Testimonials

san anselmo, ca

Side by Side

"As part of a rebrand campaign for our 123 year old nonprofit, we engaged Andrew to create a video that would capture the essence of our work with vulnerable young people and cut through our long history and vast array of programs. What Andrew delivered was magic beyond anything we could’ve hoped for.

With an intuitive understanding of our work and the traumatic histories of our young people, Andrew developed a concept – letter writing between pairs of direct care staff and clients – that allowed the narrative to come directly from their words and experience. There was no scripting and no key messages, just the writing and reading of real letters between the young people and their providers to reveal the authentic depth of emotion in the relationship. Andrew established immediate and sustained trust with the staff and clients, some of whom were initially, and understandably, reticent to share their vulnerabilities in front of a camera. In the end, all of the participants felt their truth to be seen and honestly represented through the filming, and in the final product. As a result, the video has brought our organization closer together. And the quality of the production and the universally resonant narrative has enabled us to reach far beyond our current audience, building awareness and funds that will enable us to serve more vulnerable young people in years to come."

- Amber Whiteside, Director of Communications

new york, ny

Verbatim Visual Solutions

“If I have learned anything in my 4 decades in the industry, it is this: When you find someone with skills that you truly admire, that you are able to communicate clearly with, that you share a common visual language with, work with them and collaborate with them as much as you can.

Andrew and I have worked together for over 7 years and I would not take on a project without thinking of how he might play a part. 

Editor, Director, D.P., Andrew is talented in all and approaches each with flair and vision, and perhaps above all, with clarity and calm.

As projects become more complex, you need to know that you have a team that is experienced, positive and fearless.

We have worked on so many projects together, from the promo reel for my company Verbatim to a series of profiles of entrepreneurs for American Express and Conde Nast: From Passion to Practice. The series was shot in three locations in the US back to back with tight deadlines and even tighter post production schedules. Andrew worked tirelessly to meet the often intricate editing requirements. Always there, always suggesting great edits and always with a reassuring calm and confidence.”

- Aidan Sullivan, CEO

Indianapolis, Indiana

United States Power Soccer Association

“I had a great experience working with Andrew. I was very impressed with the quality of his work and his ability to capture the power, intensity and emotion of our sport. He was so easy to work with and very detail-oriented from the very beginning. He took the time to talk through different strategies and concepts to ensure we got the most value out of our videos. In the end, our videos got double the amount of views on social media than our previous promotional videos. I am definitely looking forward to working with him again.”

- Natalie Russo, Chair Communications & Media

LARKSPUR, CA

Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery

"Working with Andrew to create a new video for our organization was a dream come true! His talent for film making coupled with his kind, compassionate nature, offered the perfect combination for the film he created for our organization. We needed a film for our annual gala fundraiser that would share the impact of our organization's services in the lives of our clients while also inspiring guests of our event to want to help make a difference through donating. This film, entitled 'New Normal', tells the story of two survivors and their families, with intimate footage captured by Andrew in the two days he spent with each family. He immersed himself in their lives, resulting in candid, emotional, inspirational and touching footage of lives changed and rediscovered.  Andrew created connections with these families and they shared with us how much they enjoyed time with him during the filming. They felt respected, honored, and thoughtfully portrayed. We loved working with Andrew! His integrity, passion, commitment, professionalism and immense talent is a gift that we feel grateful for each day."

- Patricia Gill, Executive Director

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Minerva Schools at KGI

"We have worked with Andrew Hida on a range of productions — all of which contributed to telling our brand's fast-evolving story to various audiences. Not only is he an exceptional auteur, with the full compliment of capabilities, but he is adaptive, able to work in multiple modes and collaborative settings. He brings a deep understanding of narrative, pacing, and visual composition, which he drew on to create and direct the Global Immersion series. These skills, coupled with his knowledge of reportage and experience with live, documentary productions make Andrew both a consummate professional and a true pleasure to work with."

– Ayo Seligman, Creative Director

aNTIGUA, GUATEMALA

StoveTeam International

"What fun it was to work closely with Andrew as he highlighted StoveTeam’s work in Guatemala. His film elegantly showed the problem of open cooking fires, and it was wonderful to hear the impact of clean cookstoves directly from stove recipients. Many films are made for an English speaking audience and for fund-raising, however this one was a specific challenge as it was for local mayors who speak Spanish.  

Andrew and I worked closely both before and after our week in Guatemala, and although he had not previously been aware of the dangers of open cooking fires, he soon became an expert.  His knowledge of Spanish was helpful, and he was appropriately kind, sympathetic and interested in the factory workers, women and children he interviewed. 

Throughout it all, he insisted on top quality photography. The video has already generated both interest and new income for StoveTeam International. I can't hardly wait to work with Andrew again!"

– Nancy Hughes, President and Founder

nEW YORK, NY

Verse Interactive

"Imagine being asked to create a multimedia project using interactive technology that was more conceptual than actual. Then imagine being asked to do it six times. That was the feat that Andrew Hida pulled off, along with collaborator Drew Jordan, when they signed up to work with our storytelling technology startup Verse. They created '2nd Look,' a six part series of character profiles, produced for the Verse interactive platform. In addition to leading the visual direction of the films, the editing for all six stories landed on the shoulders of Andrew. With a sophisticated eye and efficient technique, he moved through lengthy edits that included not just well-woven main narratives, but also extra features ranging from sidebars to Q and As. In other cases, we threw away the traditional approach all together and Andrew tackled non-linear, or 'choose your own adventure' storytelling with confidence. Throughout Andrew was transparent about where he was in the process, shared drafts, and was always open to input. In the end, each story has a unique feel and sophisticated air — Andrew does not rely on a storytelling formula. His thoroughness was evident throughout, along with his pleasant demeanor even when budget and revisions became challenging. I look forward to working with Andrew again."

— Meredith Hogan, Managing Editor 

new york, ny

American Jewish World Service

"AJWS wanted to tell true stories about child marriage that were emotionally captivating, but also showed the strength and strategies of the remarkable people we support in India. Andrew's editing talent and thoughtful collaboration was absolutely crucial to bringing that vision to the screen. He helped us unearth a unique feel and narrative structure for each video, crafting beautiful scenes driven not just by our footage, but by his carefully selected mix of music and natural sound. 

His close attention to the details paid off, and I think the results speak for themselves. Moreover, he was such a pleasure to work with throughout post-production, even when facing some tight deadlines. He listened to us every step of the way, patiently working through feedback and ideas with us and rapidly coming up with creative solutions. AJWS is so thrilled with how these videos turned out."

– Elizabeth Daube, Senior Communications Officer

new york, ny

Reportage by Getty Images

"Andrew's ability to take all the raw material I gathered in the field In Sierra Leone, stills, video and audio, and turn it into a multimedia short documentary in a relatively short amount of time was absolutely brilliant. His in depth look at the material, combined with his sensitivity and journalistic integrity as a filmmaker and editor enabled us to put together a film with a strong storyline that was true to the voices of the women featured in the film. We were working together remotely, me in South Africa and Andrew in the US, but we were still able to have a fluent collaboration via several Skype brainstorming sessions in which we discussed the narrative we wanted to put across. His genuine interest in understanding the story subject was paramount to a powerful end result."

– Jonathan Torgovnik, Photographer,
Reportage by Getty Images