In this Alumni Spotlight Q&A, Mitch Braff reflects on how his time at the University of California, Santa Barbara helped shape his path as a filmmaker, entrepreneur and visual storyteller. After beginning as a Pre-Communications major, he transitioned into Liberal Studies with a focus on Film, History and English, creating an interdisciplinary education that allowed him to combine creative production, historical research and writing. As an undergraduate, Mitch produced an award-winning documentary that competed alongside graduate-level films, helping build the confidence and experience that launched his career in filmmaking. Following graduation, he worked in documentary and corporate production before founding multiple creative ventures, including LiquidView, an innovative company that creates immersive digital “windows” designed to bring natural environments into interior spaces. Drawing from his background in film production and storytelling, Mitch developed LiquidView into a wellness-focused technology now used in hospitals, assisted living facilities and commercial spaces across the country. His appearance on Shark Tank introduced the concept to a national audience and highlighted the intersection of creativity, entrepreneurship and technology that defines his work today. Through filmmaking, innovation and visual storytelling, Mitch continues to explore how media can shape human experience and improve everyday life.
You started at UCSB as a Pre-Communications major before transitioning into Liberal Arts with a focus on Film, History, and English. What inspired that shift, and how did it shape your career path?
I was always interested in film and wanted to study it, and I was in love with UCSB and wanted to go there. Candidly, I thought I might transfer to UCLA after a little while because UCSB didn’t have a film production department at the time — it was film studies. So I started in pre-communications thinking I could learn about it because communications was related to film, and I could take some film classes.
But when I started taking those classes, I really fell in love with the department and the school and wanted to be a part of it. I abandoned the idea of trying to go to UCLA, where they had more traditional film production opportunities.
At the time, UCSB had a great major called Liberal Studies, where you could pick three areas of focus — a major and two minor areas. Mine were Film Studies, History, and English. I felt I could take the film production classes I wanted, and no disrespect to the Film Studies department at that time, but they had courses like film aesthetics that I wasn’t that excited about.
As an undergraduate, I loved history and was interested in documentary film, so I thought history would be really valuable to study. I also loved English because I could work on my writing and maybe develop screenplays. With the Liberal Studies major, I could choose the three areas I was most interested in. I took production and film history classes I loved, did meaningful work in history — including a thesis — and improved my writing through English.
My thesis was about the conversion to sound for 20th Century Fox, and I went to UCLA and USC film archives to see original contracts. It was such a great experience to do that kind of research. In English, I read great short stories and strengthened my writing.
What inspired the shift was the ability to create a custom major. I was grateful UCSB offered that flexibility. The film studies major wasn’t exactly the right fit for me, but liberal studies, with those three areas, was perfect.
In terms of how it shaped my career path, I think I was very lucky to make a strong film as an undergraduate and realize that I had the ability, drive and talent to do that. It really helped build my self-confidence.
You created an award-winning documentary as an undergraduate and even competed alongside graduate students. What did that experience teach you about your creative potential?
Yeah, I was very lucky as an undergraduate. The Film Studies department had, at the time, Film Studies 106, where you got to make a 16mm film during your fourth year, your senior year. It was competitive, and you had to pitch and propose a project.
I had this idea to make a film about a program called Jazz in the Classroom, which brought world-class jazz musicians into an elementary school in East Oakland — an economically challenged neighborhood — to inspire students. It was a wonderful program to film.
Wynton Marsalis was in the film and came to the school to teach math through musical measures, and Pete Escovedo taught geography by introducing percussion instruments from around the world.
The film turned out really well, and I was proud of it. The first award I received was the Corwin Award. The Corwin family, who at the time owned some movie theaters in Santa Barbara, gave an award to one of the films and receiving that was a big confidence booster.
Because it was shot on 16mm film, it was also a significant opportunity. At the time, it was expensive — a couple hundred dollars for about 11 minutes of film, including processing and printing. Today, that might sound surprising since an iPhone can produce higher resolution, but back then it was a big deal. The university trusted undergraduates to work with 16mm cameras, which wasn’t common at other programs because of the cost and risk.
It was a great experience to essentially do graduate-level work as an undergraduate. I was fortunate to make a film I’m still proud of. It played in film festivals, won several awards in the student filmmaking world, and gave me broader exposure.
At some of these competitions, I learned that many of the other finalists were graduate students, which made me proud to compete at that level. In one competition sponsored by Nissan, I won third place in documentary, alongside students from NYU, Columbia and UCLA — all schools with top graduate film programs. That experience showed me I could compete at that level and strengthened my confidence in my abilities.
In many ways, I credit UCSB for helping me build those skills early. I didn’t feel the need to go to graduate school because I gained so much hands-on experience as an undergraduate.
After graduating, a friend I met at UCSB, Stuart Perkins, who had enrolled at San Francisco State, brought me on as a producer and cinematographer for his film. That opportunity came directly from connections I made at UCSB. The film aired on PBS, played at festivals and won awards internationally. That experience continued to build my skills and reinforced my confidence that I could pursue this work professionally.
What was the moment or realization that sparked the idea for LiquidView?
Previously, I had another business called Liquid Canvas, which created high-end video art for large companies like SoftBank and for residential clients, mostly along the coast. I was living in San Francisco at the time and had a client there with a beautiful home.
We were working on some video-based digital art, this client had incredible views from the front and back of the house.
However, like many 100-year-old San Francisco row houses, the space between properties was only about four feet. So despite having a beautiful home, all he could see from his dining room windows was the side of his neighbor’s house. We started talking about creating some kind of digital window to improve the view.
Initially, the idea was to place something outside or even replace the existing windows. But the key realization came when I started thinking about installing a digital “window” directly into a wall and trimming it out to match the existing architecture in a home, office or commercial space. If the window showed a real-time view that changed throughout the day — matching sunrise and sunset — it might feel indistinguishable from a real window.
That was really the moment the idea was born.
I should also mention that I grew up in San Francisco, and my first office at a production company had no windows. My first apartment had a master bedroom with only a light well as a window. So this was a problem I had personally experienced, but I hadn’t thought about solving it until I encountered this client situation.
At that point, I realized this wasn’t just one person’s problem — it was something millions of people deal with every day. That’s when it became clear it could also be a business opportunity.
How was your experience pitching LiquidView on Shark Tank, and what did you learn from presenting your idea to the investors?
It was really fun being on Shark Tank. As a filmmaker, it was especially exciting because it’s filmed in Culver City at the Sony Pictures Studios lot, which used to be Columbia Pictures. We were very lucky because our product, unlike many others on the show, had a lot of production value. We built a 17-foot wall with three large digital windows and installed electronic blinds by Lutron. It was a big installation, especially compared to other products, like beverages or tabletop items.
Because of that, our setup took about four days to build, so I got to spend a lot of time on the studio lot. I went to the commissary and explored the lot, which was a great experience. The soundstage we filmed on had plaques noting its history — it was the same soundstage where The Wizard of Oz was filmed in the 1930s. Being surrounded by that kind of film history was incredible, and I really got to enjoy it from a filmmaker’s perspective.
I also got to work with the show’s producers and art department, which was a great experience.
In terms of pitching, I learned a lot. It’s very different from a traditional investor pitch. I’ve done hundreds of investor presentations, and those are usually conversations — maybe six people around a table asking questions, where you can clarify or add things later.
On Shark Tank, it’s more like a press conference. When someone asks you a question, you have one opportunity to answer it fully. You don’t get a chance to revisit it later. That made me realize how important it is to be concise and complete in your responses. It was great media training, and I wish I had done more of that beforehand.
I also learned how important it is to control the conversation. A useful analogy is how politicians answer questions — they often steer their response toward the points they want to make. On Shark Tank, I realized that if you don’t take control of your messaging, you can miss the chance to communicate key ideas. To be honest, I don’t think I did as strong a job with that as I could have.
Another practical lesson was presentation style. I learned to always stand up when pitching, even for virtual meetings. We had to submit video pitches during the audition process, and the producers emphasized standing. It may seem like a small detail, but it makes a noticeable difference in energy and delivery — even on a Zoom or audio-only call.
The concept of “digital windows” is both creative and wellness-focused. How did your background in film influence the design and purpose of the product?
I think what’s unique about LiquidView is the level of production value we bring to it. There are other companies creating digital windows, but some use 15-minute looping views, while others use footage that runs 30 to 120 minutes. We shoot for about 30 hours in different locations using IMAX-level cameras — the same types of cameras used on films like Avatar, Mission: Impossible and F1. We generate about one terabyte of footage every 25 minutes while shooting, with a crew of about 10 people on set.
The goal is to create something that feels as realistic as possible. My background as a filmmaker definitely pushed that approach. If I hadn’t come from film, I don’t think I would have gone to that level, because it’s an intense process — it can take months to produce, and some render times alone take weeks.
We use the Sony Venice 2, which is one of the best motion picture cameras in the world, and we put a huge amount of effort into post-production. That includes editing, color correction, visual effects when needed and stereo sound design. All of that contributes to making the experience feel immersive and real.
When I first started the business, I was thinking more from a design perspective — how this could enhance interior spaces in homes or offices from an aesthetic and architectural standpoint. But about two and a half years ago, we connected with Stanford University, which began studying the health benefits of our windows.
That’s when we realized this is a wellness product. Their research found that our windows are so realistic that they can provide similar benefits to being near a real window, compared to being in a windowless room. For example, they can help slow heart rate, reduce blood pressure and calm the nervous system.
I think my background in film is what makes that possible. If I had approached this purely as an engineer or technologist, I don’t think the product would look or feel the same. I don’t have deep expertise in engineering or coding, but I do understand storytelling and visual realism at a high level.
Now that we understand the wellness impact, it adds another layer of motivation. It may sound simple, but the idea that this product can improve people’s daily environments and well-being is something I feel genuinely good about.
What kind of impact do you hope LiquidView will have on people’s everyday lives, especially in workspaces without access to natural environments?
I didn’t initially realize just how strong the impact would be, but we’ve seen incredibly positive responses. We’ve installed our windows in hospitals, including Mayo Clinic, Buffalo Children’s Hospital and Sutter Health in Northern California, which is planning to include them in a new hospital set to open in 2030. We’re also now working in assisted living facilities.
In those environments, especially in memory care, the impact can be dramatic. Residents are often in secure spaces for safety reasons, and in some cases there are limited windows. Because of that, we’ve seen how our windows can help calm people down. We’re continuing to gather data
and plan to conduct another study with Stanford, but we already have anecdotal evidence that people become less agitated when they engage with the windows.
For example, at a memory care facility in San Francisco, we have footage of Sausalito. There’s a resident who comes every day to watch for a specific seal in the scene, and she looks forward to it. Stories like that are incredibly meaningful.
We also hear from people in landlocked areas who say the windows make them feel like they’re near the ocean, which they love. At Buffalo Children’s Hospital, we’ve installed one in a teen lounge, and it helps patients relax after surgery.
Ultimately, I’m proud that we can bring the outside inside in a way that helps people feel calmer, more relaxed and even experience moments of joy. Being in a windowless room can feel isolating and discouraging, and if we can change that — even in a small way — it’s a meaningful improvement to people’s everyday lives.
You’ve described yourself as a storyteller shaped by your UCSB experience. How does storytelling still play a role in your work today?
I love telling stories. I love watching great storytelling in films and TV, and with LiquidView, it’s a more abstract form of storytelling.
You’re looking at a fixed point of view for 24 hours. For example, you might be looking at a beach in Hawaii. Early in the day, you might see someone with a metal detector searching for treasures. As the day goes on, more people arrive — some jumping off rocks, others playing ball or spending time together. By sunset, you might see someone taking a photo of their girlfriend for Instagram.
You start to notice these small moments — families spending time together, people fishing or walking their dogs. I love that you can observe these everyday interactions and watch these subtle stories unfold, because you’re essentially watching real life.
I think of it as capturing stories in an abstract way. I’m not creating them, but observing them. One of the things I enjoy most about LiquidView is that you can experience a full 24 hours in one location and watch the day unfold naturally in front of you.
You can also return to the same view and continue noticing things you may have missed. People sometimes ask, “If it’s a 24-hour loop, won’t you see the same thing?” Not really. It’s like a real window — even if you have a beautiful view, you don’t stare at it all day. You might glance at it for 30 seconds at a time because it sits in your peripheral vision.
Because of that, there are hundreds of small moments happening throughout the day, and each time you look, you notice different details. Those little, unfolding stories are what make the experience meaningful.
For current UCSB students who are interested in creative fields but unsure about career paths, what advice would you give them?
I would say to follow your passion and your heart. It’s hard to map out a clear career path. When I graduated with a film studies degree, I had no idea what I was going to do. I was interested in documentary films, but at the time, I didn’t know how to make a living doing that. Documentary filmmaking often requires fundraising, and I didn’t know how to get paid for that kind of work.
So I started a corporate communications company and produced marketing videos — work I hadn’t originally planned on doing — as a way to support myself while pursuing documentaries. I ended up running that production company for about 10 years. Eventually, I left because I wanted new experiences and was feeling burned out from corporate work.
After that, I started a nonprofit and created about a dozen documentaries that were shown in theaters and, more importantly, in schools around the world. Then I eventually moved into LiquidView, where I’m now creating 24-hour, 8K films for digital windows. It’s not a career path I ever could have predicted.
That’s why I tell students that if you’re passionate about film, TV or any creative field, you may not know where it will lead — and that’s OK. The most important thing is not to give up. It’s a very challenging path, especially when it comes to figuring out how to make a living.
When I was starting out, I took on temp jobs and worked catering on weekends — whatever I needed to do to pay the bills — while staying focused on my goals. I would encourage students to keep exploring what they enjoy and work as hard as they can to pursue it.
I also think it’s important for creatives to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. You need both the creative side and the ability to think about how to sustain your work. There’s a lot of hustle involved — you have to be able to present, promote and sell your ideas.
So my advice would be: don’t give up, and try to build entrepreneurial skills alongside your creative ones. It’s still a difficult path, but having both skill sets can make it more manageable.
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