Blood of Gods
Defining an Unconventional Vision
Blood of Gods is a groundbreaking publication where heavy metal meets wine to counter elitism and celebrate inclusivity. Stacy Buchanan, the mind behind the brand, wanted to demystify this unexpected fusion for his new supporters—explaining not just the “what” but the passionate “why” behind his vision.
Our collaboration began with two brand-building videos that told the Blood of Gods’ origin story and celebrated its progress. We then continued our partnership by showcasing the brand’s personality and cultural impact in action with energetic highlight videos for Blood of Gods’ 2025 and 2026 Merrymaking events.
Crafting An Introduction
To introduce Blood of Gods and its underlying philosophy, I crafted a dynamic speech-to-camera video at the evocative Chrysalis Studios. Originally slated as a scripted piece with a teleprompter, the approach shifted when Stacy opted for a candid, off-the-cuff delivery. By capturing multiple angles with a second camera and focusing on the story, I was able to weave together a natural, heartfelt narrative. A key challenge was balancing the heavy metal music track so it complemented—but never overpowered—Stacy’s dialogue. The result was two optimized versions: one tailored for his website and another for social media, both effectively demystifying the brand’s unique fusion of passion and counterculture.
2026 Blood of Gods Merrymaking Sizzle Reel
Showing Community
From the moment we began planning coverage of Blood of Gods’ 2025 Merrymaking, the goal was clear: capture its unfiltered spirit. This meant more than documenting a diverse, passionate community — it meant fusing the energy and grit of heavy metal with the community atmosphere of a wine event. Through driving music, fast-paced editing, and grungy color grading, I infused the 2025 Sizzle Reel with the raw intensity that defines the brand. Special thanks to JayMulk Media for his assistance capturing the event.
For the 2026 Merrymaking video, I leaned further into the aesthetic. This included capturing moments of intensity with a slow shutter effect that blended a stuttering cadence with extreme motion blur — an effect that synced perfectly with the song. I brought on JayMulk Media again to assist with covering the event, and he too leaned deeper into capturing chaotic, unconventional shots.
Behind-the-Scenes
One of Stacy’s only requests for the 2026 video was to feature more of the Art Showcase Kickoff portion of the event, which he suggested could bring in more of the traditional wine event and art gallery video style, with gentler movements and slower pace.
At the Kickoff I recorded behind-the-scenes footage, enabling you to take a look through my camera to see some of the settings and tools I used to capture high quality footage while roaming the event.