CLAi

Specialties

CLAi specialize in complete video production, video company support, script writing and editing, location scouting, concept design, casting management, location crew, project services, digital videography, 5k cinematography using the RED Epic and RED One, location audio, teleprompting, film lighting and gaffer services, RED rentals, Canon rentals, video post-​production, color editing, location color correction, RED studio and location shooting, Avid video editing, Final Cut video editing, Da Vinci color grading, soundtrack production, audio adjustment and mixing, production management and planning for corporate video overviews, product video, seminars and educational videos, corporate events taping, commercials, advertising agency fast video support, VNR video news release for PR firms, educational video, documentary video, broadcast location news video, music videos, and indie film production. If it involves film or video — we do can handle it at CLAi!

History

Established in 1985.

CLAi began as a video production company creating documentaries and films for the BBC and advertising commercials and high end corporate films for Saatchi & Saatchi in London. Prior to this Chris Layhe, the CL in our name, worked for the BBC and then the ad agency straight out of University. In 1994 we relocated the firm to the USA, to Clearwater in Florida and then to Santa Cruz in the San Francisco South Bay. We are very committed to both the highest quality and creativity, but also to providing projects that work and are affordable — whoever our client may be. That’s why we have used state of the art RED digital cameras since they first came out, because the pictures they make are incredible — 6x the size of HD and just like 35 mm film in look and quality. Our video editing and color grading systems match this quality — as do our people, and their dedication to great storytelling and programs that are exceptionally effective. We measure our success by the success of our clients…

Meet the Business Owner

Chris L.

Business Owner

Chris Layhe has been a professional film and video Director, Cinematographer/​DP and Editor for over 25 years. Growing up in England he was always very visually aware and a born storyteller, which launched a career in film and television when he bought his first camera for his Architecture degree study — it was a life changing moment. More degrees in film and then animation were followed by employment as a Director at the BBC in London on documentaries and features, and then a period with the London advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi as a Broadcast Director. These two sides of the film industry set the seeds for everything that he has done since — establishing a «formula» for combining the highest quality with innovative creative concepts and entertaining storytelling, and then applying these to make videos that precisely achieve a client’s goals at affordable budgets. We win lots of awards, but our reward is having clients we enjoy working with that come back time after time…