Leadership Team —
Jesse Ayala, Director
Jesse Ayala is a creative director specializing in documentary storytelling with brands and news clients in digital and interactive media. Ayala’s experiences across news media, e-commerce, and philanthropy with leaders such as the Clinton Global Initiative, the United Nations, Al Jazeera, and Teach for America provide exceptional insights on the translation of methods and objectives into new mediums. This interdisciplinary vision is essential to Fovrth Studio’s mission to integrate content, commerce, and action.
Ayala’s pioneering record in the digital economy earned honors from NBC News, Microsoft, InStyle, and The Huffington Post. Ayala works intimately with the production team and collaborators to generate technically impressive means to convey stories through 360 / VR and video. Ayala was selected as a filmmaker in the Facebook / Oculus Creators Lab for Good.
Alan Bucaria, Director + Immersive Lead
Alan Bucaria is a director of photography for 360 / virtual reality experiences and linear video, with a focus on commercial and news content. Bucaria’s technical acumen and aesthetic versatility have earned content collaborations with VR leaders such as Discovery, RYOT Huffington Post, and Vice, among others. Bucaria’s depth of knowledge has activated technical partnerships with Samsung, Ossic, and Ozo Nokia, leading practical research with prototype and pre-commercial equipment for usability and final product’s richness.
Bucaria’s leadership in the field and record with studios and commercial brands spans across short and long form content. Motivated by the potential of VR to restructure the world, Bucaria’s work has taken him all over the world on location in some of the most remote and interesting places on earth. From the volcanoes of Nicaragua to the pyramids of Giza, into the tunnels of Gaza and onto the front lines of America's political conventions, Bucaria's passion for visual 360 storytelling has positioned him as a leader in the evolving VR space.
Anna Therese Day, Executive Producer / Reporter
Therese Day is a reporter and Fovrth's Executive Producer and Co-Founder with expertise in international affairs, social movements, and identities for news clients in video and virtual reality / 360 content. Day’s award winning journalistic has earned honors from Google Zeitgeist’s Great Minds of Our Time, The United Nations Press Fellowship, the US State Department's Fulbright Fellowship, and the Truman National Security Project. Day was honored in 2017 as a part of Forbes Magazine's "30 Under 30."
Day’s advanced, yet approachable analysis and commentary is a fixture and an identifiable characteristic of the work she produces with partners like the New York Times, CNN, VICE, AJ+, and Skype. Day’s cross-cultural translation builds bridges between diverse audiences.
Connor Lonning, Director + Story Producer
Connor Lonning is a story producer and director of photography for video and 360 / virtual reality experiences, specializing in documentary and news content. Lonning’s mastery of craft evolved through experiences with grassroots and internationally recognized organizations such as the United Nations. Finding inspiration in human stories, Lonning is naturally attracted to projects that reach beyond the screen and into real life - a priority for Fovrth Studios.
Lonning’s leadership from ideation to post-production ensures the user experience is as rich as the story. Lonning’s work has taken him to every continent except for Australia and Antarctica, to date.