Meet Evan Swinehart | Commercial Director & Partner at Lumenati

We had the good fortune of connecting with Evan Swinehart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Evan, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
Positive motion creates positive emotion.

This is something my mom told me at a young age and I’ve always remembered it and found truth in it. Ideas and solutions don’t always come right away, but just start moving. Start writing, start filming, etc. Forward motion on the work eventually gets the wheels moving and ideas start to come.

This is also true of actual physical motion. I need exercise to be my best self and get into a better headspace. If I’m feeling negative or having trouble problem solving, a quick run or hoping on my bike seems releases endorphins. When I sit back down to my computer everything seems to fall in place.

Sometimes this motion can be very simple. As simple as just showing up. I wasn’t the best student, but I showed up everyday and that seemed to count for a lot. In my career it was the same. There were lots of days where I didn’t want to do the job or maybe take a job when I was freelancing, but I just showed up. This created relationships, lessons learned and most importantly kept that forward motion towards my goals going.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a commercial director you are blending art with business. My goal is to convey a company’s message and make sure that comes through but try and do it in the coolest way I can. I think this is what sets me apart. Even if the job is not the sexiest I’m always pushing to find a way, a shot or moment that I can bring my style to it. I love camera movement, so I’m always looking for how I can move the camera to create pace or better tell the story. I think the best way to sell something or build your brand is to make the viewer feel something. So I gravitate toward creative that lets me push an emotion to the audience. If you can make the viewer laugh, cry, or just say “Damn that was cool.” you can start to build fans and engagement.

I think the biggest challenge I’ve faced and still face is how to keep evolving. This industry is fast moving, how do you stay relevant, and on top of trends and style. Like I said earlier a lot of it is showing up every day and pushing forward. Also having a vision of where you want to be gives you something to move towards.

I just want people to know that Lumenati is a place full of amazing creatives that can really accomplish anything a company, agency or brand may need. We are problem solvers and do anything from ideation, production to fabrication. Or if you just want to come hang out in our amazing space and get a tattoo come on by!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man, I don’t go out and when I do it is somewhere on a trail. Let’s say its my past life here is what I would do. First coffee. Lots of spots for this but I’m loyal to Prodigy coffee in Park Hill or Globeville. Haha then we are going to Water World. Maybe the best place on earth. Full of Nostalgia and fun. Then we are going to Coors Field to catch a game. The Rox kinda blow, but it’s a beautiful place for a beer and some conversation. Now that we are water logged and watched the Rockies waste away another 9th inning lead it’s time for dinner. I love Sushi, especially in a land locked state. Ha! Izakaya on Pearl is one of my favorites.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to shout out the whole team at Lumeanti who work really hard to allow me to do what I love, but specifically my fellow partners Scott Mcdonald, Brad Conner and Gavin Anstey. We started this journey 10 years ago and though it hasn’t always been smooth our differences are our strengths. We trust one another which allows us to each do our job to the best of our ability.
I’ll double down on Brad as his passion and talent for filmmaking rubbed off on me and opened my eyes to what was possible. He has always had an open ear and helped me with any question or problem I have brought to him.
This job is not possible without the amazing crews in Denver. They are talented, hard working and I’d put them up there with anyone in the country. They make me look good as they execute anything I ask and bring amazing ideas to the table.

Website: https://lumenati.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swiney/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-swinehart-49257211/

Image Credits
Alex Rodriguez
Willie Petersen