Colin, or “Scroggs” as he’s affectionately known within the Teak family, has been partnering with us for years as a film editor. He really lives his passion, filling what little downtime he has with personal projects like writing, directing, or editing. He recently wrapped up directing a sitcom pilot, a short documentary, and a short film. He also enjoys biking around the city and spending time at the movie theater. As he put it, “I loooove going to the movies at indie theaters. I try to go once a week.” Enjoy our conversation with the very talented Colin Russell.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I was born in Boston, MA, and grew up on Cape Cod. Both of my parents were teachers and I have a twin sister and an older brother. I came to San Francisco to attend USF, and I guess I never left! For some unfortunate reason, people like to call me Scroggins (or Scroggy, El Scrogo, Scroggotoni, Scroggily-Woggily, Wade Scroggs, and so on). The only person who truly knows why is Greg Rowan. I live with my girlfriend Alexis and our cat Gurgi. Every morning I wake up to him attacking my feet, and so long as he doesn’t draw blood, I couldn’t imagine a better way to start my day.
Tell us some of your go-to content at the moment. What are you reading/listening to/watching now?
I’m a big data science/journalism nut and read or listen to just about everything published by FiveThirtyEight and the Silver Bulletin. They’re each most widely known for their election modeling, where they aggregate polls (and mix in other data points like fundraising numbers and endorsements) to paint clearer pictures of elections and public opinion. They have fascinating sports and science coverage too and have created a bunch of interactives over the years, including one for changing daylight saving time and one where you can compare Negro league baseball players to current and historical MLB players. I also love clicking through FanGraphs and BaseballSavant for my baseball data fix
When your computer beach-balls, it’s telling you it’s working too hard.
What’s the best advice you’ve received that you actually use?
Take breaks! Someone once told me that when your computer beach-balls, it’s telling you it’s working too hard and that it just needs a minute to rest — you probably do too, so take the chance to stretch your legs! As an editor, it’s really easy to lock yourself away working, blink, and realize half the day is gone with little to show for it because you’ve been stuck going down dead ends or trying to make one idea work. Sometimes you just need to unplug, get some exercise, or a good night’s sleep! I really believe that you can usually get mental tasks done in less time if you take breaks than if you were to work nonstop for much longer.
Tell us about a brand you admire and why.
This might be an unconventional answer, but I think what the NBA has done over the past decade-plus has been pretty awesome. I don’t think any other professional sport is more closely tied with other elements of popular culture, music, fashion, film, etc. They’ve also had a history of being open to rule changes that improve the sport and have done an amazing job of marketing their players. I’m a big sports fan, but a lot of my friends are not. Even so, most of them could rattle off a handful of NBA players they’re at least aware of, while the same isn’t necessarily true of other sports.
What’s your favorite non-famous app on your phone?
GrandPad! GrandPad! GrandPad! If you don’t know what it is, it’s essentially a private Instagram clone for your Grandparents that only their family has access to, and it links up to a super simple tablet even a ninety-year-old can use comfortably. My aunt set it up for my Grandmother years ago, and all of my extended family upload their photos there for her to follow along with. It also has a bunch of cute features like games (she can play me in virtual checkers), daily trivia, and a cat-of-the-day. She absolutely loves it! It’s all the best aspects of social media without the bad, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to keep an older family member in the loop in this digital age.
What is the current topic/hobby/subject that you are obsessed with?
I love restoring old steel bicycles. It’s something I got into during the pandemic to keep me busy and to spend time outside. There’s always something weird or different with each bike. I love taking them apart, hunting down parts, and the smell of blue Dawn dish soap when I clean them.
What’s an ad that stands out in your mind or your favorite campaign ad?
I’m a sucker for all of the Dr. Rick ads. I have no clue what they have to do with insurance, but I hope they never stop making them.
What’s something that’s brought you joy recently at your work?
I just recently wrote and directed a short film that we shot up in Guerneville this April with a small Bay Area team (former Teak-er Alec Rodriques was our DP). I don’t find myself on set too often these days, so to work with such a talented cast and crew (including an amazing dog actor, Musik) was really a privilege. I’m pretty excited with what we were able to capture and we’ve already started submitting the film to festivals, so I look forward to sharing it with the world!
What’s something that’s brought you joy recently outside of work?
I just saw a movie at the newly renovated 4-Star theater in San Francisco, and I’m so happy with what they’ve done with it! I love going to the movies at all of the city’s remaining independent theaters and want to give a shout-out to Adam Bergeron and CinemaSF for the incredible work they’ve done to restore the 4-Star, the Balboa, the Vogue, and now the Park Theater in Lafayette. These theaters have fantastic programming of classic films (something sorely missed with the Castro’s change in ownership) and I highly recommend paying them all a visit! (I made this micro-doc about Adam a few years ago with Teak.)
