I am a designer and filmmaker. This is my work.

S. Ashraf Meer's project archive

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I helped my son pull this video together quickly for his Breakthrough Challenge video.

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My mom’s friend Isabella drew this funny cat. I just couldn’t resist animating it.

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Here is a PSA I animated for Greenrose Media.  The spot will run in cinemas.

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PREMERA_MOVE.  Edited by Urban Legend, animated by Ashrafmeer.com

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Here is a little animated sprite I designed and animated for a pilot sizzle.  

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Walter Goodman reviews television documentary W E B DuBois: A Biography in Four Voices, on PBS (S)

In 1995, while still working on my thesis film, I was hired as an assistant editor on this 4 part series on W.E.B. Dubois.  I only worked there for a few months, but the editor, Monica Henriquez, and director, Louis Massiah taught me a lot about how to tell a historical story without any footage.  

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I was creative lead on this funny and irreverent sports/talk pilot for Phoenix Media Group

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Designed this discreet donation jar for made in puget sound.

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While freelancing at Light of Day, VFX, I edited the graphic montage and created the supers for this nice little portrait of startup Dash.

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You Are a Star!  I designed and directed this video installation for the giant lobby screens in the Viacom building.  Produced by Hooman Productions for Viacom Catalyst. The idea is that Viacom employees are cheered as they come in for work.

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i.talia pizza, pitch approach and treatment.

i.talia pizzeria is a unique eating experience in the Capital Mall area.  Unlike most of the options shoppers have, i.talia gives you an authentic taste of Italy, freshly made from local organic ingredients.

Our approach is to highlight the authentic Italian cuisine that is affordable, accessible and all-natural. Using stock footage and sensuously shot video of the food and the location, we will entice the viewers.  While we will use superimposed graphics and voice over to give useful information and call out special features or events.

Our goal is to make i.talia pizzeria feel like a slice of urban Italy that is convenient to the viewer.

Stock footage will include stunning aerial scenes of northern Italy, and an inviting street cafe in downtown Milan. On location, we will shoot close ups of the cook preparing a pizza.  Vignettes of the stylish interior and exterior at different hours of the day.  In a carefully lit tabletop set, we will shoot as many types of pizza and other menu items as we can, particularly more popular items.  

If possible, we also hope to shoot children building their own pizzas, as that is both a great image and a popular feature.

Finally, we will shoot a closing shot with a drone, that will allow us to both show the exterior in a dramatic cinematic rising crane shot, but also to very clearly show just how nearby the cinema and mall are.

Superimposed graphics in a style consistent with the designer look of i.talia, will list menu items, hours, directions, and other useful information that encourage online viewers to rewatch or share the video.

The voice over will be delivered by a professional voice talent, cast for their ability to hit the right combination of warm, sophisticated and authoritative.  The script will be both evocative, and expository; giving needed information, evoking the atmosphere of the restaurant, and dramatizing patron feedback.

In sixty seconds, we will make the viewer not only want a slice, but also to know how to get it.

Treatment

Open on a slow aerial shot over the historic and bustling center of Milan. Voice over describes the delicious street food of Northern Italy.

Cut to a medium wide shot of chic people sitting at a sunny sidewalk cafe.  Cut to a slow motion close up of a hand kneading pizza dough.  In slow motion flour is sprinkled on the dough.  Voice over describes how special recipes and fresh ingredients make authentic pizza unlike ordinary pizza.

Voice over describes i.talia's unique kitchen culture and passion for quality.  Cut to a MWS of the pizza chef at i.talia grabbing the dough and tossing it into the air.  Cut to short depth of field close up of marinara sauce drizzled onto dough.  Cut to slow motion shot of shredded cheese being tossed onto pizza. Cut to Close up of a pizza sliding into the fiery oven.

Cut to a series of overhead shots of different pizza's edited to a rhythmic track.  Superimposed graphics show the breadth of the menu.

Cut to a slow motion shot of fresh produce being washed.  Sparkling droplets of water spray in all directions. Voice over talks about the local and organic ingredients.

Cut to an appetizing bowl of salad, in slow motion the final garnish/dressing is applied. Voice over and graphics describe salad and appetizer highlights.

Cut to a short depth of field shot of a loaf of bread being sliced.  Cut to a low angle shot of a sandwich being built.

Cut to a series of shots of various sandwiches, pastas and lasagna. Cut to a medium shot of a patron reacting favorably to a bite from a meal.  

Make your own pizza.  Top view of kids hands building a pizza.  Voice over of kids talking about making their own pizza.  

A series of close up vignettes of the dining area and kitchen.  Voice over of customer recommendations and positive reviews.

Voice over describes the location and directions.  An exterior view of the restaurant as smiling patrons enter.  Camera pulls back and then up, giving an aerial view of the area, connecting with the aerial view of Italy at the open.

[ashmeer]

Crockett’s Public House, pitch, approach and treatment.

The focus of the spot will be on the fresh delicious food, the open and welcoming dining environment and the dedicated and friendly staff.  A layer of useful information, presented clearly, adds value to the spot for sharing and rewatching.

Footage of fresh ingredients being prepped in the kitchen combined with voice over from the chef about the made-from-scratch, farm-fresh, locally sourced ingredients and cooking methods, will highlight the unexpected flavors and exciting ingredients of the menu.  

Simultaneously, we use superimposed graphics, leveraging the restaurant's brand look, to give quick digestible snapshots of the menu for prospective customers.

Footage of the dining room at various times of day, with various mixes of people will be overlayed with a scripted voice over based on customer reviews of great service, unforgettable meals, and one-of-kind experiences.

Fisheye Time lapse footage of the dining room and the exterior will be used to create a dense and compelling background for additional graphic supers regarding hours, parking and travel info and reviewer highlights.

Simultaneously, we use superimposed graphics, leveraging the restaurant's brand look, to give quick digestible bites of useful information for prospective customers.

The approach prepares the viewer for a truly memorable eating experience that will keep you coming back for more.

Treatment

To a soundtrack of a classic blues guitar riff, we open with a couple of compelling establishing shots: the cute neighborhood, the train station, the exterior and some of the cool industrial features.

A handheld P.O.V shot takes us from the sidewalk into the warm, bright and eclectic dining room.  A scripted voice over welcomes the viewer to Crocketts and gives a short description.  A quick montage features some of antiques and original fixtures.

The handheld POV follows an employee from the dining room into the kitchen area. The chef's voice over talks about the high quality ingredients and unique recipes while a series of tightly shot vignettes of produce being washed, ingredients being chopped, etc. plays.

The chef describes popular and creative dishes and in a series of tabletop shots we see each one plated and ready to be served.

A pan across the dining area to the bar. In a series of bar-level close ups, the bartender places ready to serve craft cocktails, while his voice over describes the drink. Graphics highlight interesting ingredients or other parts of the beverage menu.

A montage of candid shots of happy hour with a scripted voice over of bar patrons describing the experience.

A time-lapse fish-eye shot of the dining room... staff bustling around, customers coming and going, sunlight moving across the warm brick walls as lights come on... provides an interesting and watchable background for a series of supers providing necessary information and expert tips (hours, travel options, busiest days, specials, etc.)

Exterior timelapse shot of afternoon into evening with scripted voice over of customers' and reviewers gushing about their memorable experiences.

[ashmeer]

This was so much fun! Interviews with natural baby social media influencers for Weleda North America.

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I directed a series of social influencer interviews for weleda north america.  Gorgeous location in the Malibu Hills. Incredible production by Shipyard.

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The rough edit of the third piece I designed, animated and directed for Pyramide Productions for the Microsoft live video feed.

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This is the second piece I designed, directed and animated for Pyramide Productions for the Microsoft live video feed.

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I created and animated this video for Pyramide Productions to be used for the Microsoft live video feed.