I've known Steve since 1989, when I started as his intern at
1st Generation Video
and later became his producer for which I’ve produced hundreds of
programs with him. Steve Weiss' passion is telling heart grabbing
stories. Nothing sparks a flare in his eye like a story that is filled
with emotion and warmth. Steve has become a master of this craft.
He didn't begin his career as a director.
For Steve, creativity was introduced at
an early age.
Like many directors, as a boy he began with photography and shooting
super 8 movies with his
dad. They made films about their white water rafting, scuba diving
and
horse pack trips around the country. An emphasis on photography all
through his childhood came from his father, a photographer for almost 60
years. At age 12, Steve’s B/W photo “Mr. Ostrich” won 1st
prize at a local shopping mall. Steve developed, printed and framed the
photo himself in their family darkroom.
This was the beginning of a lifelong connection with the camera, both
motion and still. Since then, Steve has had numerous awards for his
film and video work.
In 1980,
with the advent of the home VCR, Steve was among the first people to
begin shooting and editing wedding videos. It was at this time in his
life that he began to form his taste, technical knowledge, and story
telling ability crafting documentary videos for people to remember their
weddings by.
When wedding videos
began to become popular and the industry of wedding videography was
born. Steve moved on to something new. His first gig in the corporate
film and video field was directing an educational video for his father's
dental practice in Detroit. |
Soon after moving
to Chicago in 1983, he began 1st
Generation Film/Video.
His first job in Chicago was making a video to play in downtown hotels
that informed guests about Chicago attractions. Always keeping ahead of
the competition, Steve had a new idea of making fashion videos that
would play in department stores. At the time, this had never been done
before.
With lots of cajoling companies like
I.B. Diffusion, Hartmarx and Christian Dior, were soon displaying
Steve’s fashion videos at the point of purchase. Steve's work took on
even more style and flare.
In the early days of 1st
Generation,
Steve did a lot of his editing at the Center for New Television along
side of now prominent Chicago film industry personalities like Arturo
Cubacub owner of I^3,
and cinematographer
Rana Segal. "We rented the edit room for $75 for the whole night, from 5
p.m. to 9 a.m. and would work all night long." he says.
Steve always did know how to make a buck.
In 1985, Steve took on a new partner
in 1st Generation,
Rick Shaughnessy. Together he and
Rick built 1st Generation
into a very successful production company moving into high end corporate
communications. With Steve’s new DP
Jens Bogehegn, Steve once again stayed on the edge of innovation,
pioneering new technologies by being among the first industry
professionals to use tools like Hi-8 video, Betacam, Steadicam Jr.,
mini-dv, non-linear editing systems, Firewire editing, DVD authoring,
and eventually HD cameras. |
Early in 1992 Steve
and Rick sold 1st Generation
to BDI. As director of BDI, Steve continued his work with many of the
same clients he had served as owner and director of
1st Generation.
It’s his skill and ability that keep clients coming back for more. More
industry awards for his work are further proof of his talent and
dedication.
In 1995 Steve married his girlfriend and editor of 11 years
Lucyna Wojtas. A truly unique relationship is theirs. They work
together in concert to create the heartfelt warm stories they are known
for. Not many couples can successfully work this closely together and
still survive the rigors of marriage. Somehow these two do it.
In 2000, after
he completed his commitment with BDI and with the new name
Zacuto Films,
Steve began again. This time the focus on producing and financing
motivational documentary-style programming for the corporate training
market interviewing such notable people as Peter Drucker (father of
modern management), Dr. Michael Hammer (process specialist),
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani,
Mayor Richard Daley, and Mayor Thomas Menino, as well as CEO's of
companies like McDonalds, Sears, Masonite, Zenica, Allstate, and
others. 
See
behind the scenes images
There's more to Steve than work however. You can see him riding around
Chicago on his 1948 Schwinn Panther, working on his
fine art photography portfolio,
playing with his little girl Isabel and working on his family genealogy
which he has traced back to Abraham Zacuto, who played an integral role
in Christopher Columbus' discovery of the new world. Steve has also been
known to enjoy a fine cigar from time to time.
John Lenart |
