El Raven Productions: video production and creative studio in New York City and Dallas

El Raven Productions logo: a raven in a hat perched on a branch before a full moon
Behind the scenes: a Steadicam operator on an El Raven set

Who We Are

El Raven Productions is a full-service production company based in Dallas and New York. Founded by director Christopher Vernale in 2013, we write, direct, shoot, and finish work for clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to independent artists. Our work includes commercial campaigns for JPMorgan Chase, A&E Networks, and TLC; documentary pieces for law firms and leadership programs; and narrative films that have screened at festivals around the world.

We scale to the job. Some projects need a single shooter and a tight edit. Others need a full crew, locations, and a schedule built from scratch. Either way, you work directly with the people making the film, and a town hall recap gets the same care and consideration as a feature-length film.

Christopher Vernale

Christopher Vernale is a writer, director, and cinematographer with over two decades behind the camera. He was born in New York and raised in the South. He grew up on horror movies his older brother let him watch far too young, and he learned filmmaking the way most good filmmakers do, by making films.

His debut feature, Long Goodbye, won Best Editing and the Audience Award at the Red Dirt Film Festival. His shorts Stake, Near Sight, and Just the Hits have played more than twenty festivals. He was director of photography on the documentary Between the Shades, which screened at Dances With Films. His commercial clients include JPMorgan Chase, A&E Networks, and TLC.

On set, his approach is simple: find what’s true in the room and protect it. His visual style is natural and composed, and his editor’s sense of rhythm carries from the shoot through the final cut.

Video Production

We handle every stage, from concept and scripting through production, editing, color, sound, and delivery. Our work includes commercial and brand campaigns, corporate and internal communications, executive interviews, event coverage, documentary, and social content cut for every platform. For each project, we bring in the right people from a deep bench of industry talent, and we’re happy to travel.

Have a story to tell, an event on the calendar, or a hunch that video could help but no clear plan yet? That’s a good place to start. Let’s talk.

Creative

El Raven made work for itself before it made work for clients, and it still does. Our slate includes narrative features and shorts, documentaries, music videos, experimental pieces, and original screenplays in development. That same creative engine is available to you: writing and strategy, still photography, brand storytelling, post-production, and mastering.

Portrait of a woman with long blond hair in a graphic T-shirtStake film posterThirsty Caterpillars film posterA woman at a desk with a laptop, fabric swatches and sketchbooksMoody studio portrait of a woman with platinum bangsA coffee-stained script page
Just the Hits film poster, directed by Christopher VernaleCorporate portrait of a smiling man in a charcoal suit and blue tieLong Goodbye film posterNear Sight film posterBetween the Shades film posterTwo actors posed together against a dark backdropA camera monitor framing an actor on a living-room setBlack-and-white portrait of a man in a light suit