Categories
(as of March 2012)
David Speranza
SUMMARY
My diverse creative background includes writing product copy,
feature articles, reviews, and screenplays to editing fiction,
websites, and textbooks (as well as directing short films and music
videos), allowing me to merge a detail-oriented approach with a
big-picture mentality across a range of platforms.
PUBLISHING EXPERIENCE
FREELANCE WRITER / EDITOR (2007 to present)
Contributing Writer, Popshifter.com - Pop culture feature articles and reviews
Editor, All Man's Land and Spurius - Two literary novels by David Laszlo Conhaim
Copy Editor, Cultural Communications - Nonfiction book proposal
Copy Editor, Arcus Foundation - 2007 and 2008 annual reports
Copywriter, Emerson, Wajdowicz Studios - Rewrote company website for style and effectiveness; conceived and wrote UNFPA poster copy for United Nations.
Copywriter, Cosimo, Inc. - Back-cover copy (summary + author bio) for dozens of public domain books.
B&H PHOTO AND VIDEO, New York, NY
Technical Writer / Copywriter - Video and Photo (August 2009 - May 2011;
Freelance 2008 - 2009)
Wrote consumer-friendly product descriptions, articles, and reviews derived from manufacturer-supplied specs, manuals, and sales materials, with a focus on bringing accuracy and a larger context to professional and consumer video/photo equipment on the Web.
Contributed long-form articles and reviews to newsletter/blog, targeting both novices and professionals.
As a freelancer, updated all video sections for Winter 2008 catalog; contributed articles to 2008 and 2009 Student Buyers Guides; wrote 1,500-word online camera reviews; shot & edited Nikon D90 video demo.
BILL SMITH STUDIO, New York, NY
Interim Managing Editor - SRA's Imagine It! California ELD Program
(December 2007 - July 2008)
Hired freelance writers, editors and proofreaders for numerous assignments, providing guidelines, templates and daily instruction for Grade 1 and Grade 3 teacher's guide and student workbook.
Successfully managed over a dozen freelance writers and editors in fast-paced environment, during final month of $250k project following unexpected departure of editorial director.
Wrote and revised manuscript for student reading selections, glossaries and frontmatter/backmatter; created new bookmaps to meet changing client needs. Supervised team of five on-site proofreaders.
Proofreader / Copy Editor (June - December 2007)
Covered wide range of K-12 educational materials, including textbooks and ancillaries in all subjects (English and Spanish), at high-volume educational publishing vendor; copyedited in-house materials and website.
MACMILLAN/McGRAW-HILL, New York, NY
Associate Editor (August 2004 - November 2006)
Executed wide range of copyediting and project management for company's Editorial Services Group, utilizing InCopy, MS Word, and traditional proof pages.
Oversaw style and content, from manuscript to final proof, of primary grade textbooks designed for national and state-specific use. Subjects included Science, Social Studies, and Reading.
Collaborated with editorial and design to ensure that Chicago and house styles were followed and national/state standards adhered to. Rewrote copy as needed while regularly exceeding deadlines.
OSMIO, INC., New York, NY
Supervising Editor - Web Page Content (6 months)
Oversaw input and updating of web content for corporate expensing service. Devised style and standards handbook and trained new hires.
THE LUCHART GROUP, Wilmington, NC
Copywriter (1 year)
Wrote copy and pitched concepts for agency's top clients, from retail outlets to industrial manufacturers.
Produced radio spots, wrote newspaper ads, product brochures, and annual reports.
Domino Magazine, Assistant to Photo Editor (2 months - freelance)
Tracked photographer portfolios, conducted photo research, brainstormed name of magazine at startup.
Condé Nast Publications, Corporate Sales Assistant (1 year - contract)
Supported three sales directors in high-pressure publishing environment, handling company's largest accounts including L'Oreal, Estée Lauder, Johnson & Johnson, and Proctor & Gamble.
The Prague Post / Velvet Magazine, Features Writer (18 months)
Wrote profiles, celebrity interviews, reviews, and columns for city’s leading English-language periodicals.
For The Love Of Prague, Editor
Edited content and wrote foreword for book of memoirs by Oscar-winning animator Gene Deitch.
The Prague Revue, Associate Editor (2 years)
Solicited manuscripts, worked with authors, and edited content for international literary journal.
Dark Confessions, Screenwriter
Co-wrote feature film produced by North American Pictures.
Nicholl Fellowship 2004 Semifinalist, Screenwriter
Finished in top 30 (out of over 6,000 entries) in Hollywood's top screenplay competition.
Freelance Photographer / Videographer (2001 to present)
Write & direct music videos, shoot headshots, product shots, and promotional photos/videos for corporate and creative clients in Seattle and New York.
Website Designer
Designed online writing & media portfolios, kinotekfilms.com, davidsperanza.com and vrandazzese.com.
EDUCATION
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, Radio-Television-Film
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Microsoft: Win XP/Vista/7 Word Excel Outlook OneNote
Social Media: LinkedIn Flickr Facebook Twitter YouTube
Publishing: InCopy Kompozer HTML PowerPoint Mac Platform
Video/Photo: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Premiere 6.0 Sony Vegas Pro 10