The Team:
"Unity is strength, when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved." -- Mattie Stepanek (1990-2004) American Teenage Poet
Each of us work as independent media production professionals who share a passion for using the moving image to make a difference. Over the years, we have come together in various combinations to produce the films listed on the Work page.
We met each other through our work on the award winning PBS series Visionaries. Visionaries presents the stories of social impact organizations around the world and is hosted by actor Sam Waterston.
We met each other through our work on the award winning PBS series Visionaries. Visionaries presents the stories of social impact organizations around the world and is hosted by actor Sam Waterston.
George Araneo
Producer/Director
George spent five years producing for the award-winning public television series Visionaries. He has produced shows on such diverse subjects as mental health, Alaskan wilderness, addiction, urban renewal, education, and entrepreneuership in the 
developing world. Prior to attending film school, he worked for 11 years in broadcast television as an account executive for the ABC and CBS affiliates in Denver, Colorado. He has a masters degree in Media and Nonprofit Management from Suffolk University.
Aleksandar Lekic
Editor, Camera, Director
Aleksandar has been an all-around video production person for the past 14 years. As a producer/videographer/editor, he has focused on documentary profiles of several non-profit organizations that have done good work around the globe. His documentary shorts have appeared on PBS, WorldlinkTV, as well as on Serbian national television. Aleksandar has also edited and co-produced short fiction films for the LA-based film company, Anima Films.
Kelly Doran
Location Sound Recordist
Kelly has recorded audio for over 20 years. She works on movies, television, documentaries, commercials, and music recording. She’s dealt with a variety of situations, from recording dialogue on a multi-million dollar film to capturing the sounds of rush hour traffic in Delhi, India. The challenge of each different experience is the reward, and the accurate recreation of each sound is always her goal. Kelly has a fascination with sound, music and dialogue. She is always amazed at the subtle ways in which what we hear affects us. She loves to capture those created emotions and allow them to tell different stories.
"Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." -Voltaire
Testimonials:
Nothing is more rewarding than receiving positive feedback for our work. We are committed to discovering the emotional essence in each story we tell and communicating it to the audience.
“I sincerely believe that you have crafted a beautiful, emotionally powerful portrait of EARTH University.”
– Edward McNally, PR Consultant, EARTH University
“Spontaneous applause and tears accompanied our board of trustees first viewing of Colorado Rocky Mountain School’s show. The folks at Life Skills felt they could capture the soul of the school and they have.”
– Terry Lee, Director of Development, CRMS
"It was a pleasure working with George and Life Skills Productions on creating a new video for Our Space. He listened to our vision and crafted a video we love and that has gotten positive feedback from donors and others who view our website. George helped us feel comfortable and fully explained his process along the way. We couldn't have asked for a better experience."
- Gail Erdos and Peggy Tryon, Co-Directors, Our Space inc.
“Once again, I wanted to thank you so much for our wonderful episode, people love it, and we’re so happy to have it!
– Lexi Keogh, Alaska Wilderness League
“From the beginning, the team at Life Skills paid close attention to our agency’s work, our core mission and the clients we serve. They came to our administration office to meet with myself, the president and our development people; they reviewed our collateral and asked the right follow-up questions to get a real sense of our work and our clients. They helped us focus on our documentary and related fundraising goals, and to distill the very essence of our work and our message.”
– Aine Greaney, Director Community Relations, Center for Addictive Behavior
“I want to tell you that we have been very happy with the experience and results so far. The Life Skills Productions team has been very easy to work with and very professional. They have done their best to accommodate our wishes and have taken the time and interest, to learn enough about the organization to correctly portray it. We invited George Araneo to our board meeting last month, in Washington DC, to present the documentary in person.”
– Gian Rossi-Espagnet, Executive Director, EARTH University Foundation
“When George Araneo and his crew created the documentary about us, they took the time to understand the work we are doing here at Windhorse. They captured the details and the essence of our approach and provided us with a poignant document for our outreach.”
– Jeff Bliss, Development Director, Windhorse Asscociates
“Life Skills Productions was a pleasure to work with at every stage, from crafting the storyline to our final edits. We’re excited about the film’s ability to take our viewers on an emotional journey to the field to see the impact of our work, and are confident it will make a big difference in spreading our message.”
– William Foote, Founder and CEO, Root Capital
"Many thanks for this beautiful video. It tells the story of what we are doing and why. I am amazed with the final product. Bravo!"
- Kerri Perry, ROOF Over Head Collaborative
"I really appreciate all the hard work your team put into this project and know that we have a great product to show for it!"
- Loh-Sze Leung, SkillWorks
Nothing is more rewarding than receiving positive feedback for our work. We are committed to discovering the emotional essence in each story we tell and communicating it to the audience.
“I sincerely believe that you have crafted a beautiful, emotionally powerful portrait of EARTH University.”
– Edward McNally, PR Consultant, EARTH University
“Spontaneous applause and tears accompanied our board of trustees first viewing of Colorado Rocky Mountain School’s show. The folks at Life Skills felt they could capture the soul of the school and they have.”
– Terry Lee, Director of Development, CRMS
"It was a pleasure working with George and Life Skills Productions on creating a new video for Our Space. He listened to our vision and crafted a video we love and that has gotten positive feedback from donors and others who view our website. George helped us feel comfortable and fully explained his process along the way. We couldn't have asked for a better experience."
- Gail Erdos and Peggy Tryon, Co-Directors, Our Space inc.
“Once again, I wanted to thank you so much for our wonderful episode, people love it, and we’re so happy to have it!
– Lexi Keogh, Alaska Wilderness League
“From the beginning, the team at Life Skills paid close attention to our agency’s work, our core mission and the clients we serve. They came to our administration office to meet with myself, the president and our development people; they reviewed our collateral and asked the right follow-up questions to get a real sense of our work and our clients. They helped us focus on our documentary and related fundraising goals, and to distill the very essence of our work and our message.”
– Aine Greaney, Director Community Relations, Center for Addictive Behavior
“I want to tell you that we have been very happy with the experience and results so far. The Life Skills Productions team has been very easy to work with and very professional. They have done their best to accommodate our wishes and have taken the time and interest, to learn enough about the organization to correctly portray it. We invited George Araneo to our board meeting last month, in Washington DC, to present the documentary in person.”
– Gian Rossi-Espagnet, Executive Director, EARTH University Foundation
“When George Araneo and his crew created the documentary about us, they took the time to understand the work we are doing here at Windhorse. They captured the details and the essence of our approach and provided us with a poignant document for our outreach.”
– Jeff Bliss, Development Director, Windhorse Asscociates
“Life Skills Productions was a pleasure to work with at every stage, from crafting the storyline to our final edits. We’re excited about the film’s ability to take our viewers on an emotional journey to the field to see the impact of our work, and are confident it will make a big difference in spreading our message.”
– William Foote, Founder and CEO, Root Capital
"Many thanks for this beautiful video. It tells the story of what we are doing and why. I am amazed with the final product. Bravo!"
- Kerri Perry, ROOF Over Head Collaborative
"I really appreciate all the hard work your team put into this project and know that we have a great product to show for it!"
- Loh-Sze Leung, SkillWorks
Life Skills Productions:
"Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one."
-Marianne Williamson
Our work is based on the belief that the emotional impact of a well-told story can be a potent catalyst for change. We believe all significant steps forward begin with an emotional shift within an individual, or a group of individuals.
By combining the elements of sight, sound, motion, and emotion, the moving image offers the most powerful communications medium available to amplify the impact of compelling stories and create a stronger call to action. We work in all forms of moving image communication: documentary film, television, and internet video. As individuals, we are skilled in the many facets of the media production process; as a team, we offer the depth of experience necessary to creatively present your story for maximum impact.
Our range of experience assures you that all elements necessary for a successful project will be realized: development, field production, post-production, communication, and the completion of your project on time and within budget. We invite you to get in touch with us to discuss the possibilities. Bring us your stories. We look forward to working with you.
By combining the elements of sight, sound, motion, and emotion, the moving image offers the most powerful communications medium available to amplify the impact of compelling stories and create a stronger call to action. We work in all forms of moving image communication: documentary film, television, and internet video. As individuals, we are skilled in the many facets of the media production process; as a team, we offer the depth of experience necessary to creatively present your story for maximum impact.
Our range of experience assures you that all elements necessary for a successful project will be realized: development, field production, post-production, communication, and the completion of your project on time and within budget. We invite you to get in touch with us to discuss the possibilities. Bring us your stories. We look forward to working with you.