By Tatiana Trebisacci
Welcome to NYWIFT, Ashley Berkman! Ashley Berkman is a multimedia artist in the truest sense of the word. She is a producer, video editor, videographer, photographer, performer, visual/installation artist, educator, amateur puppeteer, prop maker, and kids’ entertainer – and she is constantly exploring new forms of expression. Working in a wide variety of disciplines, she seeks to make connections between them. As a video professional she strives for precision. As an educator, she loves to help students push their work to the next level. When creating for kids, she loves teaching self-love and self-trust through mindful movement, play, and a whole lot of silliness.

NYWIFT Member Ashley Berkman (image courtesy of Ashley Berkman)
How would you describe yourself in an elevator pitch?
I’m a professional multimedia artist who values equal accessibility to a great product. Whether I’m crafting a customized, wearable breadstick sculpture for a local comedian or providing technical support for the continued education of national mental health professionals, what you can expect is attentiveness and excellence.

Here’s Ashley Berkman wearing that breadstick… (image courtesy of Ashley Berkman)
In your position as a freelance video editor and photographer, what is your philosophy for creating engaging visual media?
Photography and video is about observing and capturing a suspended moment of time. It’s my job as a photographer and videographer to catch this moment and share it in its realest form. Editing is about connecting and refining those moments. When done right, the artist is invisible, and the moment speaks for itself.

Ashley Berkman taking a photo (image courtesy of Ashley Berkman)
As a multimedia artist, you have experience across a number of artistic mediums. What are some of your favorite projects, and how does exploration play a role in your creative process?
Some of my favorite projects involve life sized, wearable sculptures such as a giant box of French fries, a giant breadstick helmet, and an angry Samoa Girl Scout cookie made from a kiddie pool. I explore new ideas through curiosity and play. Humor and fun are a fundamental part of my expression and creative process.

Ashley Berkman and the angry Samoa cookie (image courtesy of Ashley Berkman)
What brought you to NYWIFT?
I am a member of Women in Film & Video Washington D.C., and I am looking forward to expanding my creative community into NYC. I enjoy connecting with other like-minded women in media.

Videographer Ashely Berkman on set (image courtesy of Ashley Berkman)
You also produce work in the realm of children’s media. How do you develop for a younger audience, and what do you hope viewers take away from their experiences?
Developing for a young audience is a lot of fun. Part of it is tapping into the child part of yourself. The other part is testing ideas to see what kids respond to – really listening to them to see what things are the most interesting to them. The stories, props, and costumes are also so much fun to create – I get to explore color, scale, and production in a way that is catered to kids.
I hope to teach a young audience the importance of self-love and self-trust at the beginning of their journey. This is a philosophy we encourage through movement, play, and storytelling.

Ashley Berkman on set (image courtesy of Ashley Berkman)
How does your interest in comedy inform and/or influence your work?
Great comedy is great editing. Like video and photography, it also entails observing and listening to the world around you – and just like video it is all about timing! I love editing and refining things so the story being told is clear and streamlined. Whether it’s a video or a punchline – it’s fun to tweak it and make it the best version of itself.

Ashley Berkman takes a photo (image courtesy of Ashley Berkman)
What is the best industry advice you have ever received?
Good business is good relationships. I pride myself in the respect I bring to my work and to the people I work alongside.

Ashley Berkman with her cameras (image courtesy of Ashley Berkman))
What types of projects do you see yourself working on in the future?
I plan to continue developing my current projects and I’m looking forward to incorporating more animation into my personal ventures. Professionally, I’m always open to connecting with other creatives doing interesting things!
Connect with Ashley Berkman on LinkedIn, on Instagram @yummypony, and on her website www.ashleyberkman.com.
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Ellie Nix
Welcome to NYWIFT, Ellie Nix! Ellie Nix is a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, where she played key roles in over 25 short films during the three years it took her to complete her degree. With a growing passion for assistant directing, Ellie brings a unique blend of efficiency and diplomacy to the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of media production. Ellie is most inspired when surrounded by people who challenge their perspective and a passion for those perspectives, and hopes to spend a lifetime pushing boundaries and helping bring bold visions to life. In our interview, Ellie discusses her experience as an assistant director, finding film community, and her short film Barreling Down!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Veanne Cao
Welcome to NYWIFT, Veanne Cao! We had the opportunity to interview Veanne Cao, a Vietnamese-Chinese writer and director whose work spans both the personal and the playful. Her short films—ranging from intimate dramas that explore memory, identity, and the Asian diaspora to comedies inspired by life’s absurdities—have screened at festivals around the world. Beyond the indie film space, she brings her storytelling sensibilities to the commercial and editorial world, producing content for global brands and publications. Veanne currently lives in Brooklyn with her partner and two shih-tzus.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Elizabeth “Liz” Bendelac
Welcome to NYWIFT, Elizabeth Bendelac! Liz is a locations professional. She’s managed, key assistant managed, scouted, and coordinated for film and television across New York and New Jersey. Her credits? NBC's New Amsterdam. Paramount’s Smile. Sony’s Goosebumps: The Vanishing for Disney+. Indie? She’s there too. Ponyboi, starring Dylan O’Brien and Victoria Pedretti. She’s everywhere you need her to be—quietly making it all happen. Recent work in the Tri-State area? The Home with Pete Davidson. Insidious 5. Manifest. Disenchanted. Resurrection. The Good Nurse. And a standout collaboration with Edward Burns on his sequel to The Brothers McMullen: The Family McMullen. Outside of production, Elizabeth dedicates her time to Surfers Healing, a nonprofit surf camp for children with autism. It’s a cause close to her heart, combining her love of the ocean with her commitment to community and empathy. Elizabeth is also an adjunct faculty member at the New Jersey Institute of Technology where she developed and teaches a course on location management. Elizabeth: She doesn’t just do locations. She produces. And producing, for her, has rules. Collaborate with directors who share her values. Strong roles for women of color. Fresh takes on stories you thought you knew. Films with the elegance of Merchant & Ivory but the punch to succeed in the real world. Films that leave a mark. To that end, she’s developing two scripts with award-winning playwright Montserrat Mendez. Exploring genre mash-ups. Shaking up narratives. Figuring out new ways to make audiences sit up, pay attention, maybe even gasp. Because whether it’s a location or a story, Elizabeth Bendelac knows how to map the journey. She knows the destination. And she will get you there.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Erin LoCascio
Welcome to NYWIFT, Erin LoCascio! Erin is a storyteller and producer with a passion for big moments, sharp edits, and seamless collaboration. As a story-driven producer and editor, her Clio-winning reel reflects her talent for transforming raw footage into cinematic experiences. She has built worlds at SYFY, earned millions of views at MTV, and shaped narratives from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con. We interviewed Erin in late summer, where she shared her behind-the-scenes experiences at some of pop culture’s biggest events, and described the immense pressure and excitement involved in bringing unforgettable stories to life.
READ MORE
Tatiana Trebisacci is a new media artist and web producer. An alumna of
NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program, she garnered industry recognition by contributing to a BAFTA-nominated team in the groundbreaking Immersive category in 2023. Her passion lies in leveraging emerging technologies to tell compelling stories.
Comments are closed