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Element Motion is a unique blend of four experienced commercial film directors and photographers, each bringing a distinct perspective to the table. What sets us apart is our ability to merge diverse expertise across multiple sectors—automotive, lifestyle, and food—into a seamless, collaborative process. This approach allows us to tackle a wide range of projects with creativity and precision, while maintaining a strong focus on how each subject matter is presented to an audience. Our combined knowledge and complementary skills ensure that every project benefits from a thoughtful, well-rounded perspective, resulting in striking visuals that tell powerful stories, no matter the industry.
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Tony Oberstar
Tony is a commercial film director with a passion for capturing the raw power and elegance of automobiles. Over the years, Tony has honed his craft to create visually striking automotive shoots with life style that emphasize the thrill, design, and innovation behind every vehicle. Whether it’s a high-speed chase or a slow-motion beauty shot, Tony is driven by the challenge of telling a brand’s story through activating imagery and cinematic storytelling. His approach blends cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of motion and light, ensuring that each frame is as exhilarating as the car it showcases. It’s not just about making ads; it’s about creating an experience that connects the audience to the essence of the car, the road, and the brand itself.
Maria Erikson
Maria Erikson
Photographer / Illustrator / Creative Studio Lead at Maria Erikson Studio LLC
Maria took the leap to start her freelance career after 28 years of full time agency life at Fallon, Olson and Carmichael Lynch combined. Some of her recent illustrations were used for projects with The Saint Paul Hotel, the Minnesota Twins 2024 Season, and landed on Lovebird Foods cereal boxes. Her years of experience capturing and creating content for brands like BUSH’S Beans, Garden of Life, Belize Tourism, Kayak, Discover Boating, Purina, Arla Foods and Phillips 66 brands enhanced the diverse skill set necessary to create recent successful content for Pacific Foods, Vital Proteins and Mae’s Market. Finding joy in launching Maria Erikson Studio LLC has reignited her creativity and passion in new freelance collaborations.
Her expertise includes: photography, prop creation and styling, creative retouching, content creation, studio management, illustration or producing full photo productions. She has developed six studios and delivered thousands of pieces of content for social, digital, and traditional media including OOH, documentary image libraries, and broadcast vignettes.
Steve Ray
Steve is a talented filmmaker with a unique focus on food, bringing creativity and fun to brands through visually captivating storytelling. Specializing in short-form content, Steve has mastered the art of crafting engaging, vertical videos tailored for social media platforms, often blending vibrant visuals with a playful tone that resonates with modern audiences. While his expertise shines in dynamic, snackable content, Steve is also adept at producing high-quality, national TV commercial-style videos, seamlessly bridging the gap between digital and traditional advertising. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for innovation, he consistently delivers content that elevates brands and connects with viewers.
Nick Leisenheimer
Nick is an up-and-coming commercial film director with nearly two decades of experience in the film industry. With an exceptional eye for emerging trends and a deep understanding of visual storytelling, Nick has honed his craft across multiple roles and is now stepping into the director's chair. Specializing in documentary-style branded films, he is particularly drawn to the food and lifestyle sectors, where he seeks to create authentic, visually captivating narratives that speak to the heart of what consumers want to see next. With his passion for both beauty and storytelling, Nick is quickly becoming a fresh, compelling voice in the commercial filmmaking world.
