Kristeen Ezell
Owner/Producer/Editor
Memories and Keepsakes LLC
Kristeen’s editing career began in 1995 upon graduating with a degree in Visual Communications. She entered the field working as a television producer for Time Warner in Litchfield, Connecticut. “I finally had a job I loved, producing and editing thirty-second television commercials for local businesses airing on national networks,” she recalls. Beginning with preps to scripting, shooting and editing, Kris enjoyed creating unique advertising commercials for hundreds of clients. In 1997, she happily accepted a transfer to Time Warner in Bradenton, Florida. She was still producing, shooting and editing thirty-second television commercials for national networks, but this time in a larger market with more community opportunities. Six years later, Advance/Newhouse took direct management and operational responsibility for the Time Warner Tampa Bay division and changed the name to Bright House Networks.
In 2003, Kris bid a bittersweet and tearful goodbye to her Time Warner/Bright House Networks family. “Through my wonderful journey, I learned the importance of communities and those who live in them,” she said, reflecting on her time at Time Warner. These values were an asset when she joined the team at St. Petersburg College’s Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training (MCTFT) program www.mctft.com. Federally funded, the MCTFT program was a new way for her to contribute by helping her community and others throughout the United States. She described, “I hit the ground running, producing, shooting and editing tuition-free training broadcasts for law enforcement, community coalitions, schools, first responders and government agencies.”
The goal of these one-hour broadcasts was to bring a new look to focus on drug issues such as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and gangs nationwide. Utilizing a combination of conservative and modern MTV-style editing techniques, Kris was able to change the perception of the “training video”, and eliminated the stigma attached in a way that connected with the intended audience. “Millions of people viewing our programs found them to be visually stimulating, interesting, and entertaining, as well as educational.”
When asked how producing these videos have affected her Kris said, “I’ve won many awards for editing throughout my career and the most gratifying award for me with MCTFT has been that I’ve saved at least one life or taught someone something that has helped them from near death to being the best person they could be. I’ve been fortunate in my travels nationwide to meet survivors of addiction and families of victims, and to work with and educate those who risk their lives to protect us. It’s helped me understand how essential it is for each of us to have compassion and empathy for humans and animals and to appreciate life in general. My goal now is to continue making a difference in the world one person at a time by using my experiences, talent, and passion to create unique and personalized video compilations for my customers. I think a Memories and Keepsakes video is a caring gift that will show someone that you think the world is a better place because of them. That’s a gift no one else can give but you.”
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