Ryanne Hodson is an editor who also shoots much of the work they create. She co-wrote the book Secrets of Videoblogging with Verdi, and was one of the first several dozen videobloggers who created the techniques of video on the internet. Jay Dedman is the producer and director of the team. In many ways, Jay midwived videoblogging, laying-out the vision and foundation, and leading the movement that produced much on what is happening in online video today. Together, they create documentaries, screencasts and short films about organizations. Their clients have included the Internet Archive, PostSecret, Rainforest Action Network, Bioneers and The Sunlight Foundation.
Milkweed Media Design is a tiny web design shop specializing in designing and developing websites for start-ups, non-profits, and creative small businesses.
Founded in 2005, we create easy-to-maintain websites using open source tools, allowing you to have modern, snappy sites built on the internet’s best technology. Oh, and we do video, too. Compression, compatibility, embed code… we’ve been doing video on the web since the very begining.
We’d be happy to design and build something for you, advise you on internet and social marketing strategies, help you get video onto your site, and/or teach you how to use this technology yourself. Contact us for more information.
Jen Simmons
Founder / Creative Director
Whether designing multiscreen video projections for live opera, lighting and sets for theater, postcards and posters for event promotion, or internet-based interactions between people, Jen has been designing professionally for almost 20 years. It began in 1989 with digital graphic design, and evolved in 1997 into web design. In 2005, during the surge of excitement and innovation around online video, Jen founded Milkweed Media Design.
Jen also wrote and directed several short films that widely traveled festival circuits and across the internet. She earned an MFA in film production, and taught for several years as an Adjunct Professor at Temple University’s Department of Film and Media Arts.
These days her newest design-technology explorations are focused on user experience design, Drupal design and development, and New York city backyard gardening.
Markus Sandy
Partner / Developer
Markus has been building websites and software applications for over 20 years. In another life, Markus worked as a programmer, teacher, manager and director for the University of California, Signal Technology, Smartstar, Behavioral Science Technology and others. As an independent contractor, his clients include Amgen, Delco, Outhink, Phizer and the US Navy. Now a Free & Open Source developer, Markus spends most of his time building LAMP-based applications using tools like Drupal, EC2 and jQuery.
Five years ago, Markus fell in with Jen, Verdi, Jay, Ryanne and other videobloggers. This quickly led to working with Wordpress and Drupal. Markus has been consumed with designing and building content management, social networking and media sharing sites ever since. Markus has also worked on several major Drupal migrations and upgrades. Recently, his projects have centered on cloud-based implementations and performance optimization.
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Runes of Gallidonbuilt on Drupal 6 -
Eileen Togninihand-built XHTML -
Jesse Torgersonbuilt on WordPress -
WanderMelonbuilt on WordPress -
Roman Polanski Wanted and Desiredbuilt on WordPress -
Pushback Networkbuilt on WordPress -
Revenge of the Electric Carbuilt on WordPress -
Temple University Film Department Websitehand-built XHTML
Strategic Partners
Our company is small. But our network is not. When larger projects come our way, we scale up by hiring some of the best in the business. It’s our privilege to consider these strategic partners part of the Milkweed family.
Brian Gonzalez
Cinematographer
Brian Gonzalez is a New York-based cinematographer, who shoots gorgeous work on all kinds of budgets. The feature film he shot at age 17 ended up at, yeah, Sundance. We suggest snapping him up while you can still afford him — before he earns his first Oscar. Newly graduated from School of the Visual Arts, Brian was a student of Verdi’s at San Antonio’s SAY Sí. Jen just pretends she was lucky enough to teach at SAY Sí when Brian was there, and sometimes calls him “my student,” even though it’s, uh, technically not true.
