Early in my career while at Borders, Perrin & Norrander, Eric Grunbaum, Kent Suter and myself were given the task of creating a campaign for The Portland Opera. One of the commercials was titled Moreschi, a visually striking and emotionally charged film exploring the haunting legacy of Alessandro Moreschi, the last known castrato singer. With a limited budget but a bold creative vision, the project blended historical storytelling with avant-garde cinematography. OK I shot pictures on a wall with my vintage Canon Scoopic 16mm camera! The entire campaign budget was $500 USD, bringing Moreschi’s story to life in a way that resonated with both opera enthusiasts and new audiences. It also won practically every advertising award that year and was also featured in the Communication Arts Ad Annual along with “Donizetti” (the other commercial in the campaign).

Premiering on television and through select screenings, Moreschi leveraged non-traditional media and word-of-mouth to generate buzz, drawing in viewers who might not typically engage with opera. The film’s simple imagery and music paid homage to Moreschi’s unique voice, both literally and metaphorically, capturing the tension between sacrifice and artistry.

With Moreschi, we wanted to create more than just a historical piece, we aimed to immerse the audience in the world of a man whose voice was his destiny. Thanks Mom and Dad for that career move..