His travels for his production company, Argentine Productions, have taken him across the country to film projects for the White House, Discovery Channel and Independence National Historical Park.
But for his latest project, Argentine didn't have to look any further than his own back yard - literally.
Argentine, a Mt. Lebanon resident, is working with the municipality and the Mt. Lebanon School District to create a video promoting the community.
And when the filming called for a shot of a home being renovated, Argentine shot the work being done on his own home along Mayfair Drive.
'We wanted a shot to illustrate that people are still willing to invest money into their homes,' he said. He was replacing the siding on his home, so he thought, 'why not take advantage of it?'
The video, a collaborative effort between the community and the school district, will include highlights from community events, high school classes and athletic events and shots of the different neighborhoods.
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'We didn't want to show the community as perfect, but it is a good community that's constantly changing,' Morgans said. 'It has issues and problems that we are addressing.'
Morgans said she couldn't think of anyone better to produce the film than Argentine, whose credits include 'Pittsburgh's Big Picture,' playing at the IMAX Theater at the Carnegie Science Center and 'Upon These Grounds: A Tour of the White House Gardens,' produced for the White House Historical Association.
'(Pittsburgh's Big Picture) is wonderful. It brought tears to my eyes,' she said. 'When you see it, you believe that Pittsburgh is the greatest city in the world.'
She believes the same will be true with the Mt. Lebanon video.
'I think it's going to convey this tremendous sense of joy and pride,' she said. 'This is our 'home sweet home.''
Argentine said the project has proved to be a unique challenge because of the familiar subject.
'You have to break out of the familiarity of what you see everyday,' he said. 'You take for granted the people in the morning walking. This is a big walking community, they walk to the 'T.' It's a big plus.'
But the locality also has its advantages, Argentine said. He's been able to film things not originally scheduled because he is in the area.
'I have a ton of material to work with,' he said. 'That's one advantage, I can do a lot more.'
The work is tougher than it might sound, Argentine said. With more than a year to get a number of shots, his crew will have to whittle down hours upon hours of footage into 15 minutes, and divide the time between the school and municipality.
'You shoot a lot, but then you look for that really special moment,' he said.
Both the district and municipality contributed $15,000 toward the project, which Argentine anticipates should be ready by the end of the year.
Argentine got his interest in film at an early age from a family of amateur film buffs, he said.
His father had a Super 8 camera and his grandfather had his own 16 mm camera.
'I was brought up with home movies,' he said.
He graduated from Cornell University in 1977 with a degree in anthropology. Though seemingly different, Argentine said he could draw parallels between his studies and his interest in filmmaking.
'Everybody has a story,' he said. 'Sometimes you can talk to the most unassuming person and find the most remarkable story just lying there underneath the surface.
'It helps put our own lives in perspective in some ways.'
Argentine worked for WQED as a producer from 1988 to 1991. He started Argentine Productions in 1995.
In addition to the Mt. Lebanon video, his company just wrapped up shooting an insider's tour of the White House for the White House Visitors Center. When finished, it will be shown at the center on a continuous loop.
Argentine said he enjoys the unique opportunities he gets to experience in his line of work.
'You have all the daily stress that other jobs have. All the contracts, and budgets,' he said. 'But I think what keeps me going is meeting with unusual people, interacting with people, talking with them. Seeing things I would never otherwise see.... And it's all interesting.'
Maggi Newhouse can be reached at mnewhouse@tribweb.com or (412) 306-4535.
