Pitino: Red Storm Rising

When Derek arrived at St. John’s Carnesecca Arena in late October to watch the first practice with Matt Howley, the series director and showrunner, they were immediately struck by one thing: the intensity. Not just from the players on the court, but within every element of the program. Every player, coach, and staff member was on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We quickly learned we'd be on the same schedule as well. 

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This seven-part docuseries was both a marathon and sprint—filled with pressure-packed moments, despair, and elation in the field and complexity, detail, and high-level coordination in post. As the lead producer on the project, Derek led the charge from the inside out, overseeing more than 70 days of embedded filming and guiding a dedicated post team of over 20 editors, graphic designers, creatives, story producers, and finishing craftspeople working around the clock to craft and release episodes in real time. From story and graphic design to licensing, animation, and talent management, Derek played a key role as Matt's key advisor—all while stewarding critical relationships with networks and stakeholders.

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And when ViceTV stated from the onset that the series needed to be delivered in real time, they meant it. Episode 6, which chronicled the Big East tournament, was delivered only three days after the confetti fell. That tournament included three games, each of which needed to be edited, colored, mixed, and woven into the compelling narrative we’d mapped out in our story meetings—all in less than a week. Even a delay of a few hours in getting the footage to our team could have put our on-time delivery in doubt. It would have been a challenge with any regular-season game—but this was the most storied conference championship in college basketball, played in the most iconic arena in the world: Madison Square Garden, bringing its own logistical challenges with it.

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Most like the team on the court, every person on the production team stepped up their game delivered an episode that was profound, touching, and invigorating. All in all, Pitino: Red Storm Rising wasn’t just an odyssey of epic highs and lows—it was an experience Derek will never forget. It was a project that turned a group of strangers with different skill levels, backgrounds, and storytelling perspectives into a unified team, sacrificing for the greater good of the show. And in doing so, they forged a bond that will last a lifetime.