Hidden Gems: Meet Heather Kate Duncan and Daniel Leary of Three Leaves Creative

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Kate Duncan and Daniel Leary.

Hi Heather and Daniel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Three Leaves started the way a lot of creative dreams do — with a few friends, a camera, and an idea that turned into something bigger. We met in college, where weekends were spent filming short projects, music videos, and anything else that gave us an excuse to create. What began as a group of friends making passion projects turned into our first paid gig when someone saw one of our videos and asked, “Can you make one for us?” We said yes — and suddenly we were figuring out everything from gear rentals to insurance to how to run a business. That one project turned into another, and before we knew it, Three Leaves was born.
Today, we’re a Los Angeles–based creative agency built around one simple belief: content should do more than just fill space — it should connect. We specialize in visual motion-first storytelling, producing high-quality video and photography for brands, organizations, and agencies nationwide. From heartfelt PSAs to cinematic campaign work for brands, we bring human stories to life with the polish of film and the precision of strategy.
What makes us different is that we live at the intersection of creativity and clarity. We understand both the artistic side of storytelling and the structured world of corporate communication. That’s our sweet spot — translating vision into content that not only looks beautiful but serves a purpose.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all — but every challenge has shaped who we are today! After outgrowing our garage and kitchen setups, we moved into our first office… which we then quickly outgrew too. On March 1, 2020, we signed the lease on a much bigger studio. Two weeks later, the world shut down.
Like so many others, we had to pivot fast. Projects were canceled overnight, so we found new ways to support our clients — from virtual events to remote video production, digital campaigns, and live-streamed broadcasts. It was an incredibly uncertain time, but it pushed us to evolve into a full-service creative agency faster than we’d planned. That adaptability — staying nimble, creative, and forward-thinking — has become part of our DNA.

As you know, we’re big fans of Three Leaves Creative. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Three Leaves, we see video not as an add-on, but as a solution. Everything we create is rooted in purpose — content that’s consciously crafted to cut through digital noise to spark connection, conversation, and action.
What really sets us apart is our dual fluency. Heather came in with a background working in public service and higher education, Daniel from technology and engineering. That mix means we understand how to bridge creative ambition with organizational goals. We speak both languages — the visionary and the practical — which helps us build content that not only inspires but delivers results.
We’re also deeply collaborative. Over the years, we’ve been lucky to work with an incredible network of creatives — many of whom we met in school or through the amazing projects we’ve taken on since. Every project is a team effort, and we’re constantly humbled by the talented people who help us bring ideas to life. Whether it’s fellow filmmakers, editors, designers, or producers, we bring together the right people for each story — because great work doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
We’re proud to be part of the Los Angeles creative community—a place that inspires us daily with its mix of art, innovation, and grit. This city shapes our perspective, our style, and our passion for stories that move people.
Our roots are in So Cal but our projects have taken us everywhere: from profiling programs advancing renewable energy, producing PSAs for impactful issues, to building cinematic brand libraries and nationwide recruitment videos. We’ve collaborated with agencies on everything from Times Square launch campaigns to on-location content for healthcare, tech, and education.
At the end of the day, we’re storytellers who believe in creating with intention. If you’re a brand or organization looking for content that’s both creative and clear, we’d love to help you tell your story — beautifully, thoughtfully, and a little differently.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Heather: I’ve always been a storyteller. As a kid, I’d put on shows for anyone who would watch — neighbors, parents, friends — complete with costumes from a thrift store dress-up box. My parents were entrepreneurs, and growing up watching them build something from nothing taught me what hard work and heart look like. I started my first “business” at seven, pressing flowers into bookmarks and selling them around the neighborhood. That blend of creativity and entrepreneurship never really left me. Later, studying Narrative Studies and Cinematic Arts at USC, I realized all those experiences had been preparing me to build something that connects both worlds — creativity and purpose.

Daniel: I was always the kid who wanted to know how things worked. I’d take apart gifts just to see the gears inside. When I discovered the behind-the-scenes world of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, it clicked — filmmaking was the perfect mix of art and engineering. I pursued IT for a while as a practical backup, but I eventually came full circle back to film. Now, with Three Leaves, I get to merge both passions — the creative and the technical — to build stories that not only look good, but run seamlessly from start to finish.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://threeleaves.io/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threeleavescreative/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/threeleavescreative