"I enjoy CREATING A VISION, curating the moving parts, and providing the oil that makes it all work in tandem.  If you didn't love it, remember it, or learn something new, I didn't do what I'm here for." - me
"Brandon delivers what's promised, has a keen sense of what works and what doesn't, and is able to do so many things - a wonderful asset to any team with marketing, events, talent, art direction and more." 
- Jenn Shaw, Producer at Disney and ESPN Media Networks

"Brandon is highly capable, dedicated and charismatic. He is a pleasure to work with and I am blessed to work with someone who has so much talent and drive. I HIGHLY recommend Brandon Felton."-
- S. Lynn Cooper, Digital Strategist | Social Media Speaker | Content Consultant | Media Personality | Blogger

"Brandon works hard and helps us keep the DC area alive for Fusicology. He does great web work, event marketing & promotions and is always on point."
- Asya Shein, Content & Lifestyle Marketing, Event Promotion Website Publisher, Community Builder | Founder: Fusicology & FuseLife 

DELIVERY: DIGITAL

DELIVERY: EXPERIENTIAL
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Background: 
I began providing consulting work at DCTV  to attract more members, viewers and partners, and get their membership department in order. D.C.'s public access station, which I thought would be a coffee break, ended up becoming full-time employment - there was a lot of work to do.  


Challenge(s): The company needed help-their web presence, their records, messaging, everything. Only one staff member knew which members had obtained what certifications and who was authorized to take classes or rent equipment. This important data was not stored anywhere, not even on paper. Staff would manually register members for courses by typing into excel sheets located on different computers. Member records were in an older Filemaker database. There were no consistent engagement practices aside from a snail-mailed newsletter. Applications for membership were only received via handwritten, paper form. There was a website, but it was rarely updated. This was just a few of the many issues that I wanted to attack. 
arious capacities as Director of Digital Communications.
In late 2013, the company was planning a series of events around its 25th Anniversary, and I was charged with producing the outdoor event with a budget of over 50k, the largest the company has ever spent on an event.  During this time, my social media coordinator left to write for the Baltimore Sun so I had to cover, as well as fill in abruptly for the vacated VP position that was leading the other 25th Anniversary programming and events. 

In my new substitute role, I changed the focus and target audience of some of the 25th Anniversary events and instead create tentpole events in the first quarter which would touch Black History and Women's History Months that were more suited for DCTV's proven base. This enabled more opportunities to retain its advocates, create relevant, meaningful conversations for its audience, revisit its mission and drive branding for the 25th anniversary. 
I created live for TV roundtable discussions, booking media personalities with national recognition and promoted them heavily as a part of the 25th, driving traffic to both social platforms and the channels, while running 25th promotional content in between. 

The outdoor "Community Day" contained an entire day of entertainment of varying genres, featuring a comedian, a gospel band, multiple hosts, recognition of outstanding members, local jazz, hip-hop, rock and Afrobeat bands, youth dancers, and the very popular hometown Chuck Brown Band that played the late Chuck Brown's go-go music in tribute. The grounds were full with games for children including face painting activities. We hosted local food trucks, and vendors. The event was advertised on radio, Facebook and through other online channels. It was promoted on DCTV and in partnership with the Office of Cable Television and attracted over 1000 attendees throughout the day, making it the largest event at DCTV grounds ever, which made for a great 25 year milestone. 

DELIVERY: VIDEO

As a companion to the CASRAM Presents series of performances throughout the year, my partner and I produced CASRAM ACCESS. Our two man operation did most of the shooting (pre DSLR) and all of the editing, casted talent, and went on most of the locations. I  secured an interview personally with the Grammy-winning Lauryn Hill before her recent return. The female artists in this show remain relevant and have been gaining in popularity since this was aired continually on access television and through the web. 

The cause related nonprofit Hip Hop Caucus was a past client. Some of the projects were leading their web redesign for a cleaner look, managing their Twitter account, executing campaigns including a photo shoot and producing a video PSA for the women in labor movement. Featured below is a PSA I produced and edited with hip-hop artist B.O.B. for their "Respect My Vote" campaign.  I called in help for the wide steady shot and I shot hand held (pre DSLR), and edited the piece.   B.O.B. took some warming up but I finally got what I needed him to say and do on that rainy day at the White House where this was shot. 
CASRAM: Paige in Full promo
This promo was produced to promote the one-woman multimedia play "Paige in Full"  featured as part of CASRAM. Shot myself (pre DSLR), and edited with my partner.
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Co-founded an agency focused on clients and projects in line with our mission of providing tasteful and inspiring arts, music, entertainment and culture. 
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Brown-Forman's Jack Daniels was the title sponsor for an awesome national touring art and live music exhibit which was a first run tour for now top 10 Billboard  artist Kendrick Lamar, Grammy winning jazz/funk band Snarky Puppy, and more. The event connecting patrons art and of good music in a memorable, party atmosphere.

The event attracted over 20,000 Facebook RSVPs, and sold out the historic Andrew Mellon Building in its first Washington D.C. event and the three years following totalling over 30,000 participants. 
Work:  Site consultation, Viral promotion, strategic partnerships,  talent booking.
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Can A Sista Rock A Mic? Festival (CASRAM) began out of the need to support more female, independent artists as a manager and road manager, and the need to cultivate larger audiences for quality live music.  Every event was to create uplifting experiences and further encourage networking among artists, and to bring them up close and personal to an existing demographic of music lovers. The festival curated top artists in the metropolitan area with quality music and performance skills, who developed their own following. In the early age of social media, the festival became a platform for discovery and promotion of top emerging talent and secured support from national brands.  The annual festival spun off several auxiliary presenting events throughout the year. Some acts include Grammy-winning artists Dionne Farris and MC Lyte, Grammy-nominated Carolyn Malachi, and NBC's The Voice competitor Kimberly Nichole.  

Over 11,000 attended the last CASRAM which included 10 programmed days over a two-week period, growing to feature a theatre production and visual arts. The festival has presented over 100 talented musicians and artists. Digital impressions were over 2 million.  A companion show was created with an exclusive interview with Grammy winning artist Lauryn Hill.  Facebook connections remain at over 6600.  Sponsors included Scion, Zipcar, Whole Foods, Glaceau Smartwater & Vitaminwater, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and more.

Press: Washington Post Arts & Living, Washington Post Local, Silver Spring Voice

Work:  Executive producer, concept & ideation, sponsor engagement, partner engagement, brand strategy, integrated marketing, earned and paid media outreach, influencer outreach, talent relations, digital marketing & strategy, venue relations, vendor relations, video production, stage management, MC, web development, social engagement, video production.
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Hip Hop Cinema Cafe, a monthly series at the Historical Society of Washington D.C. was designed to create community and content around emerging, independent filmmakers and their films specially curated to speak to the Hip Hop Generation and its themes around causes and stories of triumph. Every month the movies were screened with a panel discussion of film creators, academia, musicians and media personalities. Facebook group and page still exceed 1500. In partnership with ITVS / PBS. Sponsored by U.S. Census.

Press: Washington Post
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LACED began as a monthly experience to introduce brands to a connected multicultural mix of DC's  emerging artists with its socialites, hipsters and partygoers.  We created a unique experience, introducing the merging of gaming, live painting, VJing, influential hosts, and sponsor integration each month.  Nintendo Wii was first on the market and was in heavy use, and VJing just began to emerge, which made for an amazing experience. Legendary hip-hop producer DJ Pete Rock spun, Skater Daren Harper hosted, street art troupe Concrete Alchemy exhibited, and much more. Promo sampling for VIBE Magazine, The Fader, Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Frank 151, Team Spirits Imports beverage and countless emerging streetwear brands. 
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WAXPLOITATION: Lost in Transit
Being charged with curating and producing the grand finale event for the Hip Hop Theater Festival Week (now called HI-Arts) in D.C., we decided on a theme celebrating vinyl records, and using an art exhibit to highlight their fading, but impactful influence on hip-hop culture. We curated this one with help from my buddy Alex who ended up launching The Fridge Gallery later. We took record covers from our own stashes to line the hallways and exhibited fine and street art from over 20 visual artists. We encouraged everyone to play on a chalkboard wall we created and we even made some of the table tops into large chalkboards resembling actual records, replicating the labels. I booked the hip hop "celebrity" host -Ali Shaheed Muhammad from hip hop legendary group A Tribe Called Quest (and Siri/XM Radio) who took pictures and spoke with everyone who wanted to meet him. 90s dance, hip-hop and r&b videos were spun with our signature VJ projections, this time with DJ OsCool (who was just a kid at the time)  as the complimentary champagne and wine flowed courtesy of Barefoot Wine & Bubbly (as it just began launching its champagne products). 
Toyota SCION was the presenting Sponsor. Washington City Paper was the media partner. A memorable, interactive experience pure and true to its hip-hop essence.
LACED: THE ART SHOW & PARTY
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The response from LACED required that we further the concept.  We went a step further and found a newly built condo building in the Cleveland Park/Georgetown area of Washington and filled it with nothing but awesomeness.  This time, the concept was the evolution of culture. It was to be a mashup of styles but stylistically done with dynamic art from some of the hottest visual artists based in the city at the time. I hired an official curator in emerging respected artist Jonathan Sears, who had some carpentry skills as well, and we would be able to pull in some heavy hitter, dope artists. First half would be a pure art show, buttoned up featuring the works of accomplished fine artists that were for selling, and second half a party where everyone will truly let loose.  For the art show I featured live South Indian classical Carnatic music with violin and tabla. Then the party opened with hip-hop and top 40 VJ projections on two separate floors (VideoKillers and OsCool), three soul, house, and international DJs on the rooftop (Adrian Loving, Chris Burns,  DJ I-Wah), a fashion design show (Dana Graves), stylist showcase and sponsorship from Red Stripe as a part of their "Bashment" campaign, in which we included all-you-can-drink spirits with the beer all night. Barefoot Wine pitched in as well. This private, ticketed event was monumental. It will always be talked about in D.C. lore as "the LACED event... in that Georgetown building". 
LACED, LACED THE ART SHOW/PARTY, WAXPLOITATION Work: Concept, creative, sponsor & partner relations, blogger outreach, venue negotiation, talent relations, online & offline marketing and promotions.
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The Congressional Black Caucus was looking to do a party that wasn't their typical event. They wanted it to be in the spirit of old school hip-hop. They wanted dance, graffiti and an old school DJ. They decided on Red Alert and I was to provide the rest. The first move was to put out a call for projects to the graffiti artists I knew. We took a look at the site and decided we would wrap their columns to create the environment and view from every angle. Then I found a dance troupe that could deliver a unique dance experience including the necessary breakdancing. We would also expose this crowd to some old school hip-hop themed art for sale. And of course, the video projections. 
The result is what they called CBX, the Congressional Black Experience all black party. This was presented to a sellout ballroom in the Hyatt of over 800 people.   

BRAND PARTNERS

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Additional visuals from some of the above events: