CREATING MEANING,
NOT JUST MEDIA
I help teams turn complex ideas, truths, and real-world stakes into clear stories that bring audiences inside the experience and move them to feel, understand, and act.
Episcopal Relief & Development had been telling its work through the same familiar video approach, and wanted a more cinematic, story-led film that could better reflect the human impact of its programs in Africa. AWITI’S STORY was designed to feel less like a traditional nonprofit video and more like a film, one rooted in character, atmosphere, and truth. We built the narrative around the people who love Awiti and the idea that true strength is expressed through kindness, involvement, and care. The outcome is a clear, warm, and resonant story that showcases the transformative power of ERD’s mission.
SELECTED WORK
MISSION-DRIVEN VIDEOS
THE UNDISCOVERED PATH needed to carry the emotional highs and lows of a transformative adventure while setting the tone for the series as a whole. I helped shape the narrative into a grounded portrait of resilience and transformation. The film became the series’ widest-reaching chapter, surpassing 500,000 views across YouTube and Facebook.
DOCUMENTARY SERIES
REIMAGINING PHILANTHROPY is a documentary series exploring how philanthropic systems might move funding in more accountable, community-centered ways. Because the series speaks to an audience already deeply familiar with the subject, I consulted on the story arcs needed to make the conversations feel urgent and engaging, then edited long-form discussions and vérité footage into focused episodes with clear emotional and intellectual momentum.
DOCUMENTARY SHORTs
HEART: Serving Our Neighbors in Crisis is a documentary short exploring Durham’s unarmed crisis response program and the urgent need for more human-centered responses to mental illness and addiction-related 911 calls. As editor, I shaped intimate vérité footage into a focused, character-driven story that brought viewers inside the realities of crisis response and made the human stakes of the issue clear.
DOCUMENTARy SHORTs
ONE MAKE: SPIKE KOHLBECKER needed to do more than work as a standalone episode, it had to fit naturally within the larger series, carrying the right tone, purpose, and narrative shape. Starting with raw material and early conversations about the series vision, I created the story arc and edited the episode into a cohesive, character-driven piece that felt both distinct and fully at home in the series.
BRAND VIDEOS
NITRO CIRCUS LIVE: How to Make Money Doing What You Love was built to show that the action-sports world is more than spectacle—it is a real ecosystem of people turning passion, skill, and risk into a livelihood. As editor, I shaped short, high-energy profiles into clear, character-driven stories that expanded the brand’s world beyond stunts and helped the series reach more than 1 million views on YouTube.
MISSION-DRIVEN VIDEOS
NOAA’s RISA program needed a documentary about the deadly danger of zero-visibility dust storms along Interstate 10. The challenge was to turn complex climate research into an urgent public safety story that people could feel and understand. Through field interviews with meteorologists, DOT managers, and truckers, I helped shape a rhythmic, human-centered film that connected NOAA’s research to the real-world stakes on the road.
My work has supported award-winning films, series, and mission-driven projects across broadcast, brand, and independent productions.
Created as a spec ad for Colossal, I wanted to test the capabilities of AI integration and make climate change feel more immediate by imagining a world in urgent need of the woolly mammoth. Built around an original concept I developed, it blends AI-generated visuals with archival footage to create a provocative, future-facing story that sparks curiosity while underscoring the ecological stakes. The piece was later featured in Curious Refuge’s AI Film Gallery for its concept and seamless integration of AI and traditional footage.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Jordan Baese is a narrative storyteller with a deep background in documentary filmmaking and over 15 years of experience shaping films and series from development through final edit. Drawing from experience in both production and post, he helps identify what is most alive in a story—what is at stake, whose perspective carries it, and how to structure it so it lands with clarity and emotional force. His work is rooted in the belief that real human stories, shaped with care, can move people to feel, understand, and act.
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Genuine curiosity and care for telling a heartfelt story. I want to know why this story is important to you, what is at stake, what will change, and what an audience needs to feel and understand.
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I take on documentaries, series, mission-driven films, and branded stories around real people, real stakes, and material that needs strong narrative shaping to land with clarity and emotional force.
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I can join at any stage, but early involvement allows for stronger narrative alignment. From development through post-production, my focus is on shaping structure and clarity so the story lands with intention.
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My services can span the full production process—from story development and production through editing and final delivery. I work as a narrative partner throughout, shaping structure, pacing, and emotional clarity from the earliest stages to the finished film. When a project calls for additional expertise, I collaborate with a trusted network of talented specialists to bring the right skills to the story.
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Yes. I regularly integrate into existing creative teams, working closely with producers, directors, and in-house staff to support the project’s narrative goals. My role in post-production is to strengthen the story while respecting the established creative vision.
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Yes, when on-site collaboration or production support adds value. Otherwise, I work remotely.
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Yes. I use AI tools selectively and responsibly to support the work—primarily for research, organization, and accelerating certain post-production tasks. These tools enhance efficiency and exploration, while narrative judgment and creative decisions remain human-led.
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