Spotlights
Spotlight on Creativity
July 2008
July's spotlight on creativity is creative entrepreneur, David Fish. David and his business partner, John Knapich, opened Assembly, a production and post-production company based in Manayunk, in May 2008. David and John offer more than 40 years of experience in producing, editing and directing for companies such as Miramax Films, NFL Films and Digitas Health.
As partner and Executive Director of Assembly, David oversees sales, strategy marketing and client service operations. He also edits, directs, and produces as needed and is especially interested in non-linear video editing and is always focused on ways to grow the business.
Over the past 20 years, David has worked in the film and video industry as a cameraman, producer, director and editor. He was one of the first editors on the East Coast to use the Avid non-linear video editing system in 1989 and David quickly became one of Final Cut Pro's biggest supporters and experts when it was introduced in 2000. In fact, his passion for - and proficiency in - the now legendary editing software has allowed him to collaborate with Apple at the National Association of Broadcasters Conference and even work as a Certified Trainer for all of their Professional Video Applications, helping hundreds of editors, producers, directors, and video novices become adept at the video software themselves. Prior to forming Assembly with John, David owned and operated SwordFish DV, a video post-production company in the Philadelphia area.
Photo: (left to right) John Knapich and David Fish
Name:
David Fish
Firm/company:
Assembly
Occupation:
Executive Director
Current Location:
Manayunk
Hometown:
Tenafly, NJ
Favorite Philadelphia neighborhood:
West Mount Airy; South Philly
Best advice you've ever been given:
The importance of good eye contact, appropriate body language, and always addressing people by their names.
Your favorite thing about living in the Philadelphia Region:
The Ritz Theaters
Your favorite thing about working in the Philadelphia Region:
Big City. Small Town. Under the Radar.
Why own a business/work in Philadelphia?
If you are good at what you do and are patient, word will travel...the right people will find you and vice versa.
How would you market Philadelphia to young professionals outside the region?
Philly has great culture, arts, restaurants, diverse neighborhoods, and affordable housing. It's close enough to New York to be known as"the 6th borough". Keep it quiet...Philly is cool.
As a professional in the for-profit, creative economy in Philadelphia, how do you think the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy can promote Philadelphia's creative economy?
The mayor gets it. He knows that a serious commitment to the [creative economy] is essential for attracting young people to Philadelphia. A youthful, vibrant population that both creates and seeks out arts and culture can have a huge impact on the Philadelphia's overall economy. It's a great move!
What advice would you give to a young professional trying to break into your industry?
Be flexible. Be honest about your abilities. Persistence is good, but be respectful of peoples' time. Talk to people, ask questions and listen. Be yourself. Web savvyness is a good thing. People skills are key.
Assembly is a new production and post-production company devoted to the creation and delivery of strategic video content across all mediums and formats. The company is centered on a mission to deliver reality-based, narrative-driven video that complements the sales and marketing agendas of the client.
Assembly's client base includes healthcare institutions, pharmaceutical companies, ad agencies, non-profits, cable TV, and other organizations that have a product, service, or message in need of video marketing. They offer full-service concept-to-completion solutions, as well as a la carte services like video editing and compression, DVD authoring, motion graphics, and animation. Assembly also specializes in producing content tailored specifically for the internet, as well as re-purposing clients' existing video content for the web.
To learn more about David's work in the region, visit: http://www.assemblypix.tv.