DAVID SEEGER: MIND BODY AND SPIRIT
David Seeger has been defending himself ever since he worked on his first cartoon in his father’s animation studio over forty years ago. He’s been defending himself ever since his best friend Fred got punched in the eye in grammar school and the two of them decided that they better learn karate together. He’s been defending himself ever since he tried to build too big of a house on too small of a slab but now David Seeger is re inventing himself.
This versatility has garnished him five Emmy nominations and three wins as a result of his work with ABC Sports and four children as a result of his work with Holly Whitstock, his wife.
David is the CEO of Today Video, a production and post production video company where he has been “turning tricks” (of a non sexual kind) with Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Bon Jovi and Britney Spears to name a very few. He is an editor, as well as a DGA director and cameraman. Additionally, he directs and edits the NBA music video opens on ESPN and ABC and always has a vision in mind as to how his shots will later cut together.
His establishing shot opens at a mansion in Great Neck, Long Island, over 50 years ago, where we hear his mother telling us off screen that “David was born in the womb of a camera.” As a teenager with an indoor pool and sauna he recalls that dating was quite enjoyable. “It’s better to have a pool at seven then seventy,” he quips. The shot then cuts between David working for his father at Hal Seeger Studios while attending Film School at NYU.
Along the way there have been many other film techniques used in David’s life like a FADE IN to celebrate the birth of his children and a FADE OUT to commiserate the loss of his parents but nothing is more important to him today than reality, or more specifically, reality television.
David is currently the executive producer of Punk Payback, a reality series on Fox. David and Holly are also working on a new series called “Xtreme Bootycamp” about the New Jersey gym that Holly trains at. Another show that David said he would enjoy making is “The Wives of Snedens Landing.”
My personal favorite, though, is the “Legacy Video” project where in a thirty minute documentary format a parent can leave their children wisdom, accomplishments and their true essence, instead of just leaving them wealth. Even though this show is made for an audience of one, it is an important “one.”
The important one when David was growing up was Beverly. In addition to being his mother she was mentor, his business partner and best friend. She was also the founder and the first chairperson of the Merchant Marine Academy Museum in Kings Point, Long Island.
When she became ill in January of 2003, he was emotionally unprepared. In his highly personal autobiographical film entitled, “Beverly Foreverly,” a son attempts to reconnect with his mother in the World Beyond. Through a series of psychic readings, interviews, rituals of self exploration, and even the unexpected death of his father Hal, David gathers new understanding about life in the Hereafter which he feels is ironic since he never sought his parents understanding in this life.
David DOES seek Holly’s understanding though and has ever since she worked for his father as an animator right after graduating from the Philadelphia College of Art. It was not love at first sight, though, or even second or third sight. In fact, she didn’t like him at all and thought he was obnoxious but over time David made her laugh and I am happy to report that thirty years later she’s still laughing.
While working at Hal Seeger Studios, she animated and oversaw the department. She produced almost 500 cartoons including the Peabody Award-winning series “Cartoon-a-torial” which were 15 second spots that brought to life the political satire of 12 syndicated cartoonists. The series aired daily on national evening news programs.
In 1986, Holly and David created “The Karate Rap,” a tongue and cheek music video. Since the birth of their first child one year later she has worked exclusively with David as Producer for their video productions and as a Computer Graphics Artist. In 1994 the Seeger’s held at their home the premiere screening of “Sister Sensei,” their feature length karate-satire featuring a cast of various family and friends.
David’s interest in karate, however, is anything but satirical. He currently holds an 8th degree Black Belt in Shorin-Ryu Karate USA and trains regularly in his karate club in Palisades, NY. Over the years he has taught many neighbors and their children karate. The karate he teaches is not for sport. It is for self-defense and a healthy way of life encompassing mind body and spirit.
This can be evidenced one evening, a few years back, when David was with his son Sam in NYC and they were cornered by two muggers. Sam was surprised when the larger thug suddenly went flying through the air. The smaller guy made a gesture to reach for something from his pocket, most likely, a weapon. “Don’t do it,” David shouted, giving him a last chance to avoid a painful outcome. The would-be mugger staggered to his feet, dazed and disoriented, while the smaller one quickly reconsidered and ordered a hasty retreat.
As the second highest rank, just under the Master, David has students traveling to train with him from CT, MA, NYC, LI, and visitors from his schools as far away as Hawaii, Israel and Hong Kong. The karate spirit enables those who train to overcome all obstacles in life through hard work and sweat. Classes are Wednesday nights, 7pm to 8:30pm and Sunday mornings, 10am to 12pm. Neighbors and their children may come by any Sunday in loose clothes to try it. More can be learned about his style of karate and the worldwide organization he belongs to by visiting shorinryu.com.
Family wise, Max, his oldest son and previous Regional Emmy Award winner, is living in Astoria. He has an exciting new job, shooting and editing shows about cars for the DRIVE channel, for which he has been doing a lot of traveling. He recently returned from Bangkok, Thailand.
The Mayor of Bad News, Max’s band with brother Sam, perform in the city and have just released an EP entitled “Turn On The Charm” recorded at Converse Studios in Brooklyn last summer as a result of winning a contest.
Sam has been working with David, shooting and editing. Sam and Holly also created an animation for the TUNESAT website. As always, Sam continues to play guitar and write his own music. After editing with David an Allman Brothers concert for DVD distribution, Sam taught himself slide guitar. He has become quite the artist, as well, disappearing into the basement to paint canvases for hours on end.
Ben is a junior at Brooklyn College, majoring in Film. He is also interning for “TV Carnage,” a production company with a new show soon to be on the Cartoon Network.
Lily, their daughter, is a freshman at Rockland Community College in the Honors Program. She teaches Math and Reading at Kumon, and is also tutoring Math two or three times a week at RCC between classes.
Recently, Sam, Ben and Holly each submitted a piece at the annual member’s show at Rockland Center for the Arts.
So, as you can see, with David Seeger what you see is NOT what you get. You end up getting much, much MORE.