Evan Engel

Producer & Journalist

Reel

This was Mashabl'es first short doc *ever*, and remains one of its most successful. In the midst of production, we learned that Vice was producing a similar story. We held our piece, found a second character, expanded the story, and created a well-rounded story.

I 3D Printed a Gun | Mashable Docs

For my last story at Mashable, I wanted to make a short doc about the way that cell phones had changed New York City: its nightlife, its culture, and its constant potential for serendipitous connections. My co-producer Bianca Consunji found the best angle for the story: profiling the city's last payphone repairmen. Our pre-interviews with the subjects left no doubt: These were the perfect guys for the story. This short went on to inspire similar work by rival outlets. 

The Pay Phone Repairmen of New York City 

While attending SXSW, we received word that Kevin Bacon was available for a shoot. My co-writers and I sprung into action; we got a script out to Bacon's team that night, and filmed the next morning. The video was picked up by the Today Show and other network TV stations. And it goes without saying... Kevin was great to work with. 

Kevin Bacon Explains the '80s to Millennials

When I learned of Lakota activists exploring ways to use then-cutting edge cryptocurrency technology on their reservation, I saw a story that could bring the historic plight of the Native American population to a new audience. I traveled to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to produce this story of an imaginative salesman and a skeptical community. I also co-wrote the accompanying story for Mashable.

MazaCoin: The First Native American Cryptocurrency

I spent 2010 producing the travel web series Jet Set Zero, which took me to Vietnam, Ecuador, and Thailand. I handled production budgets, scheduling, travel
arrangements, equipment management, and more. The show required me to film in challenging situations, including while mountain climbing, on horseback, and on motorbike. As Editor, I mapped out series arc and assembled episodes for online delivery, often working out of makeshift editing bays in cabins, apartments, hostels, and hotels.And since I lived and worked with our four-person cast, I also learned quite a bit about talent management and conflict resolution. JS0 earned Webby Award nominations in 2011 and 2012. 

Jet Set Zero: Thailand [Extended Trailer]

I traveled to Gaza to meet the creators of the area's first tech incubator. I was reluctant to cover this story at first; I didn't want to make just another bland piece about how tech is changing people's lives. But in our research, my co-producer and I learned that the incubator had a thriving contingent of women who were actively developing projects alongside the men. We wove their story into the other in a way that, I feel, adds quite a bit of value to the piece. 

Making Memes in Palestine

My bosses at the Wall Street Journal assigned me fairly straightforward story: profile a modern-age daytrader who's levargingg Twitter to gather and share information in realtime. What I found, instead, was a story about how his technological prowess has also left him lonesome, and the piece ever-so-delicately adds something human to this tale of finance and technology. 


Trading (and Tweeting) From Brooklyn

As the lead producer of NY Magazine & Vox Media's flagship podcast covering the business of tech, I run point on script-writing, editing, research, and more. I liaise with talent, stakeholders on our Social and Events teams, and make sure our show makes it to air twice a week. 150+ episodes and counting!

Pivot

I inherited this project upon starting at Vocativ. It had been in limbo for some 6 months, with various editors trying their hands at it. It's no exaggeration to say that when I received it, it was incoherent, incomplete, and, sadly, racist. I added crucial context, human moments, and every bit of B-roll I could find to craft a piece that, ultimately, gets more into the human backgrounds of the characters than the piece I received. We published it on the day of the trial's verdict and received coverage from other publications.

ISIS in America: The Terror Trial That Shook Minnesota

I spent many years trying to get access to an airbase outside Syracuse, NY, where military operators control weaponized drones abroad. I was pleased to profile of an oft-overlooked element of remote warfare: that our neighbors  are actively fighting in war, and that their participation has  implications for the rest of us. 

Drones of Upstate New York

In 2011, I joined folk rocker Abigail Washburn and her band as they toured behind her new album, "City of Refuge." Rock tours are already physically grueling: road food, one-night stays, and long van days take a toll. But Abigail and her band also love the outdoors, which meant that hiking, skiing, and frisbee were a part of this memorable project, and made for challenging and rewarding shoots.

Abigail Washburn - City of Refuge Tour

When I started as the head of video at Coindesk, I knew we had an uphill battle: Financial technology is high on technical concepts, and low on visuals. To address that imbalance, I leaned heavily into explanatory animation. Coindesk also had a backlog of footage from its events series featuring some bright minds in the space. While their words were riveting, the visuals were not. I fixed that by making animated quote videos, modeled off of YouTube lyric videos. Innovative animations helped grow Coindesk's nascent social media channels to stratospheric levels.

3 Ways to Think About Bitcoin's Fees

My bosses at the Wall Street Journal presented me with a difficult challenge: We had nothing but a photo gallery of different types of tile, and we needed a video. I found a solution that was creative, playful, and fun. It also let me capitalize on my love of jazz.

A Complete A-Z of Tiles

I produced, shot, and edited this piece for Mashable,which required me to travel to far-flung parts of the Utah desert. I've long had an interest in space travel and exploration, so this was a treat. Our work was later cited by CNN and included in a book by one of the subjects.

Evan Engel

Producer & Journalist

Reel

The Pay Phone Repairmen of New York City

Jet Set Zero: Thailand [Extended Trailer]

Making Memes in Palestine

Pivot

I 3D Printed a Gun | Mashable Docs

Kevin Bacon Explains the '80s to Mi...

MazaCoin: The First Native American...

Trading (and Tweeting) From Brookly...

ISIS in America: The Terror Trial T...

Drones of Upstate New York

Abigail Washburn - City of Refuge T...

3 Ways to Think About Bitcoin's Fee...

A Complete A-Z of Tiles

The Mars Simulation in the Utah Des...

When Movie Characters Google