About Us
Journal-ish was founded by Amber Silva and Sara Tracogna. After attending Western University for four years, studying in the same undergraduate program but rarely crossing paths, the two were finally driven together when they enrolled in the same master’s program to study communications and journalism. In the summer of 2019, Amber and Sara went from classmates to colleagues as they were hired on as interns at the same women’s empowerment NGO in Mwanza, Tanzania. For three months they collaborated to create video content for the organization that ranged from short communications pieces to a documentary. Maintaining a close friendship and sharing a similar frustration at a lack of creative work opportunities, the two partnered once more, nearly a year after they embarked on their internship to Tanzania, to create the production company Journal-ish.
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​Journal-ish is a small production company based in Toronto, Canada. With a curiosity about our world and the people in it, we create videos that capture a glimpse of someone else’s life. From small business owners to unique creatives, we want to hear YOUR story.
Our incredible team is truly the heart of Journal-ish Productions. It’s their talent that leads to award-winning visual content, and their dedication that keeps our clients coming back. Learn more about our team below.
Amber Silva
Amber Silva is part storyteller, part producer and one half of the brand Journal-ish. Her passion for the arts started at a young age; growing up, she took painting classes, learned to play several instruments and can even recall recording homemade recreations of Spongebob episodes with her siblings and neighbours. Throughout the years, Amber’s love for using her creativity grew into something greater as she pursued media in post-secondary and graduate school. She achieved a Master’s of Media in Journalism and Communication from Western University, spawning the creation of Journal-ish.
As a creative with a technical skillset, Amber now plays a key role in editing videos, creating graphics and pushing Journal-ish forward. Her goal is to capture and share unique stories that inspire people to be curious about the world.
Sara Tracogna
Sara grew up with a love of writing, spending childhood days sat on her daisy-quilted bed writing stories and songs in her journal. As she got older, she pursued literary-focused courses in school, practiced an academic writing style, and later completed an undergraduate degree in Media Studies. But her interest in more creative pursuits carried on, pushing her to pursue a Master of Media in Journalism and Communication at Western University. In this graduate program she found her editorial voice and professionally pursued mixed media for the first time, taking video production courses and learning the art of visual storytelling. While on internship producing communications videos for an NGO, Sara realized her future was film.
With a curious and collaborative nature, Sara seeks to push the envelope as Journal-ish grows. This is an opportunity to stop and listen, to connect with people who may regularly pass you by on the street. Her hope is that viewers will take away from Journal-ish videos what she does from conducting the interviews: a new perspective.
