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Brian Niles
Filmmaker / DP / Editor at Treeline Creative
Professional Background
Brian Niles is an acclaimed director and cinematographer known for his compelling storytelling through the lens of a camera. With a career that spans nearly two decades, Brian's work showcases not only his technical skill but also his ability to connect with diverse cultures and environments around the globe. Since 2005, he has traveled extensively across East Africa, India, Central America, Alaska, and throughout the lower 48 states of the USA, capturing a wide array of landscapes and stories that resonate with viewers.
Based in the picturesque Bend, Oregon for over 20 years, Brian's passion for outdoor sports such as skiing and mountain biking reflects his adventurous spirit, often inspiring the themes and narratives in his films. His artistic vision has culminated in numerous projects, where he has honed his skills in pre-production creative processes, writing, cinematography, photography, and post-production editing and color treatment. Brian thrives in collaborative environments, allowing his creativity to flourish, and this has been key in producing impactful visual narratives.
Notably, Brian co-directed and edited the feature-length documentary, "The PUSH," a project that garnered widespread acclaim and multiple prestigious awards. This documentary achieved the Best Documentary title at events such as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the San Diego International Film Fest, in addition to winning the Audience Award at the 2018 Bend Film Festival. Such accolades underscore his dedication to delivering authentic and engaging content.
Education and Achievements
Brian's educational journey has laid a solid foundation for his successful career in film and cinematography. He initially pursued an Associates of Arts degree in General Studies from Central Oregon Community College, where he gained essential skills and a broad understanding of the arts. Continuing his education at the University of Oregon, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with a blend of Environmental Studies, Business, and Film. This unique combination of education enables Brian to approach filmmaking with a profound understanding of environmental issues, business dynamics, and artistic expression.
His professional associations are a testament to his skills and influence in the industry. Currently, he operates as a Filmmaker, Director of Photography, and Editor at Treeline Creative, where he collaborates with talented creatives to produce high-quality visual content. Previously, he served as the Co-Director, Writer, Cinematographer, and Lead Editor at Hiball Energy Presents, and enjoyed a notable role at Anheuser-Busch InBev as a Cinematographer/Photographer and Ambassador Manager. His diverse portfolio also includes positions at Hiball Energy Beverage Company, where he was the Lead Cinematographer/Photographer, and The Outlaw Partners, where he held the position of Director of Video Production. Additionally, Brian founded Spindrift Productions, where he worked as a videographer and owner, creating lasting impressions through his visual storytelling.
Personal Interests
Outside of his professional endeavors, Brian is also an avid animal lover and has taken on the delightful role of a “dogtographer.” With two heelers by his side and the support of his partner Ashley, he finds joy in capturing the spirit and playfulness of his furry companions. This hobby not only offers him a creative outlet but also reinforces his belief in the importance of balance in life—an ethos that extends to his filmmaking and personal pursuits alike.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.
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