With a love in docs and narratives, Melanie knew she wanted to make her own films.
She directs and edits short videos from informational to experimental.
After 2 years serving communities in need and working in administration, she was ready to get back in touch with her creative side. She studied video production and editing at Berkeley City College where she earned an AA in Digital Video.
She had partnered with non-profit organizations such as AnewAmerica and Bay Area Chinese Bible Church (BACBC) making informational and campaign videos. Her 2 campaign videos advocated for a startup preschool at BACBC that helped successfully raised $100k. Enjoying challenges from conception to delivery, she films and edits as a one-woman crew. She also has collaborated with independent filmmakers in the Bay Area. Furthermore, Melanie interned at Proofpoint, a cybersecurity company where she created an infographic animation--bringing life to still images.
She is open to different projects in commercial and corporate sector.
She had edited wedding videos for clients and created motion graphics for UC Berkeley Affairs. Recently, she worked as a Media Assistant for the international non-profit organization OneSky where she created social media and fundraising videos. With OneSky, she also had the pleasure of animating her own illustrations. She is currently editing as a freelance for the Christian meditation app Abide.
Her aspiration is to make films that would inspire people to be creative and be the change they wish to see in the world.
Contact her for your next project at: meljchoy[at]gmail.com
She directs and edits short videos from informational to experimental.
After 2 years serving communities in need and working in administration, she was ready to get back in touch with her creative side. She studied video production and editing at Berkeley City College where she earned an AA in Digital Video.
She had partnered with non-profit organizations such as AnewAmerica and Bay Area Chinese Bible Church (BACBC) making informational and campaign videos. Her 2 campaign videos advocated for a startup preschool at BACBC that helped successfully raised $100k. Enjoying challenges from conception to delivery, she films and edits as a one-woman crew. She also has collaborated with independent filmmakers in the Bay Area. Furthermore, Melanie interned at Proofpoint, a cybersecurity company where she created an infographic animation--bringing life to still images.
She is open to different projects in commercial and corporate sector.
She had edited wedding videos for clients and created motion graphics for UC Berkeley Affairs. Recently, she worked as a Media Assistant for the international non-profit organization OneSky where she created social media and fundraising videos. With OneSky, she also had the pleasure of animating her own illustrations. She is currently editing as a freelance for the Christian meditation app Abide.
Her aspiration is to make films that would inspire people to be creative and be the change they wish to see in the world.
Contact her for your next project at: meljchoy[at]gmail.com
Skills
- video production: director, assistant director, art director, production assistant
- editing: Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro 7 and X
- sound editing: Audition
- design: Illustrator and Photoshop
- motion graphics: After Effects
- project coordination, archival research, copyediting, administrative and organizational support
- digital marketing
- Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook
- fluent in English and Cantonese
- proficient in conversational and written Chinese-Mandarin
"Picture is worth a thousand words" >> check out my work
Experience
Freelance Creative August 2016 – Present
- Made 5 informational videos on UC application with customized motion graphics within 4 weeks
- Edited wedding highlight videos with a focus on cultural and sentimental values
- Conceptualized and edited social media videos that generated over 500K+ views and 1K+ comments
Media Assistant
OneSky, Berkeley January 2017 - June 2019
- Collaborated with with team creating short videos to fundraise and promote the non-profit organization
- Designed illustrations and motion graphics to engage social media followers
- Created and maintained an online database of 100+ videos for internal reference
- Provided technical support to the media department including, but not limited to ingesting and transcoding media, and preparing editing projects
Assistant Editor & Archival Researcher April 2016 - August 2016
Jason Cohen Productions, Berkeley
- Created 15+ animated lower thirds for Under Caesar’s Sword, a short documentary on religious persecution
- Edited maps of Middle East and India to provide context for story
- Researched archival images and videos and obtained quality assets with permission/license
Archival Researcher & Assistant Editor September 2015 - March 2016
Jed Riffe Films + Electronic Media, Berkeley
- Researched copyrights of archival footage and images for A Dangerous Idea, an award-winning feature length documentary about social policies and genetics
- Built relationships with copyright holders, footage houses and libraries to obtain assets and to license over 35+ images
- Edited in high quality assets and created 50+ lower thirds for the final cut of the film
Video Marketing Intern June 2015 – August 2015
Proofpoint, Sunnyvale
- Made an animated infographic to dynamically engage viewers online and in events
- Created a short bumper animation to update videos on social media and to maintain corporate branding
Videographer Volunteer November 2013 – April 2015
Bay Area Chinese Bible Church, Alameda
- Directed in front of the green screen and edited 2 preschool campaign videos that helped fundraise $100K
- Produced, directed, and edited two short videos promoting Young Adult Ministry Retreat which
drew people to participate in this yearly fellowship
Videographer and Editor Intern July 2013 – June 2015
AnewAmerica, Berkeley
- Directed and edited 7 short financial advice videos to educate new entrepreneurs
- Directed narrative scenes to enhance introductory video on accounts payable and accounts receivable
Digital Marketing Assistant and Video Editor March 2015 – June 2015
Jed Riffe Films + Electronic Media, Berkeley
- Managed social media accounts and customized graphics to promote projects and upcoming events
- Logged and captured; edited and encoded clips for use in two documentary projects
- Coordinated submission of interactive project to New Media Film Festival which was selected for screening
Assistant Editor Intern February 2014 – July 2014
Bank Robber documentary, Berkeley
- Reviewed approximately 2TB worth of footage and searched clips for character’s motivation and intentions
- Transcribed 1 hour long talk and developed attentive listening skills for sound bites
- Created a few rough cuts based on the narrative structure I developed
Intern June 2013 – September 2013
Berkeley Community Media, Berkeley
- Directed a talk show in its large studio and operated a camera for local TV show broadcasts
- Multitasked between camera switching, graphics design and sound mixing for a talk show in a small studio
- video production: director, assistant director, art director, production assistant
- editing: Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro 7 and X
- sound editing: Audition
- design: Illustrator and Photoshop
- motion graphics: After Effects
- project coordination, archival research, copyediting, administrative and organizational support
- digital marketing
- Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook
- fluent in English and Cantonese
- proficient in conversational and written Chinese-Mandarin
"Picture is worth a thousand words" >> check out my work
Experience
Freelance Creative August 2016 – Present
- Made 5 informational videos on UC application with customized motion graphics within 4 weeks
- Edited wedding highlight videos with a focus on cultural and sentimental values
- Conceptualized and edited social media videos that generated over 500K+ views and 1K+ comments
Media Assistant
OneSky, Berkeley January 2017 - June 2019
- Collaborated with with team creating short videos to fundraise and promote the non-profit organization
- Designed illustrations and motion graphics to engage social media followers
- Created and maintained an online database of 100+ videos for internal reference
- Provided technical support to the media department including, but not limited to ingesting and transcoding media, and preparing editing projects
Assistant Editor & Archival Researcher April 2016 - August 2016
Jason Cohen Productions, Berkeley
- Created 15+ animated lower thirds for Under Caesar’s Sword, a short documentary on religious persecution
- Edited maps of Middle East and India to provide context for story
- Researched archival images and videos and obtained quality assets with permission/license
Archival Researcher & Assistant Editor September 2015 - March 2016
Jed Riffe Films + Electronic Media, Berkeley
- Researched copyrights of archival footage and images for A Dangerous Idea, an award-winning feature length documentary about social policies and genetics
- Built relationships with copyright holders, footage houses and libraries to obtain assets and to license over 35+ images
- Edited in high quality assets and created 50+ lower thirds for the final cut of the film
Video Marketing Intern June 2015 – August 2015
Proofpoint, Sunnyvale
- Made an animated infographic to dynamically engage viewers online and in events
- Created a short bumper animation to update videos on social media and to maintain corporate branding
Videographer Volunteer November 2013 – April 2015
Bay Area Chinese Bible Church, Alameda
- Directed in front of the green screen and edited 2 preschool campaign videos that helped fundraise $100K
- Produced, directed, and edited two short videos promoting Young Adult Ministry Retreat which
drew people to participate in this yearly fellowship
Videographer and Editor Intern July 2013 – June 2015
AnewAmerica, Berkeley
- Directed and edited 7 short financial advice videos to educate new entrepreneurs
- Directed narrative scenes to enhance introductory video on accounts payable and accounts receivable
Digital Marketing Assistant and Video Editor March 2015 – June 2015
Jed Riffe Films + Electronic Media, Berkeley
- Managed social media accounts and customized graphics to promote projects and upcoming events
- Logged and captured; edited and encoded clips for use in two documentary projects
- Coordinated submission of interactive project to New Media Film Festival which was selected for screening
Assistant Editor Intern February 2014 – July 2014
Bank Robber documentary, Berkeley
- Reviewed approximately 2TB worth of footage and searched clips for character’s motivation and intentions
- Transcribed 1 hour long talk and developed attentive listening skills for sound bites
- Created a few rough cuts based on the narrative structure I developed
Intern June 2013 – September 2013
Berkeley Community Media, Berkeley
- Directed a talk show in its large studio and operated a camera for local TV show broadcasts
- Multitasked between camera switching, graphics design and sound mixing for a talk show in a small studio