DIGITAL ADVERTISING+
FILM PRODUCTION
Ascender Communications, Inc. is a digital advertising and media production company, proudly based in Southeast, Washington, DC.
Since we started in 2005, our team has produced award-winning motion-based, content and digital advertising campaigns for businesses, government agencies, non-profit advocacy groups and museum exhibitions. We also produce original scripted and unscripted/documentary films and content for broadcast networks and digital streaming platforms.
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OUR WORK
WHAT WE DO
BRANDING, DESIGN, DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT + AUDIENCE AMPLIFICATION
DIGITAL ADVERTISING
- Branding
- Copy Writing
- Print Design
- Editorial Photography
- Focus Groups
- Social Media Content Strategy
- Media Planning / Media Buying
DESIGN & INTERACTIVE
- Exhibition Design
- Digital Displays
- Immersive Presentations
- Interactive / Social Media
- Live Stream Events & Webinars
- Web Sites
- Animation
- Archival Media Research
- Motion Design
- Audio Production & Podcasts
- Oral History
- Pre-Production / Planning
- Narrative / Script Development
- Storyboarding
- Talent Selection
- 6K Digital Film & Video Production
- Interpretive Films
- Unscripted / Documentaries
- Complete Post-Production
SHORT FILM | HISTORICAL FICTION
In our award-winning historical fiction, short film ‘The Visit'(2022) a world-weary, Frederick Douglass (DL HOPKINS) is on a secret writer’s retreat with his youngest son and while navigating a mid-life crisis. Then, he gets a surprise visit from Harriet Tubman (SHALANDIS WHEELER SMITH). Her mysterious presence alters the course of his personal life at pivotal moment in U.S History, just before The Civil War.
Let’s Celebrate Southeast DC! Last year, we commemorated our 10th year anniversary as a 100% African American-owned business, based in Southeast Washington,DC with this exclusive collection of merchandise. It’s a celebration of a proud community that has embraced us.
DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT
BRANDING
ANIMATION
MORE STORIES
‘THE VISIT’ (SHORT FILM, COMING 2022)
In this speculative, historical fiction, a world-weary Frederick Douglass gets a surprise visit that alters his personal life–and the course of U.S. History. Coming 2022!
‘REVIVAL: PREACHERS OF CUISINE’ | 2020 FILM SERIES
EPISODE 1: ‘THIS IS SOUL FOOD’ (10mins)
In March 2020 we premiered our latest documentary short film series, REVIVAL:Preachers of Cuisine on Facebook and our YouTube Channels. Each short film will profiles African/African-Americans in the food industry who are drawing inspiration from their shared cultural past in order to elevate and expand how the world sees–and the tastes African-heritage cuisines. Taste the revolution!
‘REVIVAL’ EXTRAS | 60-SECOND TEASERS
CLIP: TONYA THOMAS ‘More Women Restaurant Owners’
Tonya Thomas, General Manager and Pastry Chef at Ida B’s Table restaurant in Baltimore, MD explains how she gained experience in the food industry and a major benefit of more woman-owned restaurants.
Clip: Chef Omar Tate “A Black Man in High End Kitchens”
In this REVIVAL teaser for an upcoming episode, acclaimed New York and Philadelphia-based chef, Omar Tate talks about the negative perceptions that have been assigned to him as black man working in high-end restaurants.
Chef B.J. Dennis ” Un-apologetically Low Country”
This is a teaser for forthcoming REVIVAL short featuring renown Charleston Chef B.J. Dennis, IV.
COMMERCIALS / PSAs
SPORTS: BILL PICKETT INVITATIONAL RODEO 35TH ANNIVERSARY (2 Mins)
This emotional love letter to fans from Valeria Howard-Vason, CEO of the legendary Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, as the nation’s oldest African American rodeo tour celebrated it’s 35th Anniversary, in 2019.
:60-Second Television Messages
‘Coming Home’| US Coast Guard Civilian Recruitment Spot 2012)
‘Women, Girls & HIV’| ACRIA (2014)
Kate’s Story (2017)
MUSEUM & HIST0RY
Factual, Interpretive and Exhibition-related Short-Films
Over the past eight years, Ascender Films has produced interpretative, promotional films and oral histories for community-based museums and cultural organizations exhibitions. We are passionate about this work. Here are a few examples:
‘Reclaiming Our Past to Preserve Our Future’
This documentary short film show how the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, a historic African American church based in affluent Georgetown area in Washington, DC is working to preserve a historic cemetery that was also known as safe haven on the underground railroad during slavery in the United States.
BLACK ARTIST SERIES: ULYSSES MARSHALL, PAINTER (2017)
Promotion video for Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center
BLACK ARTIST SERIES: HUEY GADDY, SCULPTOR
Exhibition promo video for Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center
ENLISTED (2012 Docu-Short)
Oral History / exhibition video about Black Veterans for Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center
DIGITAL SERIES
ADRIAN MILLER'S SOULFUL BITES (2019)
Factual Video Series | AFRICAN AMERICAN FOOD HISTORY
E3: Soul Food In Space
We commemorate the 50th anniverary of Apollo 11 moon landing, with Soul Food Scholar Adrian Miller explains how many of the ‘super foods’ that are being “discovered’ and promoted by scientists and nutritionists have long been staples of the African American /soul food plate since the days slavery in the U.S.
SERIES TEASER
Author and Food Historian, Adrian Miller, shares tasty bites of history about the evolution of America’s most controversial cuisine.
E1: HOW BLACK PEOPLE GOT ‘SOUL’
In this first episode, Adrian Miller explains how the term ‘soul food’ was adopted to describe the hybrid cuisine that blended African, European and Native American cooking traditions.
E2: TAKING SOUL FOOD GLOBAL
African Americans in the US Armed Services during WWI, WWII and Vietnam /Korean Wars, became ambassadors of Soul Food–taking the cuisine to other countries where there was a similar culinary palate and greater social acceptance.
Making Gumbo Jubilee: Triumph of Dr. Howard Conyers (2019)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT (TRT: 9:00 Mins) | AFRICAN AMERICAN FOOD HISTORY
The Story
This short film chronicles 24 hours of preparation by Dr. Howard Conyers, rocket scientist, BBQ Pit Master and host of PBS Digital show ‘Nourish’ as he roasts a whole cow for his landmark Gumbo Jubilee celebration.
Gumbo Jubilee was a community-wide celebration of African-American culinary heritage and foodways hosted by Dr. Conyers. The event was a part of the 300th commemoration of the city of New Orleans. It was held on Saturday, October 20th. Many notable African-American chefs, historians and food writers traveled to New Orleans to support the event.
Dr. Conyers, a South Carolina native, has received national attention for his whole pig roasts and lectures on black foodways. However, this was the first time he ever endeavored to roast a 300-pound cow–and it has not been done in the city of New Orleans in over a century.
PUBLIC HEALTH
TESTIMONIAL SERIES | CDC DIVISION OF TB ELIMINATION
Even the middle of a pandemic related to novel Coronavirus COVID-19, Ascender Films team is pleased to continue to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the production of TB Survivor testimonials and PSAs This is our fourth year doing this work and we have now produced more than 20 individual survivor stories. We are always thrilled to work with the talented team at the CDC Division of Tuberculosis Elimination as they document and share the stories to support U.S. TB survivors.
More ‘Personal Stories’ | TB Survivor Series
Kate’s Story (2017)
Shaka’s Story (2018)
World TB DAY PSA (2020)
DIGITAL CAMPAIGNS
DIGITAL PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGNS | Linking Denver, Colorado to Community and Clinical Care
We have proudly supported Colorado Black Health Collaborative (CBHC) and their partners in the Denver-metro area with integrated communications services for almost 10 years. Most recently, we created ‘FLOW'(FORM A LIFETIME OF WELLNESS) –a marketing campaign that promoting linkages to clinical and community care among Africans/African Americans in the Denver metro area. After four successful years, we were able to expand this initiative by focusing on improving health insurance literacy. Our focus groups that revealed that most people had access to health coverage. However there was a gap in how understanding how to access services. The following print and social media messages promoted how Denver residents should use their insurance to access preventive services in their local area that are free of charge.
