Wavemaker Productions
Producer & Co-Founder
Curiosity was the business plan.
Storytelling, the medium.
We didn’t follow the story. We followed the questions.
I co-founded Wavemaker with longtime CNN producer Michael Schulder to chase stories that didn't fit a formula. Our mission: ask deeper questions, follow surprising leads, and tell them in a way that made even the most insider worlds feel like outsiders belonged there.
I didn't just shape the stories–I helped shape the brand. I co-produced segments, oversaw the original website build, helped shape the blog content, and crafted the voice that held it all together.
We followed stories others overlooked:
A former U.S. Senator trying stand-up comedy late in life–I co-produced the segment and conducted the off-camera interview. Michael led the on-camera portion, and CNN ultimately aired it.
An MMA fighter's journey as he tried to balance the danger of the cage with the realities of new fatherhood–told through the eyes of his wife, as she wrestled with whether she could stay in the marriage while he stayed in the ring. I spent several weeks in Atlanta shadowing him, talking to her, and even meeting the toddler to understand the full story from all perspectives.
Dozens of other pieces centered on reinvention, resilience, and people with something to say–if you asked the right questions.
Wavemaker wasn't built to be flashy. It was built to be curious.
And that curiosity changed how we told every story.
Senator Arlen Specter's Second Act:
His Foray Into Stand-Up Comedy
He once grilled Supreme Court nominees.
Now he was workshopping punchlines.
This wasn't just a quirky footnote to a political career–it was a story about reinvention. I was behind the scenes for this one: co-producing the segment and handling the off-camera interview.
Senator Specter was raw, testing his limits–and the audience's. But then again, he'd spent years doing that on the Senate floor. The stage just offered a different kind of spotlight–and a new audience to challenge.
The story aired on CNN–a national platform for something that started much more personally:
One of the most powerful people in Washington...
choosing to start from scratch.
And the deeper question: Why?
Featured on CNN. Co-produced by me. Watch the full segment below:
Click the image to enlarge and read the full landing page.
Chasing Stories, Shaping Structure
Where the Questions Led
Curiosity shapes the stories–and the site that told them.
This screenshot offers a glimpse into the kinds of stories we chased at Wavemaker–curiosity-led, human-centered, and often a little unexpected.
I helped shape the original version of the site, overseeing its architecture and refining its voice. I also played a key role in content development–surfacing stories, shaping angles, and guiding how they were told.
The layout may have changed.
But the mission behind it still shows.
Burst: Before "Send Me the Video" Was a Thing
A 15-second story. A brand ahead of its time.
She was six years old, and she’d just scored her first goal.
It lasted fifteen seconds. But that moment—the one with her arms in the air and the ball in the net—was everything.
I wrote and produced a short commercial for Burst, a video-messaging app that let users send clips from their phones–well before it was the norm. I actually created two versions: one emotional, for the online launch; one more product-focused, for trade shows.
The premise was small but powerful:
A little girl turns to her mom and says, “I wish Grandma saw that.”
The mom smiles. “She just did.”
Cut to Grandma proudly watching the goal.
The drawings were stick figures.
The "goal" took many takes.
But the message?
Connection.
And that part was real.
A goal scored. A phone recording. A moment shared across generations.
This shorter version was edited for emotional resonance and used in Burst's web launch and online advertising.
Click the image to view the full reel.
Built for clarity. Designed for demos.
This longer version was made for trade shows and investor decks, with written slides to walk audiences through the interface and flow.
Same message. Different goals.
Click the image to watch the demo version.
Great stories don't write themselves. Let's talk.
Tara McCann