Shawn Spitler

Shawn is an entrepreneur, producer, writer and director who began making movies at age 15. Seven years later he joined the Marine Corps as a combat photojournalist, learning to tell a story in a single photograph. Shawn deployed around the globe documenting the human condition; becoming a storyteller as interested in people as I am in pictures. In 2014 Shawn founded a video production company crafting award winning short films, documentaries, and music videos. In addition to running his company, Shawn works as a multi-hyphenate within VA, producing podcasts, commercials, and character driven short docs. He is show runner for "VA News", and producer/co-host for "Standing Ready", a podcast exploring the untold stories of the VA's medical innovations. Prior to this, Shawn graduated magna cum laude from National University where he received a BA in English Literature. He went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts in film directing, writing, and producing from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. In 2014 Shawn garnered a Best Director award from the 2014 Canada International Film Festival for his short film "Soul Stealer", about a female Marine photographer ambushed in Afghanistan. "Bull Thistle" received a finishing award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. His music video, "Carry Me" won Best Music Video from the Peak International Film Festival in 2020.