On Friday night, while many New Yorkers were watching the Yankees game or otherwise out and about the city, a small group gathered at Buunni Coffee in Uptown Manhattan to learn about the literacy crisis in the Bronx. The independent film being screened, “1.5 Million,” and the Q&A that followed was the brainchild of Gregory Hernandez, founder of Green Canvas Productions.
Headquartered at Lehman College in the Bronx, the company is carving out a space in the local visual media ecosystem, offering original content as well as professional video production services with a focus on storytelling.
From a blank canvas to Green Canvas
Hernandez’s passion for storytelling began when he was a kid from the Bronx who loved literature and movies like “Toy Story” and “Monsters Inc.”
“You want to be transported to a new world with different living circumstances,” Hernandez said.
But it wasn’t until he began documenting the Bronx’s literacy crisis that he stepped closer to founding Green Canvas Productions.
He first became aware of the borough’s problems with literacy in 2014, while working in the production of a short film. He and a co-producer were forced to travel to the Word Up Bookshop in Washington Heights to film a scene there because there were no bookstores in the Bronx.
The Lit Bar — the only independent brick-and-mortar bookstore in the borough — opened later, and its founder became a central figure in “1.5 Million,” which Hernandez began working on in 2017.
The feature-length documentary explains why a staggering number of kids in the South Bronx lack access to libraries, brick-and-mortar bookstores and books in their community. The issue is deeply personal to Hernandez, an avid reader who was influenced by his father, also a bibliophile.
Making that documentary as a freelance videographer opened his eyes to the power of local, long-neglected stories. Soon after, Hernandez decided to use his skills to empower other small businesses and community organizations through video production services.
From freelance to LLC
In 2020, Hernandez transitioned Green Canvas Productions from a “doing business as” (DBA) entity to a limited liability company (LLC). Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, he persisted.
“It was tough, but I had the right training in the right environment, and that allowed me to say, ‘I can do this,’” Hernandez said.
Successful video production isn’t just about technical skills, Hernandez says — it’s about listening and collaboration.
“I always say I’m not a video expert, I’m a listening expert,” he said. For Hernandez, the client is the expert on their own story, and his role is to translate that into a compelling visual format. In every project, he seeks to evoke emotion, empathy, and enlightenment — what he calls the “three E’s” of effective storytelling.
As for the technical aspects of video production, he compares them to a Dominican dish he grew up eating.
“What it really looks like is sancocho — you’re putting together a great meal in a pot and you need all of the ingredients,” he said. “So you need the voiceover, the b-roll, the text on the screen, the title cards, the interviews, soundbites and any archival footage, the music, the right copy in terms of their branding style guide. You need all of those things.”
Back to the library and beyond
One of Green Canvas Productions’ biggest clients to date is the New York Public Library. In 2023, Hernandez’s team worked on a series of videos for the library, including a project highlighting teen learning centers.
His mantra — ABS, or “always be shooting” — has become a guiding principle for capturing those authentic moments that bring stories, and clients’ vision, to life. “There’s no greater feeling than when a client says, ‘this is exactly what I wanted,’” he said.
Teaching has played a key role in shaping Hernandez’s entrepreneurial mindset. During the pandemic, he took on a teaching position at the Educational Video Center while juggling getting Green Canvas Productions off the ground.
“When you teach someone, you’re essentially learning again,” Hernandez said. He frequently collaborates with interns, mentoring them in everything from video production to social media marketing. Hernandez recalls learning valuable branding tips from a young intern who critiqued the muted colors of his promotional videos.
“At first you’re offended and you’re like, ‘how dare this high schooler tell me, in my 30’s, [what to do]? … But that was one cheeky intern who was right,” said Hernandez.
For him, owning Green Canvas Productions is about more than financial success; it’s about being part of something larger, including initiatives to increase opportunities in the Bronx. He’s now known not just as a filmmaker in his neighborhood but as the “video guy” who produces for other small businesses and other local organizations.
Hernandez is also president of the Bronx Independent Cinema Center, an organization that aims to bring jobs, increase tourism, develop a rich artistic milieu, and be a talent pipeline in the borough.
“It fills me with immense pride — I’m so overjoyed to be a part of my community,” he said. “When I was in my 20’s, even though I lived in the Bronx, I didn’t feel like I was a part of it, [After] making my documentary and now starting my business, … I am part of a community.”
Follow on Instagram at @greencanvasproductions
Contact via their website at this link.
Learn more about the Bronx Independent Cinema Center here.
Check out more of our small biz stories here.
