Video Production Partners

Esther Ritter - Director of Photography / Camera / Producer

A longtime resident of Sacramento California, Esther Ritter has been a broadcast photographer for over 30 years. She got her first film camera at the age of seventeen and from that early passion for photography made a successful career in television. After spending 15 years at KXTV, a CBS affiliate in Sacramento, California, she went on to a successful freelance career.

Her work as a Director of a Photography has taken her all over the world shooting in Canada, Chile, England, Egypt, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, and Switzerland.

Esther’s credits include: Field Director for "Gardening by the Yard" which was the number one gardening show both in the US and in Japan; Director of Photography for Discovery Channel’s "Big Stuff" documentaries; Director of Photography for "Sell This House" and "Hundred Dollar Makeover", two popular design shows on the A&E Network.

Esther’s current credits on ongoing shows include: "Yard Crashers" and "Turf War" , a series of hit shows on HGTV (Home and Garden Network) and DIY (Do It Yourself Network).

Her special projects include "CortiTV", a Website that documents food and wine expert Darrell Corti on his ongoing worldwide search to bring high quality food and wine to an American audience.

In mid 2009 the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO) underwrote an 8 day trip to Chile where Esther shot a promotional video for their website. In March 2011 she did the same for the Sicilian Regional Wine Institute and Winett taste and Trade of Venice Italy. In September, she repeated her talents by shooting a promotional video for the Republic of Georgia's National Wine Association who use it in the international promotion of their wines, which have an 8000 year history.

Esther has a life long passion for food, culture and travel. Her parents, European immigrants, shared stories of their long journey to America over many happy family Sunday lunches from the Corti deli. To this day, as she enters Corti Bros, the smell of old world deli reminds her of her past and excites her of the adventures to come...

Stephanie Locher - Producer / Writer / Editor

Stephanie Locher is an award-winning television producer with 25+ years of experience in television production.

Locher began her career in the (at the time) tiny TV market of Flagstaff, Arizona at KNAZ doing everything from running teleprompter for newscasts to managing the Programming Department. That foundation provided the perfect platform for jumping into producing in larger markets. From her home base in Sacramento, California, Locher has produced three Emmy Award winning programs: For Kids Sake: Salute to Youth, an enlightened view of philanthropic teens making a difference in the community; Pulse, a locally produced-internationally aired health and medical show; and Medicine, Milestones and Miracles, an hour-long special that redefined telethons as a means to raise money and awareness. For each of these shows, Locher researched, planned, interviewed subjects, wrote and oversaw the edits.

Now a freelance producer for 12 years, Locher has worked on many television programs in national distribution: episode producer for House Crashers-a new show on DIY television, field producer for the original Yard Crashers, producer for Telly Award winning Backyard Habitat which can be seen on Animal Planet, field producer and writer for Gardening by the Yard which currently airs on HGTV, and field producer and writer for The Dirt on Gardening on DIY, along with numerous HGTV specials, and several Scripps Custom Programming video projects geared towards web-surfers searching for home improvement and real estate information. Locher also works on locally based programs including show producer for several Telly Award winning documentaries for KVIE-the PBS affiliate and their nationally syndicated America’s Heartland. Other clients include: Screaming Flea Productions, RIVR Media, Real Simple Productions, US Forest Service, Beazer Homes, Troops to Teachers, Idea Factory, Access Hollywood, UC Davis Medical Center, and KXTV-News10. All programs require extensive research and planning, client involvement and participation, concept development and execution, writing, shot- sheets, working with the director to create a visual approach, overseeing edits, and through client approval. This "hand-on" approach to all aspects of pre-production, production and post-production is Locher's key to ongoing success.

One recent project--a labor of love--has been the launching of oodleboxtv.com, a how-to website that introduces Stephanie to a whole new realm of technology, sales, promotion, large-scale talent management, and legal issues; all in an effort to find the perfect technique for creating a heavenly bÈarnaise. Appropriately, oodleboxtv will be an ongoing endeavor.

Locher attended Northern Arizona University and graduated with a degree in Broadcast Communications.

Jimmy Bell - Sound

Jimmy Bell, a musician and artist most of his life, has been in and out of recording studios for nearly 20 years. After a successful career in music and art, he took that life experience, got into sound design and location recording, and found his niche doing sound mixing and boom operating in television and film work.

Jimmy’s list of credit’s include: Sound mixer and boom operator for CMT’s (Country Music Television) Chopper Challenge, the number one show in 2008, for the network. DIY’s (Do it Yourself Network) Yard Crashers, House Crashers, Bath Crashers and Turf Wars. HGTV’s (Home and Garden Television) new show, Room Crashers, has used Jimmy’s audio talent as well.

He has worked on several independent movies with actor Robert Picardo (China Beach, Star Trek Voyager, Sensored) and Director Tim Russ (I Carly, Samantha Who, A night at the silent movie theater), to Emmy nominated television shows including Sutter Health TV, with local celebrity Beth Ruyak.

Jimmy’s enthusiasm for the arts and interest in new sound innovations keep him a much sought after Sacramento Sound Mixer. He is always looking for new projects he can collaborate on and elevate to the next level.