The Client: RSK (formerly Rav Shayele’s Kitchen)

Client: RSK (formerly Rav Shayele’s Kitchen) in Chestnut Ridge, New York

Objective: Create three promos for their upcoming fundraiser, a softball tournament, in addition to filming the actual event and creating a subsequent highlight video

Film locations: Five sit-down interviews in RSK’s Chestnut Ridge office and in a private home in West Hempstead, New York; man-on-the-street interviews in Evergreen Uptown in Pomona, New York; pre-tournament ballpark footage in Mount Ivy, New York; and event day at Warinanco Park in Roselle, New Jersey

Project Deadline: July 2023

The Proposal

Last spring, Yanky Katz of YK Events & Co reached out to ask if I could produce the videos for the large-scale outdoor event he was doing that summer for RSK. I didn’t have to think twice! I’ve worked with him dozens of times over the years; I’ve come to appreciate that anything Yanky does will be memorable, and I was already familiar with RSK’s impact helping struggling middle-class families get back on their feet.

We held an initial phone call with Mrs. Shani Schwartz, the COO of RSK, and Yossi Rosenberg, a Monsey-based attorney who came up with the Bat for RSK concept and would be the tournament commissioner.

Their vision for the fundraiser was to raise both awareness and funds by hosting a highly competitive softball tournament, with the 200-plus players and 16 teams procuring sponsorships to transform each pitch and home run into a potential donation. It would be a full day of work at our end — 31 softball games in all — and RSK wanted to go all out, providing custom jerseys, upscale food, and top-tier entertainment for the players’ children.

This grand vision needed to be reflected in our videos: three 60-second promos that showcased RSK’s work and built excitement for the tournament, as well as a highlight clip of the tournament with footage from the event.