Before You Believe

City Church is a vibrant faith community in the heart of downtown Houston. My great friends at Filmlab thought this felt like a piece that would really fit my edit style. The church wanted a short, cinematic commercial that expressed who they are at their core: a creative and welcoming community of artists, parents, professionals, and thinkers. The goal was to make something that did not feel like a traditional church video, and with a combo of digital and 16mm footage — the tone of the piece was found quickly. The 16mm was such a delight to cut in!

I shaped the edit around the natural rhythm of the story, letting the imagery and pacing guide the flow. Music played a central role in capturing the emotional heart of the piece, and once we aligned on direction, the rest of the process moved quickly and smoothly. The film was completed with a custom logo animation that brought everything together.

The result is an artistic, cinematic portrait of a community that values authenticity, belonging, and beauty.