(PRESS RELEASE) LEOMINSTER, MA — Chris Ploof, designer and founder of Chris Ploof Designs, announced the launch a new documentary style vertical shorts series on YouTube, produced in partnership with Engagement101, entitled “Conversation with Chris Ploof.” Season 1 is comprised of six short videos and includes personal chats with Chris about topics such as how and why he became a jeweler, his commitment to sustainability, and expert shopping tips for men buying wedding bands. In addition, the clips show behind-the-scenes footage of Chris at work in his Central Massachusetts studio, including his blacksmithing and hand-forging of modern metals such as Damascus steel, Mokume Gane, and meteorite into usable forms for luxury jewelry. The first five shorts can be seen on YouTube now, with the Season 1 finale scheduled to be released end of March 2025.
“I am excited by this medium of storytelling and its accessibility on YouTube, especially as the popularity of vertical shorts continues to grow in the social media world,” says Ploof. “I love working with Severine, and when she suggested a video series, I jumped at the opportunity. The short videos give us a chance to share so much more of what we do and how we do it and more importantly, why we do it. I hope everyone will enjoy the series as much as we enjoyed creating it. And we can’t wait to share more later this year.”
Producer Severine Ferrari, Founder of Engagement101 opted for the vertical shorts genre to showcase some of Ploof’s personality, along with the ancient metal-forging techniques he uses. The short length of each video is well suited for sharing on social media and distills the content into bitesize chunks for contemporary on-the-go lifestyles. “We’ve been experimenting with different video formats over the past couple of years, and this is our first time covering a jeweler behind-the-scenes outside of New York,” says Ferrari. “I like to adapt each format to what best suits the subject. In Chris’s case, his mastery of modern metals, like Damascus steel and mokume gane, is just part of the story. He’s this incredibly passionate person who loves cooking, mountain biking, traveling, and he has deep roots in his local Leominster, Massachusetts community. His workshop process and size are so different from what we typically see in the NYC Diamond District, and having his wife Ann, a goldsmith too, as his muse and partner adds another layer of romance to his creative journey that our audience can really connect with.”
The documentary style interview series offers viewers the option to watch one at a time or to continue consecutive streaming, similar to binge-watching a television drama. The continuity of storytelling is effective and paints an overall picture of the man behind the brand. “A six-part multi-channel conversation series with behind-the-scenes footage gave us the perfect format to capture Chris as both the craftsman of amazing wedding rings and as the person. We are thrilled with the result,” says Ferrari. She adds, “Season 2 is also in the works. Stay tuned…”
To view Season 1 of the Series, click here.
For more information on Chris Ploof and his work, visit chrisploof.com.
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