HI! MY NAME IS GARY GABISAN.
I am a seasoned Digital Communications Professional with a multifaceted background spanning filmmaking, music, DJing, and education. My passion lies in empowering entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofits, and purpose-driven organizations to craft compelling narratives through content. Outside the digital realm, I proudly wear several hats: lead vocalist for P.I.C, a DJ with a penchant for 7” analog records, a facilitator of media production workshops, and an instructor in the art of Filipino Martial Arts.
NYU FILM SCHOOL
I graduated from NYU Film School with a focus on screenwriting and documentary filmmaking. After graduation, I worked in the New York City motion picture/television production industry. I worked and collaborated with internationally recognized and award-winning director Lav Diaz (Norte, The End of History) and commercial/music video director Steven E. Mallorca (Slow Jam King).
INTERACTIVE PRODUCER
I was attracted to the storytelling possibilities offered by digital media, so in 2003, I joined MTV.com as an Associate Producer. For MTV, I developed, produced, and published weekly original online content that focused on audience engagement after a TV show’s premiere air date. I concurrently managed multiple productions and the timely launches of online content for flagship MTV shows such as Laguna Beach, Pimp My Ride, and Punk’d.
Lured by the call of palm trees and everyday sunshine, I made the move West to Los Angeles, where I continued to produce online content for entertainment companies such as Jackass and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. From my experiences working on two iconic brands with distinctly different audiences, I learned how to embody a brand’s vision as well as recognize and appeal to the nuances of distinct niche markets.
I learned a lot from Mickey Mouse and Johnny Knoxville. So much so that Mickey and Johnny greatly influenced me to change my career trajectory. Realizing the influence of media and the strength of good storytelling, I decided to try my skills in the nonprofit world.
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
In November 2015, I joined Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties as a Digital Communications Specialist. Working for a nonprofit healthcare provider that remained a constant in the public discourse proved challenging and exciting work. From this experience, I developed essential analytical and creative skills for a responsive and rapid workflow that maintained brand integrity in all communications, including print, social media, and video.
MEDIA INSTRUCTOR
Around the same time, I began work as a Media Instructor for Visual Communications’ Digital Histories program. Visual Communications is a community-based nonprofit media arts organization that produces the annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (an Academy Award qualifying festival for the Short Film award). Every Saturday, I would travel to the Little Tokyo district in Downtown Los Angeles to teach documentary filmmaking and visual storytelling principles to senior citizens.
MUSICIAN
Alongside my professional media and filmmaking career, for the past 20 years, I have continued pursuing my passion for music — as a composer and performer for the New York-based bands P.I.C and The Jack Lords Orchestra and as co-founder of the independent record label Riding Mower Records. In 2002, I appeared weekly on Comedy Central, performing with P.I.C when they were Wanda Sykes’ house band on the show “Premium Blend.” The show adapted P.I.C’s original track, “Hiphopunkfunkmamboska,” that same year as its theme song.
MARTIAL ARTIST
Throughout these past two decades, I have honed my martial arts skills. In 2018, I earned the gold medal in the Double Stick Masters division at WEKAF’s (World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation) international Filipino martial arts competition, placing first in the world after competing, in full combat gear, against three other competitors in Lahaina, Maui. I currently hold the rank of Master – a 4th-degree black belt in Doce Pares Eskrima (Filipino martial arts) and Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. In addition, I continue to train in Muay Thai kickboxing and teach practical self-defense to groups and individuals.
7″ VINYL RECORD COLLECTOR
Beyond the realms of digital media, film, music, and martial arts, I enjoy traveling and collecting yacht rock on 7″ vinyl records.
Currently, I’m living in New York, looking to help others tell their stories and create meaningful content. Whether it’s a project for the big screen or a story to tell on a mobile phone, I’d love to hear from you.
Experience
VJ Media Group, Managing Director & Partner
July 2023 - Present
As the Managing Director and Partner at VJ Media Group (a boutique digital marketing agency), I help entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofits, and purpose-driven organizations craft resonant content that engages their audiences and amplifies their impact.
Duties include:
Spearheaded the design and implementation of agency-wide operational strategies.
Ensured timely publication of clients’ social media content, enhancing brand visibility and engagement.
Led training sessions for internal teams and clients on emerging media platforms, fostering digital proficiency and innovation.
Managing external vendors and offshore teams.
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CORNELL UNIVERSITY, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
FEB 2020 - June 2023
Worked as the Communications Manager for the Department of Performing and Media Arts at Cornell University.
Duties include
Content creation and distribution,
Website coordination and maintenance and
Video production.
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VJ MEDIA GROUP, DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
SEPT 2018 – FEB 2020
Worked as a Digital Communications Specialist for VJ Media Group, an NYC-based boutique marketing agency specializing in social media management and creative services.
Duties include:
Copywriting and content management.
Media strategy and online advertising.
Video production and graphic design.
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PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF ORANGE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES, DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
NOV 2015 – JULY 2018
Worked as a Digital Communications Specialist in the Marketing and Communications department. Managed and maintained print and digital communications for Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties and corresponding brands (Melody Women’s Health, WIC).
Duties include:
Collaborating with other departments (Development, Community Education, and Patient Services) in creating their print and digital content.
Website and print material maintenance, social media publishing, email campaigns, and video production.
Managing external vendors (graphic designers, videographers)
Delivering monthly insight-driven digital content reports.
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VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA INSTRUCTOR
SEPT 2015 – MAY 2018
Worked as a freelance Media Instructor teaching documentary filmmaking and the principles of storytelling to senior citizens as part of Visual Communications’ Digital Histories program. Visual Communications is a community-based non-profit media arts organization that produces the annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (an Academy Award qualifying festival for the Short Film award).
Duties include:
Lecturing on the principles of visual storytelling and story structure.
Instructing on the use of video editing programs and digital cameras.
Leading in-class critique sessions of students’ projects.
SKILLS
Copywriting & Research: Proficient in crafting compelling content across various formats, including press releases, whitepapers, and social media captions. Expert in engaging diverse audiences and driving brand messaging through meticulous research and the strategic use of advanced tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Grammarly). Commitment to content relevance, impact, and innovation in communication strategies.
Project Management: Inspire and lead teams on content production and create innovative workflows. Able to develop detailed statements of work and efficiently keep projects on budget. Clearly communicate and direct vendors through the production process. Assure proper representation of a brand’s identity. Asana, Basecamp, Google Sheets, Microsoft Office, Notion, Trello
Social Media Marketing: Strategy and execution, social influencer and brand ambassador management copywriting, campaign management, Iconosquare, Hootsuite, Facebook, Facebook Advertising, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin
Digital Content Analytics: Campaign tracking, content engagement analysis, and optimization, Google Analytics, Facebook & Instagram Insights, Twitter Analytics
Email Campaign Management & Marketing: Copywriting, HTML coding, list segmentation & targeting, scheduling, A/B testing, email metrics analysis, reporting, Constant Contact, MailChimp, Convio, EveryAction, SalesForce
Content Management Systems: Django, Concrete 5, WordPress, ExpressionEngine, Joomla, Ecktron, proprietary CMS (Disney’s Go Publish CMS, MTV’s Uma CMS)
Video Production: Shooting, editing, lighting, location sound recording, HD & 4K Cameras (Canon C300, C100, XA10, 5D MK III, 7D, GoPro, Lumix GH4), Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Audition, Adobe Media Encoder
Digital Audio Production: Encoding and editing, Audacity, Ableton Live
Digital Still Photography: DSLR (Canon 5D MKIII, Canon 7D), iPhone 13
Adobe Creative Cloud: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, After Effects
Front End Development: HTML, CSS, PHP
Interests
Martial Arts: Doce Pares Multi-Style Eskrima (4th-degree black belt, certified instructor), Muay Thai kickboxing (3 years training), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Blue belt), gold medalist 2018 WEKAF (World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation) international Filipino martial arts competition.
Action Sports: Snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, urban biking.
Music: Music production, studio engineering, collecting 7” vinyl records, DJ-ing/Turntablism.
Culinary Tourism: Traveling to different cities to find the best local eats.
Education
New York University, Tisch School of the Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Film and TV Production (1995)
New York University, Center For Advanced Digital Applications
Certificate in Digital Production for Entertainment Industries (1998)
Cornell university
Digital Marketing Certificate (2021)