Thomas Desimon and Sam Janesko, both UMBC Visual Arts graduates of 2008 with a Film/Video concentration, produced the first 17 faculty video portraits in the Spring of 2008 under the supervision of Associate Professor Vin Grabill. Sam and Thomas were enrolled in the department's upper-level High Definition video course, and all portraits were shot and edited in HD video. This new technology produces digital videos which have superior visual clarity and resolution.

Thomas and Sam are continuing their interest in media production following graduation. Thomas reports, My interest in video is to treat it like a work of graphic design to yield non-narrative, abstract textures. The application of such works, I believe, is deeply embedded in pop culture and advertisements, and is now emerging in a new art form, VJing; the act of live video editing to the harmony and rhythm of music. My most immediate goals in this field are to build a repertoire of video textures and continue to learn the necessary software.

Sam states I am currently freelancing in the video field and as of right now, have the intention of strengthening and progressing my business shooting music videos, weddings, events, helping film crews, and editing. I try to stay open to all roads as I continue to expand the other side of my video experience, that being my personal time-based art projects to show at film festivals.