Phillip Santos

Media Manager with 10+ years of production experience built from the ground up across live music events in the Bay Area, community non-profit work, weddings, and AI-integrated content. Promoted from Media Specialist to Media Manager at YMCA of Honolulu after building the branch's media presence from the ground up; now leads a Media Specialist direct report while continuing to shoot, edit, and produce content. Founder of Toasty Productions, serving clients across the Bay Area and Hawaii.

One year as an AI Workflow Specialist (AI Pilot) at AutomateIQ building faster content workflows for businesses using AI tools. Backed by 8 years as a district tech technician in California, with a track record of working inside structured institutions, managing multiple projects, and delivering on time. Permanently based in Honolulu with deep community roots.

Media Manager at YMCA of Honolulu - Atherton Branch (2026-06 – Present)

• Lead all photo and video production for the Atherton Branch, coordinating with the Management Team from concept through delivery.
• Operate cameras and edit in Adobe Premiere, CapCut, Canva, and Final Cut Pro, adding motion graphics and sound design, while managing multiple projects to deadline and keeping footage organized and on-brand.
• Own the branch's full social media presence: strategy, content calendar, scheduling, engagement, and analytics.
• Lead and mentor a Media Specialist direct report, coordinating shoots and assigning editing work.
• Produce donor- and grant-facing content and stay current on production trends.

Media Specialist at YMCA of Honolulu - Atherton Branch (2025-01 – 2026-06)

• Ran all photo and video production for YMCA events and community outreach, from planning shoots through posting on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook on time and on brand.
• Worked directly with program directors to ensure content reflected the organization's mission, and kept an organized footage archive for the team.

Videographer & Founder at Toasty Productions (2023-01 – Present)

• Run my own production brand shooting and editing video and photos for local businesses, live events, weddings, and automotive clients across the Bay Area and Hawaii.
• Handle every part of the job start to finish, from client conversation through final delivery, using AI tools to stay current and meet tighter timelines without dropping quality.

AI Pilot / Videographer (AI Workflow Specialist) at AutomateIQ (2023-11 – 2024-10)

• Used AI tools including CapCut AI, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Higgsfield to help businesses eliminate repetitive production tasks and build faster, more consistent content workflows.
• Applied AI across the full production cycle, from shoot planning and scripting to auto-captions, smart cuts, and audio cleanup, shooting and editing assets that drove real traffic and sales for clients.

Lead Videographer at Defiant Nature Creative Agency (2019-01 – 2023-01)

• Contracted videographer for Defiant Nature, a full-service production agency, embedded with Goldenvoice to cover major live music events across Northern California, including Coachella, Second Sky Festival, and Grateful Dead shows at Frost Amphitheater.
• Worked multi-day, multi-stage events with no room for error, reading the room fast, moving between stages, and getting the shot in real time.

Lead & Secondary Videographer at byDesign Films (2017-07 – 2022-07)

• Shot weddings and events as both lead and secondary videographer, running full production from client conversation through final edit, and worked closely with clients to deliver films that matched their vision.

District Technology Technician at Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (2016-04 – 2024-04)

• Managed teacher and student computers, AV systems, and network infrastructure across multiple campuses for 8 years, providing hands-on support and training district-wide and fixing issues before they became problems.

10+ Years Professional Equivalent Experience in Self-directed in videography, photography, content production, and AI-integrated workflows.

8 Years IT & Network Technician Experience – Belmont-Redwood Shores School District