Chris Derfler Email & Phone Number

United States

Creative storyteller for internal and external audiences, delivered many ways-from social media to internal platforms.Expert level pre-production including project management and writing. Expert level studio and field production including directing, lighting, DSLRs. Expert level editor including motion graphics.Expert in remote platforms for live and recorded events and presentations. Zoom, MS Teams. Mostly with upper level management for company-wide or customer-facing communications.

Taking Interactive Livestream Technology to new levels and places...On the team that created the first VILT classes. Created our eLearning video template and production and post-production workflow.Incorporated livestream technology and production into our corporate communications, internally and with customers.Now helping design our expansion--of facilities, technology, and creativity.Instructional design for the future.Update 12/1/18Expansion complete!On to building Sysmex TV+ around the Sysmex Studio hub. Internal and external communications for the 21st century. Local to global.Targeted or broad.Messaging with a purpose.

Sysmex Studio, Buffalo Grove, Il

SAI, the Center for Learning, and Sysmex Studio broadcast interactive HD live streaming customer training to med techs, hospitals, and labs across the country. Our delivery system is supremely innovative--way more than a webcam stuck in a corner. Powerful education.Accomplished proof of concept in 2014 and currently live stream simultaneously from both studios and when not in use for customers we use them for internal communications. Sysmex Studio also collaborates to write, produce, direct, shoot and edit videos for multiple departments within the company.

Sysmex Studio, Buffalo Grove

After designing the two television studios as a consultant I was hired full-time to get the two studios functional and create the VILT classes productions. With that came teaching novices the craft and art of studio production--from camera composition to directing and live switching. Accomplished that and moved on to the next part of proof of concept. Also wrote, produced, directed, and edited several in-house videos for HR, the CEO, etc.

From 1993 to 2001 I worked well over 1000 production days in a variety of capacities. And it would be impossible to calculate all of the edit hours.While I was in grad school at Northwestern I worked for Evanston Community Television, then I got started as a grip/PA and assistant editor to several top pros. Then many, many freelance days as a shooter/cameraman (field/studio), gaffer/lighting designer, and plenty of audio mixer and boom work. Along the way, when I wasn't doing that I went on hundreds of jobs as a teleprompter operator. First just field shoots, lots of them in a corporate environment. A perk of that was that I got to watch all of the best production people in Chicago do their jobs--picking up techniques all along the way. And then I started doing "presidential" prompting (and heavy script doctoring) at the biggest trade shows and sales meetings for the biggest companies and CEOs in Chicago at the time--Motorola, Abbott, Culligan, etc. So I witnessed those productions being installed and produced as well. All of it turned into writing, producing, directing, and editing video projects and some live events for corporations and non-profits. I have also produced a couple series of videos that are in education catalogs.All of that experience led to me filling needs for various operations since 2001. First it was Highland Park High School and transitioning them from a tape-based operation in the library to a professional style TV studio and digital media labs. Then it was teaching many classes as DePaul built its digital cinema school into a top film school. Then it was Sysmex needing studios built and run for state-of-the-art instructional design. During that time I also wrote, produced, directed and edited several big budget videos for The Breakthrough Group whose clients include Altria, DSW and Warners.Even though I am using all of these talents in my current position at Sysmex, CDP Inc still exists for special projects for unique clients.

Various

1991-1992Masters Program at Northwestern University included television studio studies--technical and creative.1992Started work at Evanston Community Television and redesigned their studio lighting and operations. Also did creative work there.2001Highland Park High SchoolDesigned brand new studio (as well as edit labs). And created programming.2009DePaul UniversityBuilt small news studio for Journalism department.2011In collaboration with Covert Creative Group my company designed and installed two HD studios for live streaming customer training for Sysmex America Inc.2012Designed, picked out and installed the lighting for the television studio at Northern Trust company.2017Consulted on building and outfitting 7 new studios for Sysmex.2018Moved into new Sysmex Center for Learning with its 7 studios and have been broadcasting and recording many productions since.

Series of instructional dance videos distributed by Pearson Education, West Music, JW Pepper and others. Please visit sannafolkstyle.com to see more.

Series of instructional yoga videos for physical education teachers distributed by Palos Sports, Toledo Physical Education Supply and NASCO.

I teach advanced consciousness expansion practices--drawn from a variety of Eastern, Western and other systems. They are useful for reducing stress, increasing awareness, and benefiting any area of interest, such as one's golf swing. Always looking to teach interested individuals and for a nice space for larger classes in the northern Chicago suburbs.

Among other classes I mainly taught beginning and advanced digital cinema production and beginning and advanced post-production for DePaul's film school--the College of Communications and Digital Media. I also taught the basics of shooting and editing to journalism students for the College of Communications.

Greater Chicago Area

Worked on many high profile video and live theatrical projects with other top creatives, the top executives of Fortune 100 corporations and featuring the best of Chicago's professional acting talent.

Highland Park, Il

Daily news program. Training students and faculty in writing, producing, directing, performing, lighting, shooting, sound recording, editing. Managing the television studio and edit labs. Specialty projects for different departments and administration.

Bachelors, Philosophy, Magna Cum Laude

Activities and Societies: Delivered commencement speech

Masters, Radio/Tv/Film