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Creative Director · Executive Producer

Kico
Velarde

From ambitious idea to audience.

Building the teams, creative strategy and workflows that bring compelling stories to life.

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5×Primetime Emmy
NominatedCannes · Directors' FortnightBerlinale · Golden Bear Competition83M+ Program Impressions
Career Sizzle Reel
5×
Primetime Emmy
Nominated
83M+
Impressions
Generated
40+
Festival
Selections
15+
Years in the
Industry
About

Cinema trained.
Future facing.

Kico Velarde is a five-time Primetime Emmy-nominated Creative Director, Executive Producer, and filmmaker whose work spans independent cinema, network television, and global brands.

As Supervising Producer of Jay Leno's Garage, Velarde helped transform Jay Leno's passion for cars into a scalable digital franchise, producing hundreds of episodes as the YouTube channel surpassed one million subscribers. The series expanded to CNBC, where it ran for seven seasons.

That ability to bridge creativity, production, and technology later brought him to Apple's Pro Workflow Team, where he worked alongside engineers, product teams, and professional creators, translating the real-world demands of film and television production into insight that shaped creative tools and workflows.

Velarde's roots are in independent cinema. He co-produced PVC-1, the single-take thriller that premiered in Directors' Fortnight at Cannes and competed for the Caméra d'Or, followed by Meteora, which competed for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. He directed the award-winning short The Shooting Star Salesman, recipient of a Silver Telly, and most recently produced The Old Man and the Barber, selected by the Newport Beach Film Festival and LA Shorts International Film Festival.

Through Escape Plan, the creative company he co-founded with producer Joanna Velarde, he has created work for Apple, NBCUniversal, MotorTrend, Hasbro, ATOMOS, Shell, and the George W. Bush Presidential Center. He directed Lowrider Roll Models for MotorTrend and Quaker State, built to challenge the stereotypes surrounding lowrider culture through intimate, character-driven storytelling. What began as a four-episode order grew into a five-season, 51-film franchise that later expanded to HBO Max.

Most recently, Velarde executive produced Against All Odds, a docu-series following a female racecar driver competing in the McLaren Trophy.

Today he works with studios, networks, and brands to move ideas from concept to audience, shaping the story, building the team, and creating the production and technology workflows to execute at scale. He works between Los Angeles and Savannah.

He builds stories people remember and the creative engines that make them possible.

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Portfolio

Featured Work

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Short Film · Producer

The Old Man
& the Barber

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"Stories that change how people see
what they thought they already knew."

On Set
PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS 2018 — KICO AND JOANNA VELARDE
PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS 2018 — KICO AND JOANNA VELARDE
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — DIRECTING YANCEY ARIAS AS THE SALESMAN
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — DIRECTING YANCEY ARIAS AS THE SALESMAN
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — IN THE MCLAREN GARAGE AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — IN THE MCLAREN GARAGE AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
SETTING UP THE SHOT WITH JAY
SETTING UP THE SHOT WITH JAY
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — CHECKING THE MONITOR
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — CHECKING THE MONITOR
JAY LENO’S GARAGE — FILMING WITH THE PRESIDENT AND HENRY FORD III
JAY LENO’S GARAGE — FILMING WITH THE PRESIDENT AND HENRY FORD III
ON SET IN METEORA GREECE — SCOUTING ABOVE THE VALLEY
ON SET IN METEORA GREECE — SCOUTING ABOVE THE VALLEY
70TH PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS — WITH PRODUCING PARTNER AND WIFE JOANNA VELARDE
70TH PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS — WITH PRODUCING PARTNER AND WIFE JOANNA VELARDE
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — DIRECTING TALENT ON THE CYC WITH THE '63 IMPALA
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — DIRECTING TALENT ON THE CYC WITH THE '63 IMPALA
TAKING A PICTURE BREAK WITH KEANU AND ARCH MOTORCYCLES
TAKING A PICTURE BREAK WITH KEANU AND ARCH MOTORCYCLES
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — GIMBAL PASS ON THE '63 IMPALA
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — GIMBAL PASS ON THE '63 IMPALA
PVC-1 CANNES 2007 — PRESS PANEL
PVC-1 CANNES 2007 — PRESS PANEL
PRODUCER HARD AT WORK
PRODUCER HARD AT WORK
ON SET WITH SHELLEY LONG
ON SET WITH SHELLEY LONG
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — FILMING THE MCLAREN F1 CAR IN THE PIT BOX
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — FILMING THE MCLAREN F1 CAR IN THE PIT BOX
KICO AND JOANNA VELARDE — PRODUCING PARTNERS
KICO AND JOANNA VELARDE — PRODUCING PARTNERS
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — WITH THE CAST
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — WITH THE CAST
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — AT THE MONITORS BETWEEN TAKES
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — AT THE MONITORS BETWEEN TAKES
ON SET WITH DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE
ON SET WITH DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE
ON SET IN METEORA GREECE — WITH THE CREW ON THE ROCKS
ON SET IN METEORA GREECE — WITH THE CREW ON THE ROCKS
PVC-1 CANNES 2007 — TAKING A BREAK BETWEEN PRESS INTERVIEWS ON THE BLUE STEPS
PVC-1 CANNES 2007 — TAKING A BREAK BETWEEN PRESS INTERVIEWS ON THE BLUE STEPS
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR ON SET
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR ON SET
ON SET WITH ROWDY RODDY PIPER
ON SET WITH ROWDY RODDY PIPER
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — ON CAMERA IN THE GARAGE
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — ON CAMERA IN THE GARAGE
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — BUILDING THE GIMBAL RIG WITH THE CAMERA TEAM
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — BUILDING THE GIMBAL RIG WITH THE CAMERA TEAM
ON LOCATION AT METEORA — TAKING A BREAK BETWEEN SETUPS ON THE SANDSTONE PILLARS
ON LOCATION AT METEORA — TAKING A BREAK BETWEEN SETUPS ON THE SANDSTONE PILLARS
APPLE PRO WORKFLOW TEAM — MAC PRO LAUNCH
APPLE PRO WORKFLOW TEAM — MAC PRO LAUNCH
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — DOLLY TRACK ON LOCATION
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — DOLLY TRACK ON LOCATION
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — SHOOTING JAY ON THE BRAMMO AT BIG DOG GARAGE
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — SHOOTING JAY ON THE BRAMMO AT BIG DOG GARAGE
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — OVERHEAD RIG ON THE STAGE
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — OVERHEAD RIG ON THE STAGE
PVC-1 CANNES 2007 — WALKING THE CROISETTE
PVC-1 CANNES 2007 — WALKING THE CROISETTE
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — BLOCKING THE PORCH SCENE
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — BLOCKING THE PORCH SCENE
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — TRACK DAY PRODUCTION NOTES
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — TRACK DAY PRODUCTION NOTES
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — CAR CLUB ROLL OUT ON LOCATION
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — CAR CLUB ROLL OUT ON LOCATION
AT THE MONITOR WITH THE ATOMOS PRODUCTION TEAM
AT THE MONITOR WITH THE ATOMOS PRODUCTION TEAM
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — SETTING THE EXTERIOR SHOT
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — SETTING THE EXTERIOR SHOT
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — PICTURE WITH THE PRESIDENT
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — PICTURE WITH THE PRESIDENT
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — CREW LINING UP THE BEAUTY SHOT
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — CREW LINING UP THE BEAUTY SHOT
PVC-1 CANNES 2007 — WITH THE TEAM AT THE PALAIS
PVC-1 CANNES 2007 — WITH THE TEAM AT THE PALAIS
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — CREW AT THE DOLLY
THE SHOOTING STAR SALESMAN — CREW AT THE DOLLY
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — RIDING ALONG ON LOCATION
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — RIDING ALONG ON LOCATION
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — BUILDING THE TWO CAMERA SETUP
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — BUILDING THE TWO CAMERA SETUP
PVC-1 CANNES 2007 — BETWEEN SCREENINGS
PVC-1 CANNES 2007 — BETWEEN SCREENINGS
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — WATCHING PLAYBACK AT THE MONITORS
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — WATCHING PLAYBACK AT THE MONITORS
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — CAR ARRIVING ON THE FLATBED
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — CAR ARRIVING ON THE FLATBED
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — HOONIGAN SHOOT DAY CREW
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — HOONIGAN SHOOT DAY CREW
ON TRACK FOR THE DOCUMENTARY SERIES AGAINST ALL ODDS IN BARCELONA
ON TRACK FOR THE DOCUMENTARY SERIES AGAINST ALL ODDS IN BARCELONA
JAY LENO'S GARAGE - THE BIG DOG GARAGE AT FIRST LIGHT
JAY LENO'S GARAGE - THE BIG DOG GARAGE AT FIRST LIGHT
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — SETTING UP THE FOLLOW VEHICLE RIG
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — SETTING UP THE FOLLOW VEHICLE RIG
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — CREW WALKING PIT LANE AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
JAY LENO'S GARAGE — CREW WALKING PIT LANE AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — SLATE UP ON THE RANDY PEREZ INTERVIEW
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — SLATE UP ON THE RANDY PEREZ INTERVIEW
ON SET IN METEORA GREECE — RIGGING CAMERA ON THE ROCKS
ON SET IN METEORA GREECE — RIGGING CAMERA ON THE ROCKS
ATOMOS BRANDED CONTENT — HELICOPTER HANGAR INTERVIEW SETUP
ATOMOS BRANDED CONTENT — HELICOPTER HANGAR INTERVIEW SETUP
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — ON LOCATION DURING THE CAR CLUB SHOOT
LOWRIDER ROLL MODELS — ON LOCATION DURING THE CAR CLUB SHOOT
JAY LENO'S GARAGE FILM CREW
JAY LENO'S GARAGE FILM CREW
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Selected Recognition

A selection of honors, nominations, and festival recognition across film, television, and branded content.

  1. Featured Honor
    2025
    ADDYSilver Addy Award
    Excellence in Branded Content
  2. 2018
    EMMYPrimetime Emmy Nomination
    Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series · Jay Leno's Garage (NBC) · Producer
  3. 2016
    EMMYPrimetime Emmy Nomination
    Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series · Jay Leno's Garage (NBC.com) · Supervising Producer
  4. 2013
    EMMYPrimetime Emmy Nomination
    Outstanding Special Class – Short-Format Nonfiction Programs · Jay Leno's Garage
  5. 2012
    Golden Bear Competition
    Meteora · Berlin International Film Festival
  6. 2007
    Caméra d'Or Nomination
    PVC-1 · Cannes Directors' Fortnight
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