About
Intro
The difference between footage and impact? Editing that builds trust.
Since 2021, I've helped videographers, creative agencies, and enterprise brands transform raw footage into videos that engage audiences, build trust, and drive conversions.
But my story starts long before that.
D.L. Watson
A Video Maker
Eugene, Oregon
History
From self-taught to 140+ episodes of reality-television: What I learned…
In 2005, I taught myself to edit by doing something unusual: I took entire seasons of shows like Smallville, Lost, and Grey's Anatomy and cut them down into 2-hour movies. It wasn't just a hobby — it was an education in storytelling for someone who couldn’t afford college. I learned what mattered, what doesn't, and how to make disparate pieces feel cohesive and intentional.
Friends and family were impressed. Their referrals spread. Local actors needed demo reels. Independent no-budget filmmakers wanted their shorts brought to life. By 2011, I was directing my own films. The Unspoken won Best Short Film at the Oregon Independent Film Festival in 2013.
Then came the real proving ground.
Nine years as Executive Producer and Director of Graveyard Carz for Discovery and MotorTrend. I was thrown into the deep end — balancing creative storytelling, budgetary constraints, sponsor relations, and leading a production team.
By 2016, I was directing, producing, and assembling episodes to hand off to my team of editors under the supervision of online editor and co-creator Aaron Smith.
Over 140+ episodes across 13 seasons, I learned to not just swim, but build a raft, sail it, and weather storms. Every single day taught me something new about creative problem-solving under pressure and delivering on deadline, no matter what.
In 2021, after my son was born, I stepped away from television.
Starting a business at the height of a pandemic with a newborn was a risk but I saw an opportunity. Videographers and agencies across the Pacific Northwest were drowning in demand.
They needed a partner who could handle post-production with the speed and precision of broadcast television — without the broadcast television headaches.
That's when I created A Video Maker LLC.
It's just me — no revolving door of contractors, no outsourcing to cheaper editors, no wondering who's actually working on your project.
When you hire A Video Maker, you get me: my 17 years of experience, my broadcast-trained eye, and my obsessive attention to what makes footage actually convert.
Every project. Every sequence. Every time.
And every day, I'm still learning, adapting, and implementing better ways to serve my clients.
A Video Maker’s difference
Why Me
Most editors cut footage. I engineer emotional responses.
I understand visual literacy at a deep level.
Scenes juxtaposed in a specific order create narrative threads that were never there in the original shoot. A screen artificially tilted creates unease.
A wide shot makes your audience feel distant but curious. A series of close-ups without a wide establishes tension—building anticipation for a reveal you may or may not give them.
These aren't tricks. They're the language of visual storytelling, and after two decades of practice, I'm always finding unique ways to leverage them to make videos effective at not just just informing—but persuading.
Your brand video doesn't just look professional—it makes viewers feel something that drives action.
Flat-rate pricing and dependable turnaround.
No hourly billing. No surprises. After years in the industry, I know what it takes to complete a project based on length and footage load.
You get a clear quote for price and delivery date upfront. If it takes me longer than quoted, that's on me — not you.
End the email chaos.
I know what it's like to be buried in email chains at midnight, watching deadlines slip.
That's why every client gets access to a streamlined project portal where you can track your projects, leave feedback, invite team members, review deliverables, and manage billing—all in one place.
No chaos. Just clarity.
Complete video production oversight only when you need it.
Most clients hire me for editing.
But some need more: a producer who can work them from the start, understand goals, and address any potential issues in pre-production, capture only what's necessary on when filming with vetted and talent videographers, and bring it all together in post.
That’s when I can be the most valuable.
Who’s best served.
Process
I work with three types of clients. Which one is you?
Since 2021, I've delivered 300+ videos for 40+ clients, including some of the biggest videographers, creative agencies, and corporations in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
[icon:videocam:r5] Videographers who are established enough to outsource post-production so they can focus on shooting their next project instead of staying up late on revision five, exhausted and burned out.
[icon:emoji_objects:r5] Creative agencies that need to relieve queue pressure on their internal teams with a reliable editor who can confidently handle tight deadlines and complex projects without hand-holding.
[icon:corporate_fare:r5] Businesses with footage collecting dust who need promotional videos, product videos, or sales videos that actually convert—or full production services from concept to delivery.
How it works
From first call to final delivery:
what to expect:
[icon:clinical_notes:r5] Consultation
We discuss your project, goals, and footage. No pressure, just clarity on whether we're the right fit.
[icon:rate_review:r5] Review
We deliver drafts for your feedback. Multiple revision rounds are included to get it right.
[icon:request_quote:r5] Quote
You receive a flat-rate price and guaranteed delivery date. No surprises, no hourly creep.
[icon:play_circle:r5] Delivery
You receive your finished video in the formats you need, ready to deploy.
Get Started
Your next video should work harder than your last one.
You didn't capture all that footage to have it sit in a folder. You filmed it to grow your business, win clients, and stand out from competitors doing the bare minimum.
We've helped videographers reclaim their weekends, agencies meet impossible deadlines, and enterprise brands turn dusty archives into revenue-generating assets.
If you need video that reaches your audience, builds trust, and converts customers…