About Us

Our Story

Filmworks 109 is an assembly of talented professionals who truly love making their clients look great and producing the medium for the world to know it.
It is our mission to treat every project we undertake with respect and enthusiasm and create film that will exceed expectation with regard to production value and our client’s goals.

The film industry is exploding and being on the cusp of a revolution in how we market and introduce products and services to current and future generations of consumers imparts on us a great responsibility to help our clients stay ahead of the curve.

Big brands use video because they know it works by helping them become trustworthy and relatable, improve social media engagement, create a stronger connection with brand and boost sales. At Film Works 109 you don’t have to be big to enjoy these advantages.

Our studio is based out of Albany, NY and able to service areas anywhere from Capital District to NYC. We don’t stop there though. We’ve also worked in Western NY, Washington state, Arizona, Massachusetts, Illinois and Florida. Video production isn’t a matter of distance, it’s about whether or not you’re willing to go the distance to get the job done.

Paul Rutherford

Paul is an author, screenwriter and producer. He has written two novels and two non-fiction books. He has produced, written and consulted on several documentary films. His novel “The Tunnel Hoard” has been optioned for a major motion picture. Paul’s documentary films have also been shown on television, in theaters and in museums.

Chris Conti

While working as a features photographer and chief editor at CBS6 Albany for many years, Chris helped implement their non-linear, networked editing workflow. Chris also taught at the New School Center for Media as a television and audio production instructor. He is fluent in Avid Media Composer, Pro Tools, Final Cut Pro and the Adobe Creative Suite.

Outside Filmworks 109, Chris has a lot of interests in the music industry. He has toured with in bands over the years and has a fully functioning Pro Tools studio set up in his house. When he’s not working you can find Chris playing his guitar or spending time with his son Ben.

Nicole Stachnick

Nicole has worked in video, online advertising, print and web design, broadcast, and email marketing for some of the largest brands in the Capital Region.

Nicole provides pre-production planning as well and is a proficient on-the-job camerawoman. She is also a digital media marketing specialist, and is well versed in implementing video into organic and paid advertising and social media campaigns.

She graduated from Chatham University with a Masters in Film and Digital Technology, and also holds a Bachelor’s in Meteorology from SUNY Brockport. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her son, and her greyhound.

Ryan Traver

Ryan has worked in many different areas of production, ranging from Live Event Coverage to Corporate/PR to Independent Films. Having a variety of experience including camera work, editing and graphic design, Ryan is as comfortable in post-production as he is in the field.

He Graduated from The New School in 2009 while meeting former instructor Chris Conti, who he would continue to freelance and work closely with. Ryan’s other work has entailed covering live events, working on independent projects and freelance graphic design.

Nick Herder-Dwarika

Nick is a well rounded person and a jack of all trades. Nick is a talented editor, shooter and designer.

Nick graduated from The New School and interned with Filmworks in 2017, staying on staff to become a full-time member of the Filmworks team. Nick is experienced in sports videography and has worked on award-winning film productions.

In his free time, Nick enjoys watching movies and playing tabletop board games.