Four women sitting at a round table in a food court, having a conversation with two drinks on the table, while others sit at nearby tables. A digital screen displays a program in the background.
Professional digital cinema camera with a large lens, mounted on a rig with handle and various controls and attachments.
Group of seven men posing on industrial stairs and platform inside a gritty, warehouse-like setting with metal and brick walls.
A black digital camera with a large lens and a strap hanging from the side.

Cal Engel

A bartender in a gray shirt and dark apron preparing a cocktail behind a bar with various bottles, fruits, and bar tools in a modern, well-lit restaurant or bar.
A professional camera grip with trigger, control dial, HDMI port, microphone port, headphone jack, and flash button, designed for handheld photography and videography.
Group of five diverse McDonald's employees standing together, smiling, wearing uniforms with name tags, against a plain white background.
Gold-colored statuette on a black cylindrical base, shaped like a stylized human figure with an elongated body and outstretched arm.
A black vinyl Grammy Award trophy with a stylized figure holding a musical note, mounted on a black base with a silver plaque.
A band performing on stage with three male musicians playing guitars and singing, illuminated by colorful stage lights with other band members and equipment visible in the background.
A shiny silver statue of a woman in a flowing dress with a horned hat, holding a small object, on a black display base.
A decorative statue of a woman with white hair and glasses, dressed in a gold gown, standing on a gold pedestal with a plaque, against a black background.
A man with blue eyes wearing a black baseball cap with a Chicago Bulls logo and a black and white checkered shirt, sitting in front of a wooden background.

WHO I AM

Hi, I’m Cal. On here you’ll find out a little bit about my past work. I can almost guarantee I’ve had the most interesting background of anyone you’re talking to about working with your company. 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 that, 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.

After 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 scale the team up or down as a project needs. We handle everything from creative concepting through content creation and have worked on brands like Amazon, McDonald’s, P&G, Mercedes, and dozens more. And with artists like The Jonas Brothers, The Weeknd, Smashing Pumpkins, and more.

And 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.