UCLA Extension

Our Instructors

instructors

The Entertainment Studies Program strives to bring you the most current and relevant experience that allows for practical application. This starts with our instructors who are working professionals in the entertainment industry. In addition to our current roster of expert instructors, hundreds of guest speakers from all facets of the industry visit our classes each year to share practical advice and insights with our students on what it’s like working in the entertainment business today. Get the real insider experience with our talented pool of instructors!

Film and Television

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Kim Adelman, Producing

Adelman_Kim_18880Filmmaker who began her career as a co-producer of the independent feature Just Friends. Ms. Adelman then produced 19 shorts that have played in more than 150 festivals, winning more than 30 awards. She has authored two film books, Making It Big in Shorts, Third Edition and The Ultimate Guide to Chick Flicks, and currently writes for Indiewire, the leading news source on independent film. Ms. Adelman received the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Outstanding Instructor of the Year Award in 2014 and the Distinguished Instructor Award in 2016.

 

 

Scott Agostoni, Film and TV Development

SVP of Development & Production and In-House Consultant at Dick Cook Studios. Scott also runs his own management and consulting practice. Previously, Mr. Agostoni was a Motion Picture & TV Literary/Graphic Novel agent with WME and Non-scripted & Alternative TV agent with WMA.

 

 

 

 

Arkesh Ajay, Directing

Award-winning director, producer, writer and editor of numerous short films and theater productions. Mr. Ajay’s recent awards include the Hollywood Foreign Press Award for Artistic Merit and Alfred P. Sloan Screenwriting Award for a feature film screenplay.

 

 

 

 

Marcelo Alvarez, Producing

Alvarez_Marcelo_31379

Producer and director based in Los Angeles with over 200 commercials to his credit. Mr. Alvarez has worked on regional, national and international campaigns for some of the largest ad agencies in the world. His list of clients include: Visa, MasterCard, Ford, Toyota, Verizon Wireless, Apple, 5 Hour Energy, Kraft Foods, Snickers, UFC, Pizza Hut, Carl’s Jr, Colgate, Got Milk, Chevron and many others. In 2010 he co-founded MY Production Workshop with director Sergio Guerrero of Indi-Eye Productions, an accelerated commercial production workshop that allows young filmmakers the opportunity to create, develop, produce and launch original commercial campaigns.

Benjamin Arfmann, Directing

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Writer/director who was mentored by fellow Bruins Alexander Payne and Dustin Lance Black while attending UCLA. Mr. Arfmann wrote and directed numerous shorts, and helped produce Jason Kohl’s The Slaughter (SXSW 2013). He is currently working with the History Channel to develop a scripted anthology based on the concept of his short film Random Stop, which was a BAFTA Student Award finalist and premiered at SXSW in 2014.

 

 

Tim Arvin, Directing

Screenwriter and director who has worked in both feature films and new media. He has written films for major studios, including Sony Pictures, as well as independent production companies. He is currently developing a television series and multiple film projects.

 

Toni Attell, Acting

Attell_Antoinette_23951Emmy-nominated actor, comedian, and mime whose background includes a variety of work in theater, film, and television. Ms. Attell has opened for Jay Leno, Steve Martin, and Robin Williams, and has guest-starred on numerous television dramas and sitcoms.

 

 

 

 

Lori Balaban, Directing

Award-winning filmmaker who has produced two features, and written and directed web series and shorts, including Irrelevant White Girl, Die Un Ze Spat, The Dogstalker, and Property Vets. Ms. Balaban also directed and produced branded content for A+E Networks, National Geographic Television, The Today Show, The Walking Dead, and Ron Howard’s Rush.

 

 

 

 

Phyllis Bancroft, Story Development 

Award-winning producer, director, and story consultant. Ms. Bancroft has produced and directed numerous web series and short films, including Send Me, Ernie’s Girls, and BET’s Burned, through her production company, Phyllite Productions. She also directed over 30 theater productions in L.A., N.Y., and D.C.

 

 

 

 

Simone Bartesaghi, Directing

Writer and director whose work includes the Accolade Award-winning feature Downstream, and Run, which won the 2013 Milan International Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay, and 2013 3D Film Festival Award for Best Director to Watch. Mr. Bartesaghi is also the writer-director of several award-winning short films and the author of the book The Director’s Six Senses.

 

 

 

Rebecca Bennett, Project Management 

Certified Project Management Professional who has served as an Associate Project Manager in broadcast operations at Fox Networks Group and managed projects at Walt Disney Imagineering. Ms. Bennett is also a seasoned start-up leader and founder of LAUNCH! and CityFitLA.

 

 

 

France-Luce Benson, Development 

Award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Ms. Benson’s feature screenplay, Healing Roots won the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation award, and Caroline’s Wedding won the Zoetrope Grand Prize. Her award-winning plays have premiered in prestigious New York theaters and were published in multiple anthologies.Award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Ms. Benson’s feature screenplay, Healing Roots won the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation award, and Caroline’s Wedding won the Zoetrope Grand Prize. Her award-winning plays have premiered in prestigious New York theaters and were published in multiple anthologies.

 

Gianluca Bertone, Cinematography

Cinematographer, Executive Producer and owner of Bertone Visuals. Mr. Bertone is a graduate of UCLA Extension certificate program in Cinematography and he specializes in Aerial Cinematography and Digital Intermediate. He executed commercials for Sony, CineAlta, Samsung and other international brands. He and his company’s systems are credited in blockbuster movies, Need for Speed and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Recently, Mr. Bertone has shot and produced The Unwilling, an award winning independent horror feature film distributed internationally by Vision Films.

 

 

Peter Bevan, Producing

Bevan_Peter_30942Executive vice president of production at uMedia, an international film group that has produced 170 films to date. uMedia filmography includes such films as the multi-Academy Award winning The Artist, Oscar-nominated Outside the Law, and Paul Verhoeven’s Blackbook. Prior to joining uMedia, Mr. Bevan co-founded and was co-CEO of Entertainment of Motion Pictures, one of the UK’s leading independent production companies.

 

 

 

James Biddle, Editing

An award winning filmmaker and editor, Mr. Biddle is a certified professional instructor of Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere, and Final Cut Pro X. Mr. Biddle is a Senior Lecturer at Grady College, University of Georgia and runs the Grady College Authorized Training Center for Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere.

Jason Boldt, Cinematography

Cinematographer whose projects have premiered and won awards at various festivals. His short film The Discovery of Dit Dodson funded by New Form Media recently premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival.

 

 

 

 

Chris Borey, Directing

Writer and director whose work includes the feature film Open Grave, which made the 2007 Black List, and the short At Falling Rock, which won Best Screenplay at the UCLA Spotlight Festival in 2015.

 

Steve Bradbury, Business and Management of Entertainment

President and Head Coach, Deep Sports (sports as entertainment). He brings two decades of success to the junction of media, Hollywood, and technology working within established (MGM, Universal, The Improvisation) and entrepreneurial (Zazoom Media Group, GoTV Networks, Engage Games Online) environments.

 

 

 

Debbie Brunner, Business and Management of Entertainment

Owner of 3 Dog Production with over 20 years of marketing experience in creative and print. TV heavyweights Paramount, NBC-Universal, Warner Bros., and Sony entrust Ms. Brunner to oversee the marketing launches of their shows, including TMZ, Two and A Half Men, Ellen, The Flash, and Jane The Virgin.

 

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Anita Cal, Producing

Producer, line producer and screenwriter. Dr. Cal’s first screenplay was picked up by Showtime, Inc. She has gone on to write, produce, line produce and direct films and TV series that have aired on cable and national television. Currently, she is producing the TV Pilot drama Beyond the Badge.

 

 

Susana Casares, Directing

Casares_Susana_30842Filmmaker and winner of the Emmy Foundation’s prestigious College Television Award in Drama. Her narrative and documentary work has been shown in festivals around the world, and she has received both the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Award and the Mary Pickford Award for two consecutive years, as well as the support of institutions such as the Tribeca Film Institute and IDFA. Ms. Casares has been showcased in Variety‘s Cannes edition as one of the 10 Spanish talents on the rise.

 

 

 

Lydia Cedrone, Producing

With over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Ms. Cedrone has managed feature film financing at the Walt Disney Company, oversaw production at Michael Mann’s Forward Pass Inc., as well as produced her own films independently including “The Betrayed” and “In Memorium”. She also works as a producing consultant on multiple features.

 

Garrett Chau, Business and Management of Entertainment

Executive level project management experience developed over 14+ years at the most prestigious talent representation firms in the entertainment industry including United Talent Agency, Creative Artists Agency and The Collective Management Group. Garrett is currently the CEO and founder of Drive Group which develops and produces intellectual property for filmed entertainment, new media, live events and consumer products.

 

 

 

Lisa Chess, Acting

Actor whose film credits include Frankie and Johnny Are Married, The Hollow, and Separate Lives. Ms. Chess was a semi-regular on the TV series Picket Fences and has guest-starred on such television shows as The Practice, Family Law, and The Division. Her New York theater credits include Pineapple at the Cherry Lane Theatre and the Eugene O’Neill Theater’s National Playwrights Conference.

 

Barbara Chiodo, Producing

Chiodo_Barbara_31097International finance executive and entertainment and business consultant who has worked with companies such as 120dB Films, Claridge Capital-Strategic Advisory, Citi Global Markets, Barclays Capital, and Aria Films West.

 

 

 

 

 

Monica Chuo, Producing

Ms. Chuo started her career in development and acquisitions at The Samuel Goldwyn Company collaborating with internationally renowned directors such as Zhang Yimou. Her other positions held include head of Business Development at DNA Studios, where she developed new media strategies for such companies as Miramax Films, Focus Features, and Elektra Records, Atlantic Records. She also has worked Artisan Entertainment (now Lions Gate) and later moved to Paramount as VP of Worldwide Acquisitions & Co-Productions. More recently, Monica created “On The Menu,” a food competition reality show. She partnered with Mark Burnett and the series premiered on TNT.

Jim Coane, Producing

Emmy award-winning television producer, writer, director, and development executive. Mr. Coane is credited as executive producer and director on many network, syndication, and cable series, including Walking the Bible, Totally Hidden Video, America’s Most Wanted, and Futurequest. He has executive produced hundreds of series’ episodes, specials, and pilots for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, USA Network, Turner Entertainment, Discovery Channel, TLC, PBS, FX, and other broadcasters.

 

Quinn Coleman, Producing

Previously served as VP of Acquisitions at Regent Entertainment and Director of Worldwide Co-Productions and Acquisitions at Warner Bros. studio where he was instrumental in negotiating and acquiring certain distribution rights to over 125 feature films, including such box office hits as A Cinderella Story, My Dog Skip, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Formerly, Mr. Coleman has worked for such leading companies as Turner Broadcasting, Disney, and Twentieth Century Fox.  He has participated in top film festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Telluride; along with negotiating licensing rights to feature films throughout the world.

John Cones, Business and Management of Entertainment

Securities/entertainment attorney who advises independent feature film producers and others on matters relating to investor financing of feature film and other entertainment projects. During his 25-year career, he has prepared or participated in more than 250 business offerings for feature films, television pilots, documentaries, infomercials, and Internet companies. He has authored 10 books on film business and legal affairs.

 

Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein, Producing

Devorah is the president of Noble House Entertainment, Inc. where she serves as producer, writer, and director for development. She produced and co-wrote the short documentary Not Afraid to Laugh, which was nominated for a Peabody Award, and has written five books on screenwriting.

 

Tyler Danna, Post-Production

Filmmaker who has edited and produced content for Sony Pictures, Fox, Disney, Universal, Fremantle, Riot Games, Verizon, Budweiser, and more. He offers training in editing the softwares: Avid, Premiere, and FCP. Mr. Danna has also written pilots and feature screenplays for production companies including Ramona Productions.

 

John Henry Davis, Directing

MFA director/screenwriter, playwright; WGA, DGA, SDC member whose credits include directing OZ (HBO), The Sarah Jones Show (Bravo), and the documentary Broken Mirrors. Mr. Davis is a dramaturg and writing coach for new musicals, screenplays, and plays. Other credits include developing and directing plays at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Mark Taper Forum, including the shows When Jazz had the Blues and Daughters with Marisa Tomei.

 

Maurizio De Togni, Post-Production

Maurizio “Otto” De Togni teaches courses in ProTools and Apple Logic. He has almost 30 years of experience as a musician, composer, arranger, programmer, and audio technologist. He has worked with artists like Franco Battiato, Zucchero Fornaciari, Roberto Cacciapaglia and Nikka Costa, Samantha Fox Sandy Marton, Den Harrow, as well as on commercials for Heineken, Subaru, Campari, Lindt; and TV award-winnings programs (worked on more than 1000 episodes) with major Italian TV networks (Mediaset©, RaiTV© …). With almost 60 certifications (Avid Pro Tools Certified Instructor Pro Tools Expert & Apple Logic Pro X Certified Trainer) and using both Softwares (Notator Emagic & Digidesign Sound Tools) since their beginnings in the late 80’s, OttO has also taught Worldwide hundreds of classes/thousands of students, at the Academy of Entertainment Arts and Professions at Teatro alla Scala & Espero (Milan), Soho Editors (London), Future Media Concepts (Stanford University), Musicians Institute, the Grammy Museum and UCLA Extension in Los Angeles. His clients include Paramount Pictures, James Valentine & Jesse Carmichael (Maroon 5), Mike Posner and the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. He has written extensively for Macworld magazine; and is a member of the Italian (SIAE) Society of Authors and Publishers & (NARAS – Grammy) the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Among OttO’s work as Music Editor/Supervisor, you’ll also find a multi-awards winning Documentary “The Jumper Mayback Story”, an inspiring story of how one man finds the courage to fight for equality. He loves to travel with his lovely family and he’s a big fan of great food. He’s the producer and publisher along with his wife of the “A Queen in the Kitchen” book and YouTube/Vimeo Channel. He’s the recipient of the 2015, 2016 & 2017 Instructor of the Year at Musicians Institute (School of Industry & Audio Engineering), as well as the “2012 Outstanding Instructors” award at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA ext.) in entertainment studies and performing arts.

 

David Dodds, Post-Production

Los Angeles-based motion graphics designer; his experience spans eight years in motion graphics, special effects, broadcast design, character animation, and infographics. He has worked for studios such as Stardust, Mirada, Logan, and NFL Networks. Dodds has been invited to lecture at Otis College of Art and Design, and Laguna College of Art and Design.

 

 

 

 

Chris Donahue, Business and Management of Entertainment

An Oscar and Emmy award winner. He works as a Producer, Media Executive and Consultant involved in financing, development, production and distribution. He serves as a consultant on media investments for individuals and institutional investors, as well as for filmmakers at all levels of their careers.

 

 

 

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Lesley Elizondo, Cinematography

Cinematographer, writer, and director for films, TV series, documentaries and music videos. Ms. Elizondo served as best boy electric on Francis Ford Coppola’s “Live Cinema” production, Distant Vision. She is currently the director of photography on the shows Salem High, Fight Forward and Ya Basta.

 

 

Brooks Elms, Film and TV Development

Writer and director who has written 20 scripts for companies such as Base FX and Broken Road, and recently sold a thriller entitled Snowfall to Gold Circle Films.

 

Clay Epstein, Producing

A 15 year veteran of the industry, Mr. Epstein has executive produced five feature films, including Crypto starring Kurt Russell and Burn starring Josh Hutcherson, through his company Film Mode Entertainment. He has secured direct distribution deals with studios such as Lionsgate, Paramount and MGM.

 

 

 

 

 

Ray Ford, Acting

Television, film, and theater actor. Mr. Ford was a series regular in Don’t Trust the B in Apt. 23 and FATRICK. He also held recurring roles on Fresh off the Boat, The Real O’Neals, and Grey’s Anatomy. Ray also performs regularly on stage and is a member of Ghost Road Theater Company and Critical Mass Performance Group.

 

 

 

 

Peter Gend, Post-Production

gend-peter

CGI artist with many years of experience in the film, animation, and video game industries. Some highlights include Fox’s The Simpsons, The Fantastic Four, Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, Sex and the City, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Mr. Gend has also been working in higher education for the last 8 years teaching a variety of topics that include digital sculpture, dynamic simulation, traditional modeling, character rigging, MEL scripting, lighting, texturing, and more. He also spent time working in curriculum development and as a director of media arts at several schools. Some of Peter’s most recent clients include Nickelodeon and Pluralsight.

 

 

Gregoire Gensollen, Business and Management of Entertainment

Chief Operating Officer of Tucker Tooley Entertainment, where he oversees film and television financing and operations. Previously, as Senior Vice President of International Distribution and Strategy at FilmNation, he oversaw worldwide releases for over sixty films, including The King’s Speech, Looper, Mud and Room.

 

 

 

 

Ric Gibbs, Film and TV Development

ric-gibbs-headshotWriter and filmmaker whose work includes Shadow Conspiracy starring Charlie Sheen and Donald Sutherland. Mr. Gibbs has worked with producers such as Mark Wahlberg & Stephen Levinson, Jon Landau & James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, and Lawrence Bender, as well as with Paramount Studios, Universal, USA, Fox, NBC, and Warner Brothers Television. In addition to his screen work, he has written two novels. His current non-fiction book Quick, Where’s My Cape? explores the world of myths and superheroes and their role in pop culture.

 

Doug Glover, Cinematography

Two-Time Emmy Nominated cinematographer. Mr. Glover has served as the director of photography for numerous features and television shows, Dirty Jobs, Netflix’s Shot in the Dark, and The Road Home, for which he won Best Cinematography at the New York Independent Film Festival.

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Green, Entertainment Studies

Has taught film studies and screenwriting at the university level for a decade. His writing on film has appeared in numerous publications including Film InternationalSenses of CinemaBright Lights Film Journal, and The Journal of Film and Video, among others. He is also the co-editor of Race in American Film: Voices and Visions that Shaped a Nation, which Library Journal named a Best Reference work of 2017.

 

 

 

Barry Goch, Post-Production

Post-production professional working for Deluxe Culver City on the Sony Pictures lot. His credits include Spiderman Homecoming, The Emoji Movie, Passengers and The Shallows; previously a senior online editor at Modern Videofilm where he worked on such shows as Game of Thrones and Madam Secretary. He is on the editorial advisory board and is the West Coast Contributor for Post Perspective and has written for The Editor’s Guild and Post Magazine in the past.

 

 

 

Julian Goldberger, Directing

Screenwriter/director/producer, WGA member, whose feature credits include The Hawk Is Dying starring Paul Giamatti and Michelle Williams, The Eulipion Chronicles, and Trans. Mr. Goldberger served as an executive producer on Loa, Immokalee U.S.A., and Phantom Love. He also has pilots and features in development with Lionsgate Television, Bow Street Films, Down Home Pictures, Sound Pictures, and Universal Studios.

 

 

Ernesto González, Acting

A bilingual actor whose credits include co-starring roles in TV shows such as No Tomorrow (The CW), Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC), Top 10 Criminals (Discovery Channel), Animal Witness (Animal Planet) and series regular on Yet 2B Named (Punch TV). Mr. González has also performed in regional theatre across the country, and in national commercials for Ride Aid, Lowes, and Nopalina. He is an alumnus of the Improvisation Conservatory at The Second City Chicago, where he is a former performer/writer in the outreach/diversity ensemble.

 

Patrick Gorman, Business and Management of Entertainment

Gorman_Patrick_18105Patrick Gorman is an entertainment attorney in private practice in Los Angeles. Mr. Gorman represents both start-up and established entertainment companies, domestically and globally, in the motion picture, music, and television industries, as well as producers, actors, directors, screenwriters, and recording artists.  He is currently “of counsel” with the firm of Pumilia & Adamec LLP.

 

 

Eric Scott Gould, Acting

Gould_Eric_31165Actor, director, screenwriter and producer. As an actor, Mr. Gould has performed in over 50 stage productions in New York City, Los Angeles, and regional theater. On television, he has appeared on shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Numb3rs (CBS), The District (CBS), Diagnosis Murder (CBS), Another World (NBC), and recurred on Without A Trace (CBS) for the first four seasons.

 

 

 

Beverly Graf, Film and TV Development

Graf_Beverly_25524Vice President of Development, Abilene Pictures (Primal Fear, Fallen, Frequency, Hart’s War, Fracture).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Randy Greenberg, Business and Management of Entertainment

Executive producer of MEG, Cowboys & Aliens and past studio senior entertainment executive; founder of The Greenberg Group, a global entertainment investment and content strategy consultancy whose campaigns have produced over $5 billion at the box office. Previously Mr. Greenberg was the Senior Vice President/Head of International Theatrical Marketing and Distribution for Universal Pictures, where he created the overseas releases of such films as 8 Mile, Intolerable Cruelty, The Mummy Returns, Jurassic Park III, The Fast and the Furious, and American Pie. 

Richard Greenberg, Post Production

Greenberg_Richard_18678Richard Greenberg has enjoyed teaching “Post Production for Film and Television” at the UCLA Extension annually for over ten years. He has experienced technological change on a regular basis and has stayed abreast of the industry in order to remain relevant to his students and to his colleagues. Mr. Greenberg is a successful producer, corporate executive, relationship-based salesman, and post production evangelist. His diverse interests currently keep him active in the technically challenging electronic post-production, distribution, and entertainment marketing industries. Richard understands that not everyone loves technology and, as a result, is known to be an entertaining, patient, and capable communicator who specializes in explaining complex things in simple terms.

 

Sergio Guerrero, Directing

An Emmy Award winner, Sergio Guerrero produced and co-wrote the award-winning feature, A Day Without a Mexican, which was a banner for the US immigration movement. Sergio also produced and directed the TV shows, “Dos Lunas” and “El Vato“. In addition, he directed and produced over 500 commercials.

 

 

 

 

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Petra Haffter, Producing

Haffter_Petra_26931Writer and director of more than 100 feature films, TV movies, series, and documentaries. Ms. Haffter’s many credits include Rock of Ages, The Colors of the Deserts, In Search of America, feature films such as A Demon in my View (Germany/Great Britain), The Kiss of the Tiger (Germany/France) and the television shows The New Adventures of Robin Hood (Warner TV) and The Egyptian Book of the Dead (History).

 

 

Pete Hammond, Entertainment Studies

Hammond_Pete_25429Producer, five-time Emmy-nominated writer, film commentator, and film critic for Maxim. Mr. Hammond’s writing has appeared in USA Today, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Variety, among others. His numerous TV appearances include NBC Nightly News, E!, Extra, and The Evening News with Brian Williams on MSNBC.

 

 

 

 

Peter Hanson, Film and TV Development

Screenwriter, director, producer, and educator. Among his credits are hundreds of print and online articles, three books on cinema, and films including the feature-length documentary Tales from the Script, which features interviews with dozens of Hollywood screenwriters.

 

 

 

Steven M. Harper, Film and TV Development

TV writer, playwright and actor, who is the Executive Story Editor on the 3rd season of the ABC TV drama American Crime, has written for the TV show Covert Affairs, and who is the creator of the award-winning web series Send Me that just premiered on BET.com.  Mr Harper’s plays have been professionally produced at venues such as the American Theater Company in Chicago, Juilliard in New York and The Celebration Theatre in LA.

 

Matt Harrison, Directing

Harrison_Matthew_25795Director whose feature film credits include Rhythm Thief (Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival), Kicked in the Head (executive producer Martin Scorsese), Spare Me, and The Deep and Dreamless Sleep and whose television directing credits include Sex and the City, Popular and Dead Last.

 

 

 

Sharri Hefner, Producing & Directing

Award-winning filmmaker and producer. Her feature credits include Faith, Conventioneers, Strictly Sexual, The Trouble with Romance and Almost. She also produced The Smile series and worked as a field producer for E! Entertainment.

 

 

 

Paul Hellerman, Producing

Award-winning veteran independent producer, production executive, and production manager who has worked on such projects as Reservoir Dogs, My Own Private Idaho, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn, Jackie Brown, The Mexican and Black Snake Moan.

In 2003 he produced Showtime’s Bang, Bang, You’re Dead, which honored him with an Emmy Award and the George Foster Peabody Award.  Some of his more recent credits include Powder Blue (Co-Producer), produced by and starring Forest Whitaker, Honey 2 (Producer) for Universal Studios, the indie film Gimme Shelter (Executive Producer) starring Brendan Fraser and Vanessa Hudgens, and the upcoming Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving (UPM), which premiered at Sundance 2016.

Greg Hemstreet, Producing

Senior Director, Production Finance, Universal Pictures

 

Joel Austin Higgins, Post-Production

Editor specializing in the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. Mr. Higgins has executed After Effects projects for clients like D.A.R.E. International, Mercedes-Benz, and Hasbro and is a recurring editor for a myriad of YouTube creators and online enterprises. He is also a writer, actor, and filmmaker.

 

 

 

Gina Holland, Business and Management of Entertainment

holland-ginaEntertainment executive with extensive corporate and entrepreneurial management experience in technology and media who is currently president of 4&4 Enterprises Inc.  Ms. Holland’s previous positions include production executive and executive producer at Ruby Red Inc., a production services company for film and TV content; senior vice president at Black Entertainment Television; and manager of production at NBC. Ms. Holland was named one of 25 Women to Watch by Multi-Channel News.

 

Sam Icklow, Post-Production

Editor, cinematographer, writer, and director. Mr. Icklow was recently selected to write and direct in the compendium feature film Actors Anonymous executive produced by James Franco and starring Whoopi Goldberg. He is also the recipient of the MPAA award.

 

 

Bijon Imtiaz, Directing

Award-winning narrative and documentary writer, director, and producer. After the international success of his features Kingdom of Clay Subjects (writer/director) and Live from Dhaka (producer), his current project Paradise has been an official selection at Berlinale’s co-production market.

 

 

 

 

 

Ray Jimenez, Producing

Jimenez_Ray_31962Head of Digital at Zero Gravity Management, a top-rated talent management and production company whose credits include Ozark (Netflix) and The Accountant. His clients and production collaborators include creators and brands with views in the multi-billions. Prior to running the digital department at Zero Gravity, Ray founded Embolden Entertainment, a top digitally-focused management company, and worked for CAA and NBC. He is currently on the board of the Talent Managers Association as its 2nd Vice President.

 

 

 

Mark Jocson, Entertainment Project Management

A senior executive with 18 years experience working at Sony, Disney, and Viki. Most recently he was Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives for Rakuten Viki, a streaming video service and digital media company. Prior to Viki he was Senior Vice President, Digital Media and Games for Sony Pictures Television Networks (SPTN). There he expanded and streamlined the consumer facing digital infrastructure, led the team to produce the award-winning second screen application for the TV series Hannibal on the AXN Networks, ushered SPTN into the subscription VOD market for the first time with Animax in the U.K., launched TV Everywhere services in Latin America on Canal Sony and AXN and created a streaming service for Korean Dramas on the ONE TV Network website in Southeast Asia. As head of mobile games for SPTN he was responsible for a top mobile game publishing studio with high profile titles such as Jeopardy! and America’s Game® Wheel of Fortune.

Previous to Sony Mr. Jocson joined The Walt Disney Company in 1999 where he led the Emmy® Award winning Digital Media team at Disney Channel as Director, Content Development and was responsible for product development for the no. 1 TV entertainment website DisneyChannel.com. His leadership led the Network to win the 2008 Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Interactive Media Non-Fiction for Disney Channel Games 2007. And in the previous year he led the team which launched the first full-length video streaming service on DisneyChannel.com, which was honored as a finalist for the 2007 Emmy® Award for Achievement in Interactive Television. He also spearheaded the development of the official “High School Musical 1 & 2” and “Hannah Montana” websites, the first ever Disney user-generated video site for children under 13 and countless other original content for DisneyChannel.com worldwide. Jocson is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and Producers Guild of America. He graduated from University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor of Arts degree and holds a Master of Arts degree from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts.

 

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Mario Kenyon, Producing

Head of production at Furious M, an immersive VR development, production, and distribution company. He is also a writer and producer for virtual reality projects and feature films whose projects have premiered at film festivals including Tribeca, Sundance, and Venice.

 

 

 

 

Jordan Kessler, Post-Production

Producer and Post-Production Supervisor. Mr. Kessler has served as Post-Production Supervisor on multiple films, including Wicker Man, The Black Dahlia, and The Most Hated Woman in America. His producing credits include Life of Crime, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, and the upcoming release After Class.

 

 

Dallas King, Directing

King_Dallas_31780President of Red Rabbit Pictures, director, producer, writer that specializes in creating Sci-fi, Action, Horror, and Fantasy projects.  Mr. King is the winner of the (MPAA) Motion Picture Association of America Award, The Caucus Foundation Award for Directing, a 3-time award recipient of the National Hispanic Foundation of the Arts, and 1st place for the 2012 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing of his film Most Wanted.

 

 

 

Richard Kiratsoulis, Business and Management of Entertainment

Kiratsoulis_Richard_26821Richard Kiratsoulis, Financial Advisor and Executive Consultant to high net worth individuals and a private equity fund.  Professional services entail evaluating and negotiating selective film financing, production, and distribution transactions.  Recent financing transactions for feature films in the $25-$80 million production budget range include Summit’s September 2013 release The Tomb (Stallone & Schwarzenegger), Joe Carnahan’s The Grey (Liam Neeson), Killing Them Softly (Brad Pitt), and Machine Gun Preacher (Gerard Butler).  Clients have provided funding for production budgets in excess of $450 million in the areas of senior and subordinated debt, mezzanine, bridge, tax credits, P&A, and equity financing.

From 1994-2005, Mr. Kiratsoulis was President and COO of Media 8 Entertainment, where he served as the principal production executive on the Academy Award winning  Monster (Charlize Theron), Upside of Anger (Joan Allen, Kevin Costner), Havoc (Anne Hathaway, J. Gordon-Levitt, Channing Tatum), and Eye of the Beholder (Ewan McGregor, Ashley Judd), to name a few.

Previously, held Chief Operating positions in other diversified industries with direct responsibility for up to 6,000 employees.  Began career as a Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts.

 

Rebecca Klingler, Acting

Actor with supporting roles in Titanic, The Green Mile, and LA Confidential. She has appeared in countless TV shows, including Hot in Cleveland, Parks and Recreation, How I Met Your Mother, and The Odd Couple. Ms. Klingler also writes, produces, and stars in the web series The Calamities of Jane.

 

 

 

Jason Knutzen, Cinematography

Knutzen_Jason_30727Experienced Cinematographer, DIT and Colorist. Jason is a member of the development team at Gamma & Destiny Co., makers of the popular DIT software solution, 3cP SET + POST.  He also serves as an educational contributor to the Global Cinematrography Institute in the areas of Image Management, Color Correction and Digital Cinematography.

 

Igor Korosec, Acting

Actor and educator who has worked as a Private On-Set Acting Coach for the American Artists Group and Actors’ Acting Academy. He has appeared on shows such as GrimmChuck, and Rizzoli & Isles and in the feature The Good German starring George Clooney and Cate Blanchett.

 

 

Peter Lauer, Directing

Veteran television director. Mr. Lauer has directed episodes of Arrested Development, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Pushing Daisies, Awkward, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Scrubs, Gilmore Girls, and many more. His executive producing and directing credits also include Level Up, Reaper, and Malcolm in the Middle.

 

 

 

 

Henry LeBlanc, Acting

Henry LeBlanc, Actor, Producer, Writer: Mr. LeBlanc’s TV credits include appearances on ERJAG, 24, Everybody Loves Raymond, Law and Order, Scrubs, Boston Public, The Bold and The Beautiful and others.  He is also one of Jay Leno’s regular comedy sketch actors.

His film credits include lead roles in Custom Mary (HBO Int’nl Latin Film Festival), Resilience, West New York, and Antebody (Worldfest Gold Jury Winner).  He holds an MFA from Rutgers University.

 

 

Carol Lefko, Acting

Carol Lefko is a veteran casting director of many features, television, and theater. Ms. Lefko has recently cast two sitcoms, Pineapple Inn and Lawrence of Suburbia, as well as the features The Klansman, for director Charles Daniels, and Soul Drought, for director Dakota Lupo, in addition to feature films The Same Sky and The Chosen Guard.

 

 

 

Carrie LeGrand, Producing

Carrie LeGrand has produced dozens of acclaimed and award-winning projects and supervised multiple studio features and network television shows.  She has been the Line Producer credits on several projects including Some Boys Don’t Leave starring Jesse Eisenberg, Murder on the 13th Floor for Lifetime, the animated series Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 for FOX, and the cult-favorite Sushi Girl starring Mark Hamill and Tony Todd.  Most recently, she has successfully line produced and produced four features and is building her production company in Los Angeles.

 

Adam Lieblein, Acting

Lieblein_Adam_379Adam Lieblein graduated from the film department of UCLA in 1986, and spent eight years as a producer of films, commercials and television projects until 1993, when he opened a talent agency. Adam was the president of Acme Talent & Literary for sixteen years, and represented actors (adults and children) for film, television, commercials, print modeling, and voiceover work. Acme was a bi-coastal agency (LA and NY), and its 18 agents also represented writers for film, television and books. At the end of 2008, Acme’s several divisions were sold to other agencies, and Adam returned to the business of producing, and chose to spend more time teaching at UCLA Extension and seminars across the country.

 

 

Daniel Lifschitz, Business and Management of Entertainment

Senior litigation attorney with the entertainment firm of Pierce Law Group, LLP, has worked on numerous high profile entertainment and copyright cases in the realms of music, film, and television including: Flo & Eddie, Inc. v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc.Flo & Eddie, Inc. v. Pandora Media, Inc.Melissa Ferrick et al v. Spotify USA Inc.Quincy Jones et al v. MJJ Productions Inc. et al; and Mark Stevens, et al v. CBS Studios, Inc. Mr. Lifschitz has written or co-written many articles on copyright and entertainment law for publications including the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal, Los Angeles Lawyer, Computer & Internet Lawyer, and Techdirt. Mr. Lifschitz is also Of Counsel to Gradstein & Marzano, P.C., a boutique entertainment litigation firm, and heads the Project Committee of the California Society of Entertainment Lawyers (“CSEL”), an artists’ rights advocacy group.

 

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Mig Macario, Acting

Mig Macario was born in the Philippines, grew up in Canada and now divides his time between Los Angeles and Vancouver. Mr. Macario has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry as an actor, teacher, acting coach, casting associate, and filmmaker.

Having appeared in over 50 Film and Television projects, Mig has recently finished working on Velvet Buzzsaw for Netflix starring with Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler, Roman J. Israel). Other credits roles on S.W.A.T., Criminal Minds and a recurring role playing the iconic character of Bashful of the Seven Dwarfs on the ABC series Once Upon A Time.

Mig is deeply passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience about the craft of acting to his fellow artists and is constantly finding ways to evolve the process.

 

Kevin Mardesich, Business and Management of Entertainment

Mardesich_Kevin_29566Kevin August Mardesich began his career running the Story Department at Oscar-winner Oliver Stone’s development company, Ixtlan. Next, he helped execute corporate communications for Fox’s sports/entertainment cable channels. He currently runs KevinMardesich.com, a communications practice for film, television, and industry leaders — helping each client tell their story.

 

 

 

Ashley MariaDirecting

Production sound mixer whose numerous credits include the documentary Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton and the short Night Shift, both of which were selected for Sundance, and a commercial for Reebok starring Ronda Rousey. She is the recipient of the DGA student minority award.

 

 

 

 

David Martin-Porras, Directing

Martin-Porras_David_31283Award-winning director and writer whose credits include the shorts Inside the Box, La Viuda (The Widow) for which he won the DGA Student Film Award, and Ida y Vuelta (Round Trip) which was a finalist for a student Academy Award. He also directed the feature Stealing Summers. Mr. Martin-Porras was picked as one of the top ten Spanish filmmakers on the rise by Variety magazine in 2013, and was nominated for a Goya Award in 2016.

 

Scott Mazak, Post Production

Editor and writer. Mr. Mazak has extensive teaching experience in all areas of filmmaking and also has written on Lucasfilm in the book George Lucas’s Blockbusting.

 

Mary McCusker, Acting

Mary McCusker has been an actress and on-set coach for over 30 years.  Her acting credits include Turner & Hooch, The Client, and a reoccurring role in Highway to Heaven.  For the last 20 years, she has been an on set coach working with directors and coaching actors on TV and Film sets, most notably with Barry Levinson on Sleepers, Joel Schumacher on The Client, and Ken Kwapis on Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Big Miracle. She was also the coach on Malcolm in the Middle for 7 years working with Todd Holland, a UCLA graduate. Please go to MARYMCCUSKERSTUDIO.COM for more details.

 

 

Kellynn Meeks, Acting

Actor, producer, and educator whose credits include the lead in the Funny or Die Exclusive Web Series The Snooze Room and 10 years’ experience as an actor and company member of the Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company. Ms. Meeks is a Lessac-certified trainer who has studied under Arthur Lessac.

 

 

 

Jeanette Milio, Producing

A feature film and television producer and financier, Ms. Milio ran a media fund which invested in the production, acquisition, and worldwide distribution of over 40 television and theatrical projects for HBO, Showtime, ABC, USA Network, Disney, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., The Weinstein Company, and others.

 

 

 

Jim Milio, Producing

Jim Milio has written, produced, or directed more than 400 hours of reality and non-fiction television series and specials including “Dog Whisperer” for National Geographic, “Founding Fathers” for the History Channel, The Discovery Channel “Eco-Challenge Australia”, “Rescue 911” for CBS, “Takedown” for TruTV, “Global Beauty Masters” for TLC, the Emmy nominated “Great Moments in Disney Animation” for ABC, and “The Real Las Vegas” for A&E.

In film, Milio wrote and directed “Men Seeking Women” starring Will Ferrell and was the co-executive producer of the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

Milio was co-chair of the Non-Fiction Committee of the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and was also a member of the Non-Fiction Steering Committee of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) for two years.

Milio has won three People’s Choice Awards (“Dog Whisperer,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” and “Rescue 911”) and has been nominated for several Emmy Awards and Writer’s Guild Awards.

 

Les Miller, Directing

Award-winning writer, director and producer of numerous short films. Ms. Miller has also served as the on-set dialogue coach to Mario Van Peebles in multiple features, including The Street Lawyer, The Hebrew Hammer, and Ali. Additionally, she was the assistant to the director on BAADASSSSS, Red Sky and Sons of Anarchy. Ms. Miller is a much-in-demand private acting coach for many actors who are currently working in Film and Television.

 

Joanne Moore, Film and TV Development

Moore_Joanne_30330Joanne Moore is a producer and film & TV executive. Former President of Dustin Hoffman’s production company, Ms. Moore has developed projects for Warner Bros, Universal, Disney, Fox, Paramount, USA Networks, ABC, NBC, Nickelodeon, HBO and Showtime. As an executive, Ms. Moore developed The Hurricane, A Brother’s Kiss, A Walk On The Moon, The Devil’s Arithmetic, For Richer or Poorer and Bogus. She also produced the award winning film Swimming With Sharks and the shorts Rockboy and Big Al. 

 

Andrea Morgan, Acting

Andrea is an actor, stage director and was a dialect coach for film, TV, and stage. She has dialect coached such actors as Hugh Bonneville, Joseph Fiennes, Lena Heady and she coached Anna Friel for two seasons on the TV series Pushing Daisies. She was the artistic director and co-founder of Chrysalis Stage (2008-2015), a nonprofit, professional theatre company in Los Angeles. Andrea received her MFA from the University of Delaware Professional Theatre Training Program.

 

Deland Nuse, Cinematography

Nuse_Deland_18467Cinematographer and director of independent films whose credits include the indie feature The Chilling and the documentary The Other Bridge; recipient, UCLA Extension Distinguished Instructor Award, 2007. Mr. Nuse won the Triple Play Award for Cinematography at the 2006 Long Island Film/Video Expo for the film The Showdown.

 

 

 

 

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Miebaka Opuiyo-Yohannes, Acting

Actor and writer whose background includes various performances in film, television, and theater. His credits include acting roles in the films South Bronx Heroes and Spike Lee’s 25th Hour, along with numerous stage performances.

 

Mark Padilla, Producing

Senior Vice President of Sales and Acquisitions at Double Dutch International. Mr. Padilla manages the worldwide sales for numerous films, including Nostalgia, Doorman and Super Troopers 2. He previously oversaw sales, acquisitions and distribution at Myriad Pictures and Essential Entertainment.

 

Scott Paulin, Acting

Paulin_Scott_24898Scott Paulin, actor and director whose extensive film and television acting credits include The Right Stuff, Cat People, NCIS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Boston Legal, Lost, JAG, and 24. His television directing credits include multiple episodes of Early Edition; Melrose Place; Beverly Hills, 90210; and Northern Exposure; among many others.

 

 

Celeste Pechous, Acting

Actor and educator with extensive training in theater and sketch comedy. Ms. Pechous’s work in film and television includes such shows as One Day at a Time, Masters of Sex, and Sharp Objects. She has performed around the world with theaters including The Second City and The iO Theater.

 

 

 

 

Wendy Phillips, Acting

Actress who has worked extensively in television dramas, sitcoms, feature films, and independent cinema.  Ms. Phillips played the female lead in seven network telesision series; guest-starred or had recurring roles on such shows as Joan of Arcadia, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Big Love and ER; and played principal roles in such feature films as Bugsy and I am Sam.

David Pierce, Business and Management of Entertainment

David Pierce, attorney, Pierce Law Group, LLP who specializes in representing entertainment companies in matters regarding corporate operations, intellectual property, and labor and employment issues. Mr. Pierce’s clients include Lions Gate Entertainment, Earthview, Inc. (producers of The Amazing Race), The Comedy Store, and John Morrissey (producer of American History X).

Alex Pirolini, Directing

Pirolini_Alessandro_21321PhD in American Film History, University of London; author of Rouben Mamoulian (published by Il Castoro Cinema, Milan). Dr. Pirolini also has written numerous articles, essays, and film reviews for such publications as Cineforum, Otto e Mezzo, and Il Nuovo Spettatore.

 

 

 

Eben Portnoy, Directing

Director, writer and producer of numerous short films and music videos. His recent work includes Killing Animals produced by James Franco. He currently has several features in development including Companion, a Sundance Lab finalist, and Kaksori, a documentary set in South Korea.

 

Cole Quirk, Film and TV Development

Works in television development in the entertainment industry after years of working on TV shows. She was a finalist for the Warner Bros. Television Writers’ Workshop in 2015 and currently works for a TV Writer/Producer at Sony TV.

 

Julio Ramos, Directing & Post Production

Ramos_Julio_30715Born and raised in Lima, Julio O. Ramos is a Los Angeles based writer and director. In 2012, he obtained an MFA in Film Directing from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. His student body of work has received top honors by the Directors Guild of America, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in Los Angeles, the Emmys Foundation, and the Ministry of Culture of Peru.

His recent work includes ¡Una Carrerita, Doctor! and Detrás del Espejo.  Both short films, made in his native Peru, screened in over two hundred film festivals around the globe including the 2011 Telluride Film Festival, 2011 CFC Worldwide Film Festival, and 2012 Camerimage Film Festival. They also picked up top awards at the 2012 Palm Springs Shortfest, 2012 La Habana Film Festival and 2012 Zinebi Bilbao Film Festival.

¡Una Carrerita, Doctor! aired nationwide on KQED’s premier season of Film School Shortsfeaturing the best student work across the US, while Detrás del Espejo had its online debut on ShortoftheWeek.com and was recently named a Vimeo Staff Pick.

Julio is currently in development for his first feature film while working as part-time instructor in the Entertainment Studies program at the UCLA Extension.  

 

Kate Rees Davies, Directing

Award winning director with experience in narrative features, short film, music videos and commercials. A directing graduate of UCLA Extension, Ms. Rees Davies’ love and enthusiasm of the craft of filmmaking is infectious. Six of her shorts have screened at Cannes. She was one of the first independent filmmakers to shoot on 4K with the Sony F65 and as a result, has had her work distributed on the Sony 4K TV.

Kate also produces and writes her own projects along with features for independent filmmakers. Since graduating UCLA in 2011, she has produced 12 Features and directed one. She has several projects in various stages of development and pre-production and is currently exploring the world of VR to create content for the next generation.

 

Cynthia Riddle, Film and TV Development

Riddle_Cynthia_31848

Cynthia Riddle has written film/TV projects for CBS, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Lifetime, Showtime, MGM, Starz, Netflix, Disney, Nickelodeon, PBS, and MarVista. She has two feature films heading into production — Curtains (a WGA Feature Writer Access Project winner) to be produced by the Academy Award nominated producer of Dallas Buyers Club and filmed in Paris, and true crime drama The Romeo and Juliet Killers.

Cynthia and frequent writing partner Peter Hunziker’s pilot script, Blood Brothers, just won Screencraft’s Jamaican Residency and they’ll be heading to Jamaica mid- Sept. to work with top industry mentors. This script was also a Top 20 Finalist in AMC/Austin Film Festival’s screenwriting competition (out of 9,100 entries), as well as Finalist in the Sundance Episodic Story Lab, and winner of the WGA’s Drama Queens pilot competition.

Cynthia and Peter penned the award-winning, highly-rated CBS/Hallmark Hall of Fame film Crossroads based on the true story of a man who forgave the teen driver who killed his wife and daughter while drag racing. They also wrote the popular film, Puppy Love, for Hallmark Channel, and celebrity biopic, The Brittany Murphy Story, which aired on Lifetime.

Cynthia has produced award-winning short films that won/were finalists in the   Coca Cola Refreshing Filmmakers Award and Project Greenlight. She has an MFA in Screenwriting/Film Production from UCLA, and was a former development executive at MGM, launching her writing career with a writing/producing deal at the studio. Cynthia serves on many Writers Guild committees including a long-term stint as Vice Chair of the Committee of Women Writers. She is on the Board of the LA Femme International Film Festival, and also teaches screenwriting at UCLA.

 

Crystal Robbins, Acting

Actress whose work includes film roles in Time Changer, The Long Walk Home, Great Balls of Fire and theater acting and directing. Ms. Robbins’ international contributions include work with Canadian choreographer Michelle Malmberg. She completed studies in voice, speech, and body work with teaching legend Arthur Lessac and is a certified Lessac Trainer.

 

Jerell Rosales, Directing

Jerell Rosales is an award-winning writer/director whose films have been officially selected at nearly 70 film festivals worldwide. His most recent work is the feature film High School Lover for Lifetime/A&E starring James Franco and François Arnaud. He has an MFA in directing from UCLA.

 

 

 

 

Charlie Rose, Cinematography

Rose_Charles_19707AIC, cinematographer who has received numerous international awards (Cannes, Venice, New York, Tokyo Film Festivals) for his work in feature films, commercials, documentaries, and music videos; recipient, UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Distinguished Instructor Award, 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gary Rubin, Business and Management of Entertainment

Gary RubinGary Rubin is Executive Vice President of Cohen Media Group (whose pictures include My Old Lady starring Maggie Smith and last year’s foreign language Oscar nominee Timbuktu).

Earlier, Rubin has held  such positions as President of First Independent Pictures. Executive Vice President of Artisan Entertainment and Vice President of October Films.

In each of these,  he has had responsibility in both acquisition (over 80 films) and distribution capacities

 

 

Peter Russell, Film and TV Development

Russell_Peter_23417Peter Russell is a longtime script reader and story consultant for companies like Imagine (A Beautiful Mind), Participant (Syriana, An Inconvenient Truth), Walden Films (Chronicles of Narnia), CBS Television Network’s Movies of the Week, Viacom, and a dozen others. He currently works for ReelFax and Participant. Peter is also the author of How Movies Work, an upcoming book for Focal Press, as well as creator of How Movies Work, a website for film and television story creators. Peter won UCLA’s 2009 Instructor of the Year at the Entertainment Division of the Extension School. He lives in Malibu, California.

 

 

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Priscilla Gonzalez Sainz, Producing

An experienced director, producer and editor. Ms. Gonzalez has worked as an independent film producer – primarily in documentaries – and also worked in television distribution. She has also been a film curator and strategist for independent film financing and distribution.

 

 

 

 

 

Beverly Sanders, Acting

An accomplished actor, writer and director, Beverly Sanders has been performing in theatre, films and television for the past 40 years.

Beverly’s appearances in episodic television include co-starring roles in the acclaimed series The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, CPO Sharkey, and Lotsa Luck, to name just a few.  More recently, she can be seen in a recurring role on the HBO series Entourage.

Her co-starring roles in feature films include And Justice for All, Magic, and Beaches.
Her made-for-television movies just completed, Scooby Doo at the Monster LakeAll I Want For Christmas for Hallmark, and less recently, her Emmy-nominated performance in Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.

Chosen to participate in the American Film Institute Directing Workshop for Women, Beverly wrote and directed the film Callback, which aired on A&E and won a film festival award at the San Francisco Film Festival.

The process of adopting a child led Beverly to write a one-person show, Yes Sir, That’s My Baby. It has been performed in New York and in various theaters throughout the country and was the recipient of the Artistic Director Achievement award.

Following this, Beverly created a class for UCLA Extension focusing on developing one-person shows, which she has been teaching for 10 years and has resulted in her co-writing and directing five successful shows that have emerged from this class.  She also teaches a UCLA Extension class on Acting for the Camera and a class in Acting for Writers at USC.

Beverly’s love for the theater propelled Beverly to co-found the Room for Theatre, where she served as artistic director.  The Los Angeles Company was devoted to the works of American Master playwrights.  Among other productions, Beverly was thrilled to re-introduce her audiences to S.N. Behrman’s Old Acquaintance and Preston Sturges’ Strictly Dishonorable.

In 2007, Beverly began presenting seminars titled “So You Want to Tell Your Story?” which introduce participants to memoir writing.

 

Farzad Sangari, Directing

Filmmaker who has worked in both film and television. His feature-length documentary, Mudbloods, was selected to several film festivals. Most recently, he has produced content for Vice and Viceland.

 

 

 

 

 

Elena Sanz, Acting

Award-winning international actress who starred in the feature, Among Us, and held supporting roles in Bent and The Hunter’s Prayer. Ms. Sanz won Best Actress at the Short and Sweet Theater Festival in 2018, and she was the winner of the Monologue Slam UK 2018 in Los Angeles.

 

 

 

 

 

Aved Savoulian, Producing

Audit Manager and Production Accountant, NBC Universal Feature Pictures, who has has held previous positions at CBS Television and Fox Sports Networks.

 

Fernando Scarpa, Directing

Fernando Scarpa is an award-winning director who has achieved extensive international recognition in Europe and in the United States. A graduate of the motion picture directing program at New School University of New York City, since 2011 he teaches the ‘Directing Movies/TV Workshop’ and the ‘Advanced Directing Workshop’ at UCLA Extension Entertainment Studies in Los Angeles.

His debut short film, ‘Brothers’, immediately won Best Short, Best Screenplay and Best Directorial Debut Awards at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in Los Angeles and New York. In 2013 he produced together with Marco Beltrami the short movie ‘Band’, directed by Coleman Beltrami.

In 2014 he wrote and directed ‘Doradus’, a short mystery drama on a modern ghost story. Fernando described it as a possible pilot episode for a TV series. Among other achievements, ‘Doradus’ was nominated as Best Short at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, won Honorable Mention at the Hollywood & Vine Film Festival and won the Audience Choice Award at the Hollyshorts Film Festival, held at the TLC Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

In 2015 Fernando released ‘Compound 147’ written and directed by Coleman Beltrami, and two episodes of the 30-min comedy/drama series for TV ‘Jay ROCCO’, written and directed by himself. Both ‘Doradus’ and ‘Jay ROCCO’ are currently in further development for TV and theatrical.

Currently, along with the development of the feature movie ‘Galileo 1610’, based on a play he wrote and directed about the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei, Fernando is working on the feature film ‘The Book of Ronnie’ (AKA ‘Panther’), a mystery drama where a modern bio-hacking conspiracy is powered by a revived ancient Egypt myth.

 

Gabrielle Schary, Acting

Commercial casting director and president of Gabrielle Schary Casting for over three decades. Ms. Schary is hired to cast commercials for top brands, including Kay Jewelers, McDonald’s, Nissan, BMW, Verizon, Amazon, Coke, Nike, Chevy, and Honda, as well as Super Bowl spots for Diet Coke, Budweiser, Dannon, and Pistachio Growers.

 

 

Robert Scheid, Producing, Post Production

Scheid_Robert_23478Robert is an Apple-certified Final Cut Studio Master Trainer.   He teaches classes on Final Cut Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color and DVD Studio Pro.  He is a television producer; film and television editor and colorist. Mr. Scheid received the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Outstanding Instructor of the Year Award in 2014.

 

 

Moana Sherrill, Producing

Award-winning director, producer, and line producer who has worked on several features, web series, and short films.

 

Navid Sinaki, Directing

An experimental filmmaker and artist whose works have screened at museums and art houses around the world, including Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Lincoln Center, British Film Institute, REDCAT, and Cineteca Nacional in Mexico.

 

 

 

Monika Skerbelis, Film and TV Development

Skerbelis_Monika_17666

Author, producer and programming director for The American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival. Co-author of I Liked it, Didn’t Love It: Screenplay Development from the Inside Out and The Complete Filmmaker’s Guide to Film Festivals: Your All Access Pass to Launching Your Film on the Festival Circuit.  Her former positions include vice president of creative affairs and executive story editor, Universal Pictures Story Department; story editor, 20th Century Fox; and story department assistant, Paramount Pictures.

 

Colleen Smith, Acting

Actor, improviser, and sketch writer/director for Groundlings and the Comedy Central Stage. Ms. Smith has been the series regular and guest star on numerous television comedies, including @midnight, Selfie, How I Met Your Mother, King of the Hill, and Pinky Malinky.

 

 

Kinga Smith, Virtual Reality

Founder of Reverse Engineering Studios, a new wave management, production, and technology company. She has produced numerous VR and 360 video projects that have been showcased internationally, including Cockatoo Spritz, an immersive VR experience that premiered at Cannes.

 

 

 

 

Monique Sorgen, Film and TV Development

Raised in San Francisco and Paris, France, Monique Sorgen is an award-winning writer-director for her recent short comedies Sorry, Not Sorry and Rock a Bye Baby. She previously directed branded reality series, several other successful shorts, and music videos that were acquired by the Disney Channel and the Jonas Brothers. As a writer, she has developed with Imagine Entertainment, DiNovi Pictures, USA/Universal, Morgan Freeman’s Revelations, and David Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon, among others. Most recently, she became a Sony Directing Fellow and completed a sitcom pilot starring sock puppets.

 

Faith Strongheart, Directing

Award-winning writer and director with extensive feature credits as a production coordinator and assistant director. Prior to building her career as a writer/director of shorts and feature docs, Ms. Strongheart production coordinated for Twilight, The Watch, 2 Guns and Cowboys & Aliens, among others.

 

 

 

 

Jeffrey Stubblefield, Acting

Television, film and theater actor with supporting roles in the features Ted 2, Nesting, and Pedestrian. He also held recurring roles in Good Trouble, Desperate Housewives, Robert Townsend’s Diary of a Single Mom, Women’s Murder Club, Without a Trace, and The Practice, among others. He studied with famed Meisner teacher, William Esper in New York.

 

 

 

 

Matthaeus Szumanski, Post Production

Award-winning editor, writer, director and producer who has edited over fifty film and television projects. His narrative short, Jornada del Muerto, is in the permanent collection at the American Museum of the Moving Image.

 

 

Bridget Terry, Producing

Award-winning producer and writer whose credits include Showtime film They, PBS documentary The Kennedys: America’s Emerald Kings, and projects for Netflix and NBC-Universal. She is the owner of Chaise Lounge Productions, Inc. and has written films for Hallmark Channel, CBS Film, Lifetime, and PBS. Ms. Terry formerly served as showrunner for several series on Showtime, including Shelley Duvall’s Tall Tales & Legends and Faerie Tale Theatre. Her awards include the George Foster Peabody Award and the Christopher Award, as well as three Emmy nominations. Her work has been selected for The Venice Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival, and the Chicago International Film Festival.

 

 

Jaia Thomas, Business and Management of Entertainment

Thomas_Jaia_31990Entertainment and sports attorney. In addition to her practice, Ms. Thomas is a contributor for Uptown Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine, where she regularly authors articles pertaining to the intersection of sports, entertainment, entrepreneurship and the law.

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Thompson, Entertainment Studies

Film columnist who has covered the Hollywood beat for more than twenty-five years.  She launched Indiewire’s daily film blog “Thompson On Hollywood” for Variety in 2007.  She has written for the LA Weekly (and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate), followed by Filmmaker magazine and The Hollywood Reporter. Before that, she was West Coast Editor for Premiere, Empire, and Film Comment, and senior writer at Entertainment Weekly. She has also reported on film for the magazines Vanity Fair, More, Wired, Sight and Sound, Filmmaker, and New York. Ms. Thompson also moderates and participates on industry panels, and does media interviews, especially at Oscar time, for such networks as MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and CNN. She has recently published her first book, The $11 Billion Year.

 

Cle Thompson, Acting

Actor, director, jazz vocalist and educator with extensive experience in film and theater whose credits include the Off Broadway plays Stompin at the Savoy and Dunbar. Her film credits include Funny Valentines and The Cemetery Club.

 

Mary Trunk, Producing

Award winning documentary producer and director. Her films include The Watershed, Plain Art, Lost In Living, The Past is in the Present, and Muscle Memory. She has been producing documentaries, dance videos and experimental hybrid films for more than 20 years.

 

 

 

Jennie Tugend, Producing

Ms. Tugend has over three decades of expertise in the Hollywood motion picture business, including film and TV development, production financing, marketing and distribution. Ms. Tugend has produced and co-produced some of the industry’s most memorable franchises: Free Willy, Lethal Weapon, and HBO’s Tales from the Crypt. Other produced credits include Return to Me, Local Boys and One Missed Call.  She was co-President of  Kadokawa Pictures USA (KPUSA),which exploited Japanese intellectual properties for adaptation and remakes in the English language for American audiences.  Currently, Tugend is developing several film projects in a variety of genres ranging from sci-fi thrillers to family entertainment.

 

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Leigh Underwood, Cinematography

Underwood_Leigh_31500Leigh Lisbão Underwood is an award-winning director of photography whose work has been seen at festivals including Cannes, Tribeca, and Palm Springs, and on national television. Mr. Underwood works primarily in short and feature-length narrative, as well as documentary and commercials, and his credits include the upcoming independent features 1915, Brasil Meu Amor, Death Clique (Lifetime) and Sugar Baby (Lifetime).  He  studied under seasoned cinematographers including John Simmons ASC, John Bailey ASC, Richard Crudo ASC, and Vilmos Zsigmond ASC. He was the recipient of the award for best cinematography at the Palm Springs International Shortfest in 2013 for his work on the short film The Boy Scout.

 

Elia Urquiza, Producing

Elia Urquiza has written, shot, and edited many films, often at the crossroads of documentary and fiction.   As a producer, Ms. Urquiza has worked in a number of commercial, fiction and non-fiction projects. Her recent documentary Next has been screened at festivals around the world.

 

Stephanie Varella, Film and TV Development

Independent producer and former Vice President of Jerry Bruckheimer TV, who has worked on shows such as CSI, CSI:NY, CSI:MIAMI, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Charmed, Seventh Heaven, Any Day Now, and the new Love Boat. She has developed shows with all the major studios- 20th, Warner Brothers, Sony and all the broadcast and cable networks as well as the newer streaming outlets. She recently sold a show to Freeform (aka ABC family).

 

Jeremy White, Directing

Writer-director of narrative and documentary film. His work has been distinguished at film festivals around the world, from Los Angeles to Cannes. Jeremy is the Series Producer of Vice World of Sports, a new documentary series airing on Viceland that features compelling stories set at the intersection of sports, culture, politics, and place. The show premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016 and a second season, Rivals, premiered in 2017.

 

 

Marla White, Film and TV Development

Development consultant for Sony International Television Networks through her company, Marla White Consulting. Ms. White has also served as the Vice President of Development at Fedora Entertainment and Longbow Productions, where she contributed to the feature, A League of Their Own.

 

David Wienir, Business and Management of Entertainment

Wienir_David_27672David Wienir is a talent lawyer and author, Business Affairs Executive, United Talent Agency. Before UTA, Mr. Wienir practiced law at two of the top talent boutiques in the world where he represented Steven Spielberg and Madonna. He has been awarded the Outstanding Volunteer Award from Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, named a “Rising Star” in 2009 and 2010 by Super Lawyers Magazine, and named to Variety’s 2014 Legal Impact Report. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including Making It on Broadway. Mr. Wienir was educated at Columbia University, Oxford, The London School of Economics, and UC Berkeley Law (Boalt Hall).

 

 

Janet Wilcox, Acting

Wilcox_Janet_22670Writer, producer, and actor with extensive experience on both sides of the microphone. Ms. Wilcox has written and produced promos for HBO, ABC, and The History Channel, among others. As a voice over talent, she has been heard on Lifetime, HBO, E!, Cinemax, and AMC. She is the author of Voiceovers: Techniques and Tactics for Success. Ms. Wilcox received the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Instructor of the Year Award in 2012.

 

 

 

 

Howard Woffinden, Producing

Producer for commercials, music videos, and documentaries. Mr. Woffinden is currently a commercial line producer at Chelsea Pictures, whose clients include Chantix, CVS, Gillette, United Airlines, Ford Motors, and Dixie paper products.

 

Amotz Zakai, Producing

Zakai_Amotz_21703Vice President, Echo Lake Productions. Mr. Zakai has worked on such projects as Tsotsi (Oscar winner, 2006), Water (Oscar nominated, 2007), Away from Her, and Thirteen Conversations about One Thing. He also represents writers and directors. Mr. Zakai received the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Instructor of the Year Award in 2013.

 

 

 

Roman Zenz, Cinematography

Award-winning cinematographer. Mr. Zenz has served as a director of photography on several TV documentaries and lifestyle shows, including the History Channel’s Million Dollar Genius and ARTE’s Tracks. He recently wrote, produced and directed the documentary Urban Fruit, airing on Amazon Prime

 

 

 

P.K. Ziainia, Directing

P.K. Ziainia writes and directs for stage and screen. His work has appeared in a wide breadth of venues, from festivals such as Clermont Ferrand, to local television station KNBC, to live theatre on stages across Los Angeles. He has created media for a diverse list of clients, including notables such as HBO, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP), Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Gay and Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN). P.K. has trained with leading artists in his field such as Academy Award winning writer/director Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential) and Academy Award nominee writer/director Deepa Mehta (Water). Additionally, he works as an adjunct professor of film production and film studies while making his home in Los Angeles, California with his pit-bull Mr. V and his cat Pishy.

 

Andrew Zucker, Business and Management of Entertainment

Zucker_Andrew_6778Entertainment and Internet attorney, and member of Isaacman, Kaufman & Painter, a firm ranked in the first tier nationally by U.S News and World Report in the areas of Media and First Amendment Law.  Mr. Zucker has over 25 years experience representing clients in all aspects of the entertainment industry.  Such clients have included Emmy-winning actors, producers, show-runners, personal managers, motion picture and reality television production companies, computer software developers, Internet concerns, and television networks in both domestic and international settings.

 

 

 

 

Music

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Ramón Balcázar, Film Scoring

Award-winning composer and industry veteran, Mr. Balcázar has composed for features, animated films, documentaries, and reality TV including Beautiful Dreamer, The Mail Man, Wings, Forks Over Knives, and Secrets of War.

 

 

 

 

Marilyn Batchelor, Music Business

Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand Partnerships at legendary Patti LaBelle’s label, GPE Records. She has over a decade of experience in music marketing for indie marketing divisions and nationally known brands, including Universal Classics, Concord Music Group, and Malaco Music Group.

 

 

 

Fletcher BeasleyFilm Scoring

Composer for film, television, commercials, video games, and interactive exhibits who recently released Fictional Radio, an album of cinematic electronic music. Mr. Beasley has worked with some of the top composers in the film and television world, contributing writing, orchestration, and programming. Mr. Beasley received the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Outstanding Instructor of the Year Award in 2016.

 

Daryl Berg, Music Business

Music supervisor and television executive known for his work at FremantleMedia North America, Fox Entertainment – Fuel TV, and Reveille/Shine America Studios. Mr. Berg is the principal at Sound Canyon, a music services company specializing in music supervision, music licensing and creative development.

 

 

 

Charles Bernstein, Film Scoring

Bernstein_Charles_1531Emmy Award-winning composer, has music in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill, and has scored A Nightmare on Elm Street, After Innocence, Cujo, The Entity, and Love at First Bite. Mr. Bernstein’s television credits include Darwin’s Darkest Hour, Miss Ever’s Boys, Enslavement, The Sea Wolf, The Long Hot Summer, and Drug Wars, among many others.

 

 

 

Michael Vail Blum, Music Production

Blum_Michael_29917Award-winning Music Industry Producer/Engineer whose works have contributed to the combined sales of over 100 million records,  as well as making significant  contributions to film, TV, commercials, and gaming music.  Mr. Blum has engineered several LPs for Madonna, and has worked with such artists as Pink Floyd, Bryan Ferry, Kenny Loggins, and Julian Lennon, among others. Mr. Blum has designed more than 60 recording studios in Los Angeles, and in his own Titan Recording Studio, has produced platinum artist Anastacia and discovered, recorded, and produced Kelly Clarkson,  the first American Idol winner.

 

Bobby Borg, Music Business

Borg_Bobby_22838Major label, international, and DIY recording/touring artist with over 25 years experience in the music business. Mr. Borg is a music business consultant and A&R advisor to music supervisors and independent labels, best-selling author of numerous music business books and articles, and the Vice President of Special Events for The American Marketing Association. He received the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Instructor of the Year Award in 2009.

 

 

 

Richard Bronskill, Film Scoring

Orchestrator for over one hundred films, including Vice, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Hotel Transylvania, and 21 Jump Street. Mr. Bronskill has worked with many notable Hollywood composers such as Michael Giacchino, Nicholas Britell, Christopher Young, Christophe Beck, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Rolfe Kent.

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Brown, Music Production

Two-time Grammy nominated producer who is also an accomplished recording engineer, mixer, remixer, writer, and multi-instrumentalist. Some of his top recording artist clients include: Pink, Eminem, Jaheim, and The Black Eyed Peas.

 

 

 

Rudy Chung, Music Business

Rudy Chung is partner at HTGR, music supervisors of Silicon Valley (HBO), Gotham (Fox), Entourage (HBO), CSI (CBS), as well as numerous independent films. He is also partner at Pusher, an artist agency that specializes in licensing and creating music for film trailers (Blade Runner 2049, Dunkirk).

 

 

 

Carlie de Boer, Music Business

Music supervisor for film and television at Chick Chick Music and on the music marketing team at Netflix. Ms. de Boer’s background includes work in trailers and promos for companies like Twentieth Century Fox and SickKids hospital. She’s also a classically trained pianist and vocalist.

 

 

 

 

Otto De Togni, Music Production

DeTogni_Maurizio_27700Maurizio De Togni (better known as OttO) has been a music-maker since 1990. His background includes wide experience as a musician, composer, producer, and audio technologist for Italian (F. Battiato, Zucchero Fornaciari, R. Cacciapaglia) and international artists (Nikka Costa, Samantha Fox , Sandy Marton, DenHarrow, Marvin Gardens) in the classical, pop, rock and dance fields, as well as for international commercials (Heineken, Subaru, Campari, Lindt, Aspirina) and TV award-winnings programs/movies (+1K episodes) with major Italian networks(Mediaset, RaiTV). His Apple Logic Pro© and Avid Pro Tools© credentials (with 48 certifications) include “Apple Logic Pro X Certified Pro/Trainer (since v.7), “Apple Distinguished Audio Professional” and “Avid Certified Pro Tools HD Instructor Expert” (since v.7).  Since 2005, OttO’s been teaching/writing curriculums for the Academy of Entertainment Arts and Professions at Milan’s “Teatro alla Scala”, Soho Editors (London, UK), Espero (Milan, IT), Grammy Museum, Stanford University, UCLA Extension.  He received the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Instructor of the Year Award in 2012.

 

Joseph S. DeBeasi, Film Scoring

Composer and conductor Joseph S. DeBeasi has been praised for his blend of creative electronic sounds and traditional instrumentation. His use of melody and harmonic subtext embody the heart of his musical storytelling.

His recent concert, Generations of Honor, The Soundtrack of the Amercian Soldier, performed The American Sniper Suite, where he was guest conductor with the US Army Field Concert Band and Choir.

In March and November of 2018, Joseph was guest conductor for Sinfonia: Connecting Arts & the Community, an evening of music honoring past and present military members. He featured the world premiere of The American Sniper Suite and two commissioned pieces by Southeastern University, One More Minute and A Thousand Faces.

His film scores include the original underscore for Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-nominated, American Sniper, the award-winning feature documentary, Kidnapped for Christ, the feature comedy, Eleven Eleven, and Alpha directed by Albert Hughes, for which he is co-composer. Alpha’s score was listed in the top ten best scores for 2018 by Film Music Magazine.

Joseph is also known for his work as a music editor on more than 60 feature films, including Wind River, The Revenant, Sicario, Prisoners, and Book of Eli.

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Michael Eames, Music Business

Composer, songwriter, author and music industry professional who founded the independent music publishing company PEN Music Group. Previously, Mr. Eames oversaw the international activities and film & television department of Don Williams Music Group.

 

 

Charles Fernandez, Film Scoring

Fernandez_Charles_29786Emmy- and Annie-nominated composer who has worked for most of the major studios as a composer on such animated series as Casper, 101 Dalmations, Doug, Aladdin, Mermaid, and Robot Chicken as well as many live and animated features.

 

 

 

 

 

Richie Gallo, Music Business

Gallo_Richard_29198Music career consultant and president of the Richie Gallo Group. Formerly, Mr. Gallo was senior vice president, One Catalog Group at Rhino Entertainment; executive vice president of Universal Music Enterprises New Door Records; senior vice president of catalog sales at Universal; and senior vice president of sales, distribution, and production at A&M Records. He has implemented strategies to develop the careers of such artists as Sheryl Crow, Bryan Adams, and Sting, and has worked with such artists as Elton John, Lionel Richie, Johnny Cash, Janet Jackson, Van Morrison, and Peter Frampton.

 

Gary Greenberg, Music Business

Greenberg_Gary_29905Attorney with over 25 years of experience in the music industry, representing such clients as Jimmy Cliff, Sergio Mendes, Fantasia, Dave Koz and the producers of Kendrick Lamar. He co-wrote the popular music industry book, Everything You’d Better Know About the Record Industry and the American Bar Association handbook How to Build and Manage an Entertainment Law Practice. Mr. Greenberg also is a professional drummer, whose credits include Nipsey Hussle and Bone Thugs ‘n Harmony.

 

 

 

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Kia Kamran, Music Business

Kamran_Kia_28967Los Angeles based attorney who handles a variety of music, entertainment, new media/Internet, technology, and trademark/Intellectual property related matters, with an extensive background and employment experience in music, touring, recording, and music publishing.

 

 

 

 

Steve Kaplan, Film Scoring

Scoring engineer and mixer for film, television and video games.  His credits include games such as Star Wars: Battlefront II and the award winning God of War. In the television and film genre he has worked on titles such as The Walking DeadOutlanderBattlestar Galactica and 10 Cloverfield Lane.

 

 

 

Suzan Koc, Music Production

Songwriting mentor and owner of Songwriters Rendezvous, an exclusive songwriting workshop, and the boutique publishing company, House Call Music. She has held positions such as VP of Creative at BMG Rights Management and VP of Writer Development at BMG Music Publishing.

 

 

 

 

 

Jon Kull, Film Scoring

Kull_Jon_32093Film orchestrator who has worked on more than 175 films with many of the top composers in Hollywood, including James Horner (Avatar, Troy), James Newton Howard (Maleficent, King Kong), and Elmer Bernstein (The Deep End of the Ocean, Twilight). His composition credits include a large catalog of production music that is heard daily in theatrical trailers and network promos in the U.S. and worldwide. Mr. Kull has also written music for commercials, and is currently working on a stage musical, Plug.

 

 

Jonathan Larr, Music Business

Entertainment attorney at Icarus Law, PC in Los Angeles, a boutique transactional entertainment law firm whose clients include recording artists, songwriters and producers. Mr. Larr has over a decade of experience in the industry both as a lawyer and, formerly, as an artist manager. He has written extensively for publications including the LACBA Entertainment Law Journal as well as Hypebot. He also edits the LACBA Entertainment Law Journal and sits on the board for numerous charities including City of Hope FutureHope, Notes for Notes and Musicians at Play.

 

 

 

Adam LaRue, Music Business

A 20 year veteran of the industry, Mr. LaRue has marketed the album launches of Rancid, Mavis Staples, Glen Hansard, Portugal The Man, Plain White T’s, At The Drive-in at labels Epitaph, Anti, and Fearless Records. He currently represents Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads and Modern Lovers.

Karl Louis, Music Business

Owner of Moral Compass Mgmt. Previously, Mr. Louis was an A&R/Promotions executive at Flip Records and Personal Management Associate Partner at Warren Entner Management. He also worked with artists such as Rage Against the Machine, Deftones, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and David Bowie.

Rob Lowry, Music Business

Music supervisor for film and television and founder of Sweater Weather Music, a music supervision company. His credits include The Bold Type, Serenity and Future Man. He has curated music for award-nominated films and negotiated licenses for a wide array of artists, from The Doors to Taylor Swift.

 

Norman Ludwin, Film Scoring

Ludwin_Norman_20124Instrumentalist; composer; orchestrator; author;  professional bassist who has played on hundreds of feature films, television shows, and records. As an author he has written eight books on composition and orchestration and as an orchestrator, Dr. Ludwin has worked on the recent films: Jurassic World, Inside Out, Star Trek Into Darkness, Super 8, and John Carter.

 

 

 

 

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David Majzlin, Film Scoring

Emmy-nominated composer and music producer who has worked with a diverse array of directors including Roman Polanski (The Ghost Writer), Chris Miller (Puss In Boots), and Pulitzer-Prize winner David Turnley (Shenandoah). FIlm credits include The Loving Story (HBO), Sins of my Father (HBO), and Sunshine Cleaning, starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. His music has appeared in a wide variety of television shows and promos, including House of Cards, Parenthood, Person of Interest, Ugly Betty, CSI, and Grey’s Anatomy. Mr. Majzlin is also an award-winning commercial composer who has also worked in live theatre and animation.

 

Ashley MariaMusic Production

Ashley Maria is a filmmaker known for her work as an award-winning writer and director and location sound mixer for feature & short films, web series, 360 videos, and television commercials. Her numerous credits include directing the award winning Friday Night Fright, a comedy horror that won a Directors Guild of America (DGA) award, as well as production sound mixing for viral videos with attn: and BuzzFeed, and for Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton and Night Shift, both of which were selected for Sundance.

Ashley has a passion for helping filmmakers understand the value of recording great production sound. As an instructor, Ashley helps her students understand the importance of location when thinking about sound, equipment options, and how to better communicate with the sound mixer. She is also committed to diversity and inclusion within the industry. In 2014, Ashley was proud to be featured by the DGA Women’s Steering Committee as a Director who represents “the future of women in film,” and more recently, Ashley was awarded the 2016 Business and Professional Women of Hollywood Young Professional.

 

Arlene Matza-Jackson, Music Production

Matza-Jackson_Arlene_318Songwriter, producer, independent A&R, publisher, and music supervisor who has co-written songs with Kenny Loggins, David Foster, Guy Thomas, Bennett Salvay, Snuffy Walden, Paul Buckmaster (renowned arranger for Elton John, Taylor Swift, and many more), and Maurice White (EWF). Ms. Matza-Jackson also co-wrote two albums with the Grammy Nominated Swedish rock band, Grand Illusion. Ms. Matza-Jackson is a recipient of the UCLA Extension Distinguished Instructor Award, 2006. Her other credits include songs for Earth, Wind & Fire and Lulu, and many song placements in TV & Film.

 

Jonathan Merrill, Film Scoring

Merrill_Jonathan_28985Award-winning composer, conductor, and producer whose vocal and instrumental music has appeared in hundreds of commercials and television episodes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adam Moseley, Music Production

Moseley_Adam_30346Record producer, engineer and mixer who started his career at the legendary Trident studios in London, where he worked with Phil Ramone, Tom Dowd, Mutt Lange, Steve Lillywhite, Tina Turner, The Cure, Wet Wet Wet, Roxette, Kiss, and Rush. Mr. Moseley recorded the likes of Beck, Nikka Costa/Lenny Kravitz, Wolfmother, Spike Jonze, U2 and many more. Recently, he has recorded and mixed new albums with John Cale, the score for The Big Wedding featuring Robert De Niro, other TV and film music.

 

 

 

 

Liz Myers, Film Scoring

Myers_Elizabeth_26766Vice President, Trivers/Myers Music; composer and pianist for commercials and films who won a Clio Award for the arrangement of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue created for United Airlines. Co-composer of the theme for the CBS Evening News, running nightly with Scott Pelley as the anchor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter Neff, Film Scoring

Neff_Peter_27081Composer whose credits include the film Mostly Ghostly (Universal Studios); video game Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly (co-composed with Stewart Copeland); promos for over 100 television shows, including CSI: Miami, The Big Bang Theory, Survivor, and 60 Minutes; commercials for BMW, Miller Lite, Pfizer, and the Arizona Diamondbacks; 40 music library album projects; and music placed in such television shows as Parks and Recreation, Jane the Virgin, 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, The Sopranos, Dirty Sexy Money, America’s Got Talent, Hannah Montana, and The Amazing Race.

 

 

 

Marty Panzer, Music Production

Panzer_Marty_1114Lyricist and producer with 35 gold and platinum records and four BMI Million-Play Awards; lifelong collaborator with Barry Manilow. Mr. Panzer’s songs have been recorded by such artists as Kenny Rogers, Julio Iglesias, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Frankie Valli, Dolly Parton, and Diane Schuur. He also has written lyrics for Lion King II, Pocahontas II, Mommy & Me, and has written and produced over 100 songs for Walt Disney.

Mr. Panzer is currently planning a touring version of “An Evening With Marty Panzer,” and has both a Broadway musical (featuring songs from his catalogue), and an animated feature film, in development.

 

Anika Paris, Music Production

Paris_Anika_31400CRIA (Canadian) Double Platinum award-winning songwriter with songs published by Universal/Polygram. Her songs and voice are featured in major motion pictures and on television. She recorded three solo CD’s, toured the world sharing the stage with luminaries Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and John Mayer. She is the author of Five Star Music Makeover and Making your Mark in Music published by Hal Leonard and a book of poetry Woven Voices nominated for the International Latin Poetry Award.

 

 

Justin Paul, Music Business

Artist and label developer, charting music producer, recording artist, and co-founder at Underground Sol. He is also an international DJ performing at festivals and venues around the world. He recently became the Head of Audio & Music for Spafax Inflight Entertainment.

 

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Brian Ralston, Film Scoring

2021 HMMA winning film/television composer whose credits include the 20th Century Fox lacrosse film Crooked Arrows (2012) starring Brandon Routh; Being Rose (2019) with Cybil Shepherd and James Brolin; the Magnolia Pictures bank heist film Graduation (2008); and additional music in Season 4 of the WB Television production Angel (2004). Mr. Ralston is also a long time co-host of the SCOREcast podcast, a popular industry insider radio show for film and television composers.

 

 

 

 

Todd Roberts, Music Business

With over 20 years of music business and supervision experience, Mr. Roberts is the Vice President A&R for the Music Publishing division at Entertainment One, a global film, TV and next gen media company. He has held executive roles at Paradigm Agency, C3 Artist Management and Astralwerks and Virgin Records. Mr. Roberts oversees publishing and collaboration for a stable of producers working with artists like Anderson.Paak, Odesza, Gallant, Disclosure and many more. He also regularly works closely with the music supervision and licensing teams to place songs and catalog in film and TV shows.

 

Gale Rosenberg, Music Production

Rosenberg_Gale_30728President of Rock ‘n Retail, LLC; an independent music marketing and PR firm, and Web ‘n Retail, its online marketing and PR division. Ms. Rosenberg has over 30 years of music marketing experience, including positions held at J. Walter Thompson Advertising, Billboard Magazine, Mix Magazine, Creem Magazine, ABC and MCA Records, PolyGram Distribution, and Wherehouse Entertainment Corporation.  She has been President of her own company for over 25 years.

 

 

Steve Rothstein, Film Scoring

PhD, composer of numerous orchestral, choral, and chamber works. Mr. Rothstein received the UCLA Extension Distinguished Instructor Award in 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

Steven Saltzman, Film Scoring

Respected Hollywood music editor, Steven Saltzman has recently published Music Editing For Film and Television, The Art and The Process with Routledge / Focal Press – Taylor & Francis Group. Saltzman earned a Bachelors of Music in composition and film scoring from Berklee College of Music in Boston and studied composition with Boston Conservatory composer John Hess and in Los Angeles with Dr. Albert Harris.

Steven has been music editing for over twenty years and in addition to current projects his work includes: Ballerina, The Revenant, Queen Of The Desert, Brick Mansions, Priest, Straw Dogs (remake), Bewitched, A Guy Thing,  and Heartbreakers, to name a few. He has worked with many composers, currently with Tyler Bates and others including Klaus Badelt, Mark Mothersbaugh, Nathan Furst, Robert Revell, Dave Robbins, and J.A.C. Redford. He has also received a Golden Reel Award and four nominations for his music editing. Saltzman is a certified Avid Pro Tools instructor and created a music-editing course he has taught and lectured over the past twelve years at various institutions including UCLA Extension, Moviola Digital Arts Institute, PRI, Video Symphony, Community Colleges in Los Angeles and Riverside California, Musicians Institute, Motion Picture Editors Guild, Ex’pression College in San Francisco, The Media Institute in Minneapolis, and California State University. He serves on the Board of Directors for Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE), and the Advisory Boards of Los Angeles City College. He is a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, the Society of Composers and Lyricists, and MPSE.

 

Thom Sharp, Film Scoring

Sharp_Thom_1125Emmy Award-winning composer, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor whose composition credits include the television series Casper, Toonsylvania, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Bonkers, as well as such films as Return of Jafar and The Land before Time.

 

 

Billy Sullivan, Film Scoring

Composer and musician who has worked on over 150 albums, TV soundtracks and film scores including Behaving Badly (Selena Gomez), Big Momma’s House (Martin Lawrence), Five Flights Up (Morgan Freeman), Monster in Law (Jennifer Lopez) and Norbit (Eddy Murphy).  He’s written music for TV including Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Veep (HBO), The Bachelor (ABC), and he was the music supervisor and composer for the series Running Wild from Ted Nugent (CMT).

 

 

Darryl Swann, Music Production

Swann_Darryl_28411Grammy Award-winning independent record producer and audio engineer who has worked with such artists as Macy Gray, producer Rick Rubin, Mos-Def, John Frichante of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Erykah Badu, and the Black Eyed Peas.

 

 

 

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Robert Teegarden, Music Business

Former manager at Universal Music Group, music business educator, and entrepreneur.

 

 

 

 

Damon Tedesco, Music Production

Recording engineer, scoring stage manager, and scoring mixer who has worked on numerous films, television shows, commercials, and live events. He has recorded and mixed music for a wide variety of projects, including X-Men, Batman Begins, and The Voice, among many others.

 

 

 

Richard Tuttobene, Film Scoring

Award-winning composer, orchestrator, and jazz pianist. Mr. Tuttobene has composed for numerous feature films, including After Image and Boiler Maker, and countless television shows, including Kenan & Kel, All That, The Amanda Show, Chelsea, and Killer Kids.

 

 

 

 

 

James Venable, Music Production

Feature film credits include Venom, Scary Movie 5, Eurotrip, and Supercon. His score for Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends earned him an Emmy nomination and an Annie Award, his third of fourAlso known for his scores in animated television shows Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack and Clarence.

 

Mark Winkler, Music Production

Winkler_Mark_25921Mark Winkler is a platinum award-winning singer/lyricist who has had over 250 of his songs recorded by such artists as Dianne Reeves, Steve Tyrell, Liza Minnelli, Jane Monheit and Lea Salonga. He has written lyrics for tunes by such esteemed composers as Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Joshua Redman, and David Benoit. Recently, his songs have been recorded by Britain’s top vocalist Claire Martin and Denmark’s Sinne Eeeg — his song “We’ve Just Begun” was the title of her latest top 10 jazz release.

His last four CDs have all charted in the top 20 on the Jazz Week charts and he has gotten excellent reviews including two “Top Vocal CDs of the year” in 2015 and 2018 in Jazziz Magazine. His CD “Jazz and Other Four Letter Words” received a four star review in Downbeat magazine.

Mark has written songs for the hit musical revue Naked Boys Singing! which is in its 20th year playing Off-Broadway (the second longest running show in Off-Broadway history). He is the creator and co-writer of Too Old for the Chorus which has played successful engagements in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego and all over the country. He is also the co-writer for the musical revues Bark! and Hangin’ Out. His film noir jazz musical Play it Cool, which played to sold out audiences in Los Angeles, opened Off-Broadway a few years ago and received Drama Desk nominations for Best Musical and Best Lead performer.

As an educator, he has taught seminars in lyric writing at The Songwriters Guild and The Songwriting School of Los Angeles, and he now teaches “Crafting Great Lyrics: A Songwriters Workshop” at UCLA Extension.