Get your message out through visual storytelling

video production & visual storytelling

Get your message out through visual storytelling

video production & visual storytelling

Get your message out through visual storytelling

video production & visual storytelling

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About PPI – Video Production

We are a bilingual, bicultural video production and visual storytelling company based in San Diego, California. We specialize in high quality video and multimedia, corporate, and non-profit content.

History


The video production arm of Press Pass International was founded by Laura Castañeda in 2000. She began producing content for clients in San Diego, using her experience as a writer and broadcaster. Laura combined her talents and skills with other media professionals including Producers, Writers, Hosts, Videographers, Graphic Artists, and Editors to produce high quality content for a variety of client

The Team

Laura Castañeda

Productora


Alex Miller Pastore

Graficos / Editor

LAlex Miller Pastore

Producer

Laura Castañeda — Executive Producer, Owner Laura Castañeda is an Emmy-award-winning professional writer, producer, documentary filmmaker and media professor with 30 years of experience working in three diverse news markets and various multimedia platforms. She has served as host, moderator and consultant to numerous media projects in English and Spanish. Her first documentary, “The Devil’s Breath,” about seven border crossers who perished during the 2007 San Diego wildfires, was screened at several film festivals and universities to sold-out crowds. It also aired on the University of California TV cable and satellite network and on various PBS affiliates in the U.S. She is the creator of the Emmy-award-winning magazine program “Stories de la Frontera.” It aired for several seasons on various PBS affiliates including Chicago, San Diego, Riverside, California, and Tucson, Arizona. Laura has also served as press coordinator for the San Diego Latino Film Festival helping to boost the festival’s attendance on both sides of the international border. Laura also mentors young writers and journalists as a professor in the Radio, Television and Film program at San Diego City College. On the print side, Laura has contributed to several publications such as the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, El Sol and SHPE Magazine, a publication of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Aside from her work in media, Laura serves on numerous boards of directors including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, UNITY Journalists of Color, Latino Journalists of California, and the Commission on the Status of Women for the County of San Diego. Laura is a proud native of Chicago and an alumna of the University of Illinois, Urbana, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Sociology.

James L. Smith II

Videografo / Editor

David Pradel

Fotógrafo

Lisa Lake

Maestra de ceremonias / Host

Roman Koenig

Edición de copia

Services

A one stop shop for all your video productions & visual story telling

Camera Operators

Promotional

Educational

Training

Broadcast

Voice Over Artists

Multimedia

Television

Radio

Producers

Talent representation

Talent placement

Actors Match

Training

Video Presentations

Still photogtaphy

Executive presentations

Emceeing / Hosting

Hosting

Logistics

Hosting

Still Photographers

Media Coaching

Public Speaking

Portfolio

We believe our work speaks for itself. Browse our most recent projects below.

  • All
  • Commercial
  • Institutional
  • News
  • Film
All
Commercial
Institutional
News
Film

Client Testimonial

Shannon Bradley


"Laura is just one of those people who is ideal on all counts. Yes, she’s got the savvy of an on-air correspondent but she’s also very friendly and easy to work with, using her smarts and charm in collaboration with her crews in order to deliver their best work. Her work ethic set an excellent example here and I’m grateful to her for that."

UCTV

Executive Producer

Shannon Bradley


"Laura is just one of those people who is ideal on all counts. Yes, she’s got the savvy of an on-air correspondent but she’s also very friendly and easy to work with, using her smarts and charm in collaboration with her crews in order to deliver their best work. Her work ethic set an excellent example here and I’m grateful to her for that."

UCTV

Executive Producer

Shannon Bradley


"Laura is just one of those people who is ideal on all counts. Yes, she’s got the savvy of an on-air correspondent but she’s also very friendly and easy to work with, using her smarts and charm in collaboration with her crews in order to deliver their best work. Her work ethic set an excellent example here and I’m grateful to her for that."

UCTV

Executive Producer

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Contact Us?

To send inquiries, including feedback, requests for information or questions, you may use our Feedback and Inquiries form below.

2644 Adams Avenue San Diego CA 92116

2021 © Press Pass International, LLC.

Laura Castañeda

Producer

Laura Castañeda — Executive Producer, Owner Laura Castañeda is an Emmy-award-winning professional writer, producer, documentary filmmaker and media professor with 30 years of experience working in three diverse news markets and various multimedia platforms. She has served as host, moderator and consultant to numerous media projects in English and Spanish. Her first documentary, “The Devil’s Breath,” about seven border crossers who perished during the 2007 San Diego wildfires, was screened at several film festivals and universities to sold-out crowds. It also aired on the University of California TV cable and satellite network and on various PBS affiliates in the U.S. She is the creator of the Emmy-award-winning magazine program “Stories de la Frontera.” It aired for several seasons on various PBS affiliates including Chicago, San Diego, Riverside, California, and Tucson, Arizona. Laura has also served as press coordinator for the San Diego Latino Film Festival helping to boost the festival’s attendance on both sides of the international border. Laura also mentors young writers and journalists as a professor in the Radio, Television and Film program at San Diego City College. On the print side, Laura has contributed to several publications such as the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, El Sol and SHPE Magazine, a publication of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Aside from her work in media, Laura serves on numerous boards of directors including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, UNITY Journalists of Color, Latino Journalists of California, and the Commission on the Status of Women for the County of San Diego. Laura is a proud native of Chicago and an alumna of the University of Illinois, Urbana, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Sociology.

Alex Miller Pastore

Graphics/Editor

Alex is a graduate of San Francisco State University film school. After relocating back to San Diego, Alex continued his studies this time in the Radio TV Broadcast News side at San Diego City College. He most recently worked as a news editor at XETV San Diego CW6. In addition, he edits independent projects. Alex he has won National, State and local student awards (including Emmys) for his work on feature and investigative news packages.

James L. Smith II

Videographer/Editor

James Smith is an award winning producer, writer, editor and videographer. James began his career in Los Angeles. He has freelanced for major networks (CBS, ABC, NBC and FOX) and cable channels E! Television, Showtime, HBO and BET. He also covered the Los Angeles riots with former news anchor Bree Walker. In 2004, James relocated to San Diego and decided to get formal training at San Diego City College. While at City College, James sharpened his skills in writing and editing, and went on to garner three consecutive student Emmy nominations producing content for the department's weekly news show "Newscene", and a magazine show called "Stories de la Frontera: Student Edition". James currently freelances in the San Diego area, but is open to travel. He continues to mentor and tutor students in video production at different schools around the San Diego area

David Pradel

Still Photographya

David Pradel is a professional sports and event photographer. Born and raised in San Diego, CA, David enjoys to shoot outdoors and loves to capture the best moments with one-click at a time. David earned his Associates Degree in Journalism in 2015, and is currently finishing up his second Associates Degree in Broadcast News at San Diego City College. David is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Television, Film and New Media Production. Aside from his passion for still photography, David also enjoys videography, and enjoys editing and producing television news packages, and short documentaries and films. In 2014, David worked as an assistant video editor for the PlayOn! Sports Network, a high school live streaming sports media company. In 2013, David also worked as a sports reporter, and video editor for The Beast Brief, where he got the opportunity to interview star athletes and celebrities at the 2013 & 2014 ESPYS awards.

Lisa Lake

Emcee/Host

Lisa Lake is a notable personality, Emcee, Host, and accomplished broadcaster in San Diego. She has over two decades of experience as a television news reporter and co-anchor at the local ABC news affiliate Channel 10. Lisa covered many big news stories in her career as well live coverage from the red carpet at the Academy Awards. She has interviewed numerous Hollywood Celebrities, athletes and politicians. Lisa knows what it takes to be in front of the camera. She is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also a proud alumna of the San Diego City College RTVF department where she got her start in television news. Lisa is now training other young journalists and performers at as an adjunct professor at San Diego City College. She teaches Performance for television since 2010.

Roman Koening

Copy Editing

Roman Koenig is an award-winning industry professional since the early 1990s, serving as an assistant news editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune and as an editor and designer at the daily North County Times. Koenig currently publishes the North Coast Current, an award-winning aonline news journal based in Encinitas. He is also an independent filmmaker and screenwriter. He has won nearly 50 awards, from 1992 to the present, from the Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Press Club and Los Angeles Press Club.