Group of four women sitting at a table in a mall food court, smiling and talking, with a food stand behind them and a television mounted on the ceiling above.
Professional cinema camera with cage, lens, and top handle, used for filming.
A group of seven men posing together in an industrial setting with metal stairs, brick walls, and exposed pipes.
A black mirrorless camera with a large attached lens and a mounted flash on top.

Cal Engel

A bartender standing behind a bar counter, holding a cocktail glass with a drink garnished with a slice of orange and mint, in a bright, modern bar or restaurant setting.
Side view of a professional video camera with various control ports and a grip handle.
Group of five McDonald's employees standing with arms crossed, smiling, in uniform. They include two women and three men of diverse ethnicities, wearing red, blue, and white shirts.
Gold-colored abstract sculpture mounted on a black cylindrical base.
Black award trophy with a stylized figure standing on a round base, reflecting light.
A band performs on stage under colorful lights, with three musicians in the foreground playing guitars and singing, and a drummer and keyboardist visible in the background.
A metallic, shiny statue of a woman in a flowing dress and a headpiece, standing on a rectangular base.
A gold-colored award trophy featuring a stylized female figure with a towel wrapped around her head and her hand on her face, mounted on a rounded base with a plaque.
A man with blue eyes wearing a black baseball cap with a Chicago Bulls logo, and a black, white, and gray plaid shirt, sitting indoors with a wooden wall in the background.

WHO I AM

Hi, I’m Cal. On here you’ll find out a little bit about my past work. I’ve had the most interesting background of anyone you’ll meet. I started out making presentation materials for an agency working with McDonald’s, until someone in our Atlanta office stole the high prize game pieces and was arrested. You may have heard about it on McMillion$ on HBO.

After Simon Marketing, I built a video team at another agency called tms. We did work for clients like McDonald’s & Coca-Cola. Things were going great until one day when I got a call about a job I couldn’t pass up. The Jonas Brothers were on the phone and I left tms to go tour the world as their photographer, capturing every moment of their day so the content can be used for promotion, books, documentaries, print, and more.

When I got home from tour, I built an internal video team at an innovation agency called Maddock Douglas. I created content at Optimum Nutrition, taking them past their first million views on YouTube. And I worked at a company called Akoo that could be best described as MTV in mall food courts. We created content for the network with Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and more.

Then I started my own company, AV Collective, where I am responsible for all creative direction across a variety of clients. I manage teams of freelancers so that we can scale up or down as a project needs. I handle everything throughout the process from budgeting and proposals, to pre-production and directing, to editing and motion graphics. I built a one stop shop for all video and photo production needs. It’s been great and I’ve worked on brands like Amazon, McDonald’s, P&G, Mercedes, and dozens more. I also work with artists like The Jonas Brothers, The Weeknd, Smashing Pumpkins, and more.

Now I’m looking for something more collaborative. I’ve been a jack of all trades, worked on very fast deadlines, and managed shoots around the globe. But I’m looking for something where I can work with other people at a company to build that brand up. I’m a photographer, filmmaker, and creative director who can transform your content. I’d love to chat.