Growmark, Wrigley, The Amazing Race (CBS), and many more