Robert Ambrose Kennedy
Digital Storytelling, Public Relations, International Affairs
Crafted, researched, award winning materials for grassroots, businesses, non-profits, public institutions, and more.
Experience in the field, on and off camera
Great stories require hands on knowledge beyond producing and recording, and a career of unique experiences goes a long way: award winning media, public relations in the private and public sector, real world international affairs, in depth knowledge of environmental diplomacy, experience in global food security from hands on farming up to the federal scientific research level, and well informed graduate level research gives an advantage to each project and the goals it seeks to achieve. Real skills from a life in the field.
Portfolio Examples
Tomorrow Begins Here
The Kiribati Project
The feature length documentary co-created by local youth from the Pacific island nation of Kiribati and a team of teachers from Loyola University Chicago. In the face of a shifting climate that’s causing drought, sea level rise, and an uncertain future for these low lying communities, Kiribati has been reaching out to the world to pay attention. Now with the advent of smartphones, we taught to students to take the power of storytelling into their own hands. Together we produced Tomorrow Begins Here, a story of humanity and resilience in a troubling time for the Pacific.
A story that has captivated audiences around the world at festivals in North America, South America, Asia, Oceania, and Europe, and now on Whakaata Māori TV in New Zealand.
Featured Interview on NPR’s Maximum Health Radio
Dr. Ken Grey of WQCS had me on his show Maximum Health Radio to explain the origins of Tomorrow Begins Here, the filmmaking process, what it was like teaching students in Kiribati, and big takeaways from the project. I also get into some of the larger picture issues that this film helped to put into focus, and the exciting reception that it has had since being released around the world.
Murals of Pilsen
Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood has been the heart of the city’s Mexican community for generations, and one of the many great things that locals brought with them was the tradition of Mexican muralism.
With interviews from Luis Tubens of the Pilsen Public Arts Tour, and master muralist Oscar Romero, a student of Frida Kahlo’s protégés at La Esmeralda National School of Art in Mexico City who has been a staple of the Pilsen muralist movement for decades.
This segment was produced for the UpClose: Immigration episode of the Loyola University Chicago Newscast.
UpClose: Immigration
This news program made by the Loyola University Chicago newscasting team took a deep look into the issues facing the immigrant communities of Chicago, particularly in the predominant Mexican community of Pilsen. The segment Murals of Pilsen was part of the larger newscast, which also incorperates many shots of mural footage and a credit sequence that I also filmed and produced. My role was also to assist reporters and producers on a variety of segments in a supportive role in whatever way I can, be it technical, filming b-roll, or a number of other tasks. This is a program that we are very proud of, and I’m glad we were able to give voice to the people of Chicago, and more specifically the community Pilsen.
Maxwell Street Foundation
Board Member - Digital Media Producer
Home to America’s oldest street market, a birthplace of electric and Chicago blues, and the heartbeat of the city’s thriving culture made up of communities from around the world. Maxwell Street is a one of a kind, and its story and legacy influence American culture in many ways to this day. As a lifelong market goer and active part of the Maxwell Street Foundation, I organized a team of Loyola University Chicago students and executive produced a six part series on the history and ongoing legacy of the market, neighborhood, and amazing characters who made it.
Moses West Foundation
Emerging from a background in military service and an interest in engineering, Moses West has found a way to bring Atmospheric Water Generation technology to a new level of advancement. His machines are able to make potable drinking water out of humidity in the air, and has done so where it’s needed most. Bringing relief to Puerto Rico after the devastating Hurricane Maria, the city of Flint, Michigan, Jackson, Mississippi, and more Through his non-profit work, he has shown what is possible for AWG technology. In this video, we give a tour of one of these amazing machines at work.