STORYTELLING FOR VALUES-DRIVEN BRANDS. OUR WORK TOGETHER WILL BEND THE ARC
OF THE NARRATIVE THROUGH STORIES AND PRODUCTS THAT IMPACT THE WORLD
JAY MELENA ⸺ BRAND STORYTELLER
AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER
FEATURED WORK
THE RIGHT TO JOY
As a trans-masculine cyclist and policy scholar, Izzy Sederbaum was searching for community and acceptance within the sport. After surviving a rare cougar attack on a ride outside of Seattle in early 2018, Izzy was hospitalized with severe facial trauma while hateful anti-trans rhetoric filled comment sections of news articles that he had little to no control over. In the years since, he has struggled to overcome his anxiety of being alone in the woods and the self-doubt brought on by strangers after the attack. Despite these challenges, Izzy found solace and support in the Seattle cycling community, which reignited his passion for the sport. This film follows Izzy’s journey as he navigates the aftermath of the attack, overcomes his fears, and becomes a vocal advocate for diversity and trans inclusion within cycling communities across the country.
RIDING INTO MOTHERHOOD
"Bikes have been a big part of who I am for a long time, and I was scared that getting pregnant would disconnect me from bikes. I’m used to pregnancy being represented by flowing dresses and flower crowns or something that is fragile and protected. I never saw myself in that representation of pregnancy and motherhood, so it was hard to see myself in that role at all. When we decided to have a baby, I knew I wanted to be something different - to trade flower crowns for bike helmets - to keep my identity as a cyclist.”
NON STOP ADVENTURE
SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO
For the launch of their new non-alcoholic beer Sierra Nevada Brewing Co wanted a series of reels and images exploring what 'Non Stop Adventure' means to ambassador Annijke Wade.
SHREDLY
Shredly, a women's bike and active apparel company, partnered with ambassador Marley Blonsky to curate a collection featuring Marley's picks.
Helping values-driven brands and organizations create emotional engagement through original stories and visually impactful images.
THE MISSION
MEET JAY
I am a commercial adventure photographer and filmmaker specializing in active brand and social purpose organization storytelling. My style, influenced by photojournalism and advertising, aims to tell narrative-driven stories in a visually captivating manner.
Using the natural environment as a backdrop I aim to evoke the magic that comes with spending lots of time in wild places. As a trans photographer and filmmaker, my work is centered on people whose stories and talents have not often been seen in the spotlight.
Interested in hearing a little about the projects I’m working on? Join my list for a few emails a year about new films or photo projects, behind-the-scenes videos, and some tasty tidbits about where my projects take me.
SERVICES OFFERED
Development
Story Development, Pre-Production, Location Scouting
Production
Photography, Short Doc, Commercial
Post
In House Editing, Color Correction, Sound Mixing
