Want to tell the story of your organization or project? The heart of a non-profit is the people it serves, and we have more than 20 years' experience in interviewing and documentary storytelling – resulting in videos that illustrate an organization's emotional impact, directly from those whose lives it has touched.
We also craft animation, voice-over, and effects to bring concepts to life in explainer videos, providing a clear and engaging way to understand your project.
Craving fictional narratives that make social commentary, expose the viewer to a different viewpoint, or explore a theme/issue through humor?
Our award-winning arsenal of work will make you laugh, cry, and spark conversations about important issues that affect our culture and ourselves!
Recent work includes the award-winning digital comedy series Redheads Anonymous, and festival films En Route, Trigger, Emma and the Squares, and Coming Down to the Wire.
Video Production with a Porpoise
About Us
Elisabeth Ness:
Producer | Director | Editor | Actor
Elisabeth Ness is an award-winning performer, producer, and creative entrepreneur. The Yale alumna's drive to make a positive impact on the world inspired her to co-found Good Porpoise Productions. She has been honored as one of Take the Lead’s “50Women Can Change the World in Media & Entertainment”.
Her work has been called "especially funny" (NY Times), "razor-sharp" (Washington Post), and "hilarious" (Times Herald-Record, Catskill Chronicle). She created the hit digital comedy Redheads Anonymous, which was featured in USA Today, Huffington Post, and Tubefilter, and for which she won 'Best Actress in a Sitcom' - and along with her team won 'Best Sitcom Screenplay' - at the Rome Web Awards, and received a nomination for the ‘Raindance Discovery Award’ (London), among others. All-told, the series so far has garnered over 13 awards and 26 nominations at festivals worldwide.
Onscreen roles include Sara in Bull (CBS), Rose in Like Father (Netflix, with Kelsey Grammer), Daredevil (Marvel), FBI (CBS), Going Public (SOHO International), and En Route ('Best Lead Actress' nom, Blackbird Film Fest). Recent writing and producing credits also include Coming Down to the Wire ('Best Funny Music Video' nom, Women's Comedy Film Fest in Atlanta) and Kiki Comes to Set.
Elisabeth runs a monthly NYC ‘salon’ for women entrepreneurs in entertainment, as well as the Collective Of Badass Women in the Entertainment Business. Her acting reel is available at elisabethness.com.
Ed Nescot:
Producer | Director/DP | Editor | Drone Pilot
Ed Nescot is the co-founder of Good Porpoise Productions, and the head of Ventana Productions' New York office. He's also an FAA-licensed drone pilot.
In his two decades of shooting, directing, editing, and producing docs, narrative shorts, and broadcast TV segments all around the world, Ed has helped Dr. Oz tackle his fear of heights 800 ft. above NYC; experienced Zero Gravity aboard the “Vomit Comet”; worked the red carpet with stars such as Scarlett Johansson, Brian Cox, and Steve Carell; made visual music with virtuosos Joshua Bell, Marvin Hamlisch, and Wycleff Jean; discussed the future of Space Tourism with Sir Richard Branson; captured conversations with luminaries like Steven Spielberg, Hillary Clinton, and Henry Kissinger; trekked along the Moroccan coastline; and even scrubbed in for brain surgery.
He is the Director of Photography for Good Porpoise's acclaimed digital series Redheads Anonymous, which has received festival and international recognition, including winning the Audience Awards at Katra Film Series and the NY Comedy Shorts Film Festival. Ed's video journalism and editing work has garnered accolades that include Telly, Aurora, Videographer, Aegis, Clarion, and New York Festival awards – but the trophies he’s most proud of are the league championship wins of his intramural soccer team!
Ed and Elisabeth are proud members
of the Hexagon Initiative.
NON-FICTION
Non-Profit Mini-Docs
The Good Porpoise
team has more than twenty years’ experience in non-fiction storytelling, and has won numerous awards, including five Telly Awards, three Aurora Awards, and numerous Videographer, Aegis, Clarion, and New York Festival awards for their work.
Good Porpoise creates unique, emotional videos that showcase the heart of a non-profit: the people it serves.
We believe that the best way to see the positive effect of an organization is to hear directly from those whose lives it has touched. Recent clients have included Grace Institute, StreetWise Partners, and Catholic Big Sisters Big Brothers.
GOOD PORPOISE
GOOD PORPOISE
StreetWise Partners - Melody's Story
Grace Letters - We Are Grace Women
Catholic Big Sisters and Big Brothers
Passing the Baton - Breakfast with Grace 2016
Explainer Videos
Need to explain a complex or abstract concept, or lay out stats and figures in a compelling manner? We create custom explainer videos that effectively bring your business's message to your audience in an engaging and easy-to-understand way. Our team of writers, animators, effects experts, and voice-over artists will bring your vision to life!
FICTION
Creator: Elisabeth Ness
Director: Daniel Seth
Lead Cast: Elisabeth Ness, Ethan Slater, Juliet Brett,
Kathleen Littlefield
Writers: Elisabeth Ness, Kevin Sebastian, Juliet Brett,
Justin Liebergen
Exec Prod: Ed Nescot, Vint Cerf, Ruth Ness
Co-Prod: Natalie Neckyfarow
Casting: Kimberly Graham, CSA
Redheads Anonymous
To win a Redhead Scholarship,
Molly and her three ginger pals
must find out:
what does it mean to be a redhead?
Good Porpoise’s award-winning hit comedy series Redheads Anonymous is about more than just red hair.
In its first season of five 7-minute episodes, the show explores stereotypes, bullying, beauty standards, gingerism (a real term!), screening for cancerous moles, and the way superficial qualities change how we treat each other and ourselves. It empowers misfits to appreciate the qualities that make each of us unique, and uses hair as an allegory for minority groups in America.
The show has received 145,000+ views on YouTube, and positive reviews and mentions in USA Today, Tubefilter, The Huffington Post, Allure, Bust, VODzilla, Webvee Guide, Buzzfeed, and more.
It won the top awards at NY Comedy Shorts, Katra Film Series, Short Stop International, Web Short of the Month, and Tiny Film Festival; received the Silver Excellence Award for Best Screenplay - and won for Best Sitcom Actress and Best Sitcom Screenplay - at the Rome Web Awards; and garnered nominations and Official Selections at numerous other festivals, including Indie Series Awards, Sunscreen Film Fest, HollyWeb, and ITVFest. Click here for the press kit.
En Route
Two estranged sisters must face each other
for the first time in a year - on the 6-minute ride to their deceased brother's memorial.
Director: Pamela Harris
Writers: Pamela Harris
& Kathryn Rhoads
Producer: Elisabeth Ness
Cinematographer: Ed Nescot
Cast: Kathryn Rhoads
& Elisabeth Ness
Good Porpoise’s short dramatic film En Route explores the concepts of grief and empathy through a female lens.
The film received multiple award nominations at the Blackbird Film Festival, was selected as one of the “Best Of” the AGR Short Film Challenge, and was an Official Selection at SOHO Int'l Film Fest, Big Apple Film Fest, NY Short Film Fest, Golden Door, Lighthouse, and Adirondack, among others!
The Wedding
The guests are assembled,
the Gentleman of Honor is ready...
but where are the bride and groom?
Sometimes, you work on a comedic film (or two) that is particularly close to your heart.
These are two such films.
They premiered at a very special event at the historic Palace Theater... and subsequently, one of them has been nominated for "Best Funny Music Video" at the Women's Comedy Film Festival in Atlanta, and "Funniest Music Video" at both the Austin Comedy Short Film Festival and Portland Comedy Film Festival!
More information - and the films - can be found here!
Trigger
A painful connection binds
a real estate agent and her client.
Good Porpoise's newest short dramatic film won an "Audience Choice Award" at Blackbird Film Fest; was nominated for "Best Short Short Film" and "Best Actress" at SSIFFF; nominated at the Global Impact Film Fest; and screened at the Katra Film Series (Alamo Drafthouse), Adirondack Film Fest, and Chelsea Film Fest (at the AMC Loews), among others.
Director/Writer: Riley Thomas
Co-Production: Good Porpoise Prod.
Co-Production: & Dark Prophet Prod.
Producers: Elisabeth Ness
& Riley Thomas
Cinematographer: Ed Nescot
Lead Cast: Elisabeth Ness
& Cali Gilman
A Quarantine Comedy
Inspired by a bevy of virtual birthday parties, the Sondheim musical Company, and a plethora of Christopher Guest films, Emma and the Squares is what happens when a troupe of hilarious improv actors play with themes of isolation, connection, and companionship.
The quarantine comedy has entered the festival circuit, where it has won Best of the Festival, Best Short Film, Best Ensemble in a Short Film, and Best Actor (Female), at Manhattan Rep’s Stories Film Festival! It also won awards for Ensemble Cast and Editing, in the Best Shorts Competition.
Director/Story By: Elisabeth Ness
Technical Advisor/A.D.: Ed Nescot
Edited By: Elisabeth Ness
Poster By: Kevin Sebastian
OTHER SERVICES
In addition to producing, shooting, and editing fiction, non-fiction, and narratives, Good Porpoise also offers a range of other production services, including media training, headshots, creating and editing demo reels for performers and other creatives, and coaching for actors. Contact us for rates and more information!
CONTACT US
Find out more about our projects, or how to work with us.
