You’ve got the work.
You just need a little XTRA.

Extra projects. Tight deadlines. Big ideas that need to get out the door. Sometimes your team simply needs more creative horsepower.

That’s where we come in.

Xtra Creatives brings 30+ years of combined industry experience to the table, giving your team the extra thinking, extra hands, and creative execution to make great work happen.

Need a handful of social assets? We’ve got you. A new campaign? Absolutely. A fully integrated idea that needs to come to life across multiple channels? Let’s go.

We embed with your team, work like an extension of your people, and help take the work from “How are we going to get this done?” to “Damn, that’s good.”

Long before launching xtra creative, Alex and Gary spent over a decade executing photography and video production together. As co-founders, they bring a trusted, battle-tested partnership—leading omni-channel campaigns, directing global B2B/B2C strategies, and building custom sets for some of the biggest names in retail and consumer products.

alexander trainer

Co-Founder & Creative Director

Alex brings 22 years of experience turning complex brand ideas into clear, engaging campaigns and experiences. Having directed omnichannel content, digital strategy, and retail concepts across massive ecosystems (including 900+ store networks and $350M initiatives at Staples), Alex delivers senior strategic vision paired with hands-on, modern execution—from early concept exploration through final creative design and video production.

gary sloan

Co-Founder & Director of Video & Still Photo Production

Gary is a veteran Director of Video and Still Production who has spent 35+ years proving that if you can dream it up, he can light it beautifully, build the set, and shoot it. Famous for creating lighting that always feels present and alive, Gary gives every frame a rich, tangible vibe you can feel through the screen.

Over three decades, Gary has mastered high-stakes, "wait, we're actually doing this?" productions. His visual storytelling spans a massive roster of global brands across retail giants (Walmart, Staples, BJ's), tech titans (Sony, Panasonic, iRobot, Honeywell), household staples (Dawn, Mr. Clean, Ninja, Vicks, Braun), and sports/food favorites (Franklin Sports, Dunkin', Reebok).

Operating out of The XL Studio, Gary combines deep technical expertise—having shot digitally since the early '90s—with full-scale custom set construction and live client integration.

Signature Production Highlights:

  • The Museum Takeover: Rented out the entire Guggenheim Museum in NYC to direct and shoot an iconic stereo campaign.

  • The High-Stakes Action Shoot: Captured real-life drama featuring soldiers inside a Blackhawk helicopter on the tarmac for Zoll Medical.

  • The 50-Person Casting Call: Produced and directed a large-scale campaign utilizing 50 real people for Globe Media Services.