Featured Member Archives

Who were your mentors...?
I don't know that I had a mentor, per se.  I had some really wonderful people who opened doors for me, who were great bosses and gave me responsibilities and opportunities to do more as I grew as a producer. 

What was your last project...?
My last projects haven't been in production - they were in "production instruction."  After my last show, I was speaking about once a month about screenwriting (my first industry job was as a story analyst) and making reality TV.  And it really struck me how little people knew about selling and producing non-fiction TV.  So I took a year away from production and spoke non-stop and wrote two books on how to craft sellable scripts and shows.  The second book, "The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System," has been called the "bible" of the biz, and it's taught at colleges and sells out regularly at Amazon and the Writers' Store.  So the book may be its own "mentor" for people.  Certainly people who have read it or consulted with me on projects have sold shows. 

What's your next project...?

My next project is an ongoing series of clips for The CLIC Network (www.theclic.net), a free college-bound social network I launched earlier this year.   All the while I was producing TV, I was funding and directing a college mentoring program in Los Angeles, and with the new media craze, it seemed logical and necessary to take that experience to the Internet and mobile arenas.  And I'm very busy marketing my new production software.  Whether it's college apps or scheduling shows, I try to make the path from A to B shorter, cheaper, faster, easier or simpler for everyone - it makes my inner geek just purr.

What are you doing now...?
I just released new production software.  A few years ago, I did a show where the pilot had 16 different versions of the schedule and we cranked out over 20 budgets before we ever shot an episode.  There were a LOT of cooks in the pot, and every time my line producer and I got a note, we were going into Outlook and dragging those little bars around, then going into Excel and deleting rows and columns and checking formulas.  It was literally weeks of work. 

So I created Show Starter Scheduling & Budgeting Plus, a software program that lets you create a schedule, and it links your budget and cash flow to it, so every time you make a change to one item, the others instantly update.  You also see a running total of your spending as you add to the calendar, that's not something you do separately later.  We built vendors in, so people could get instant quotes.  The application works for TV, film, commercials, theater and of course, new media.  And voilà - MovieMaker magazine named us one of their "Top 40 Indie Film Friendly Businesses"! 

Show Starter Plus slashes over a week's work down to just a few hours.  Last month, I sat with a friend of mine to do the docs for her film short, and we blocked off Saturday afternoon, but we finished in half an hour.  So we went and had drinks (TMI?). 

There's a free trial of the software and everyone is welcome to try it out.  We're also planning free Webinars to help people learn how to budget and schedule projects because not knowing how to do that is one of the bigger roadblocks to being able to run or sell a show. 

Which of your shows is your favorite...?
One of my favorite experiences was a Modern Marvels I did with a really savvy AP (who's a successful doc producer now) where every shoot, every interview, all of the writing, the researching, the documenting, just everything went so smoothly, and we had such a fun and fascinating time, and our crew was just these incredibly cool guys, and at the end of it, no exhaustion, no clock-racing, and I'm pretty sure we went home every night and had some weekends off.    That was like Disneyland, that show.

What is the secret of your success?
I am intensely curious about how things work and highly motivated to find ways to make them work better.  That's what made me a good producer, particularly in terms of protecting the bottom line, but it really makes me a perfect match for new media.  In technology, the "comfort zone" and "the way we always do it" are not desired or rewarded.  It's always about designing the new "optimum" in speed and style and efficiency.  When I talk to producers, I speak really passionately about reframing uncertainty, so that things you don't know yet become a beacon rather than a barrier.  There's just no reason to work this hard if you aren't on fire to try new things.

How did you get started in the film business.
After college, I moved back to my parent's house in Pennsylvania with no real direction. I knew I wanted to make movies, but I had no idea how to get started. At the time, I had a 16mm student film from one of my classes. In trying to find somewhere that could transfer it from film to video, I met some folks at a small market production company. And out of it, I got my first job.

What was your first job on a set?
I guess my official title was coffee fetcher. And between productions, I mopped floors. Eventually this led to more hands on production duties, like carrying cables, setting up lights and laying down dolly track. We produced television commercials and corporate videos.

Any other film jobs...?
A lot of grip and gaffer stuff in the smaller market. All of it was non-union. I can remember crewing a 35mm TV commercial with an 8 person crew. That day, I was the grip, gaffer and boom operator. At the time, I just assumed all productions were run that tight. Ha! Great education. Still, I couldn't believe people actually paid me to be that close to the action.

You worked in New York, too...?
Yes. One day I got a call from a former intern of the same Pennsylvania production company. He was now producer in New York City.

He invited me to come into the city and grip a corporate video for one of the big banks. Keep in mind, I'm from a small town. So this is a HUGE deal. Once I arrived, the production was missing a camera operator. So I took that job too. Just thinking about the excitement of that day reminds me why I got into this business in the first place.

After that experience, I moved to New York and found work as an assistant to an indie producer.  With him, I read screenplays, wrote coverage and with all of my production experience, I was able to help out on set quite a bit too. Additionally, I learned about business plans, how to meet with investors, how to contact acquisitions folks and importantly, I learned how quickly a green lit project can fall apart.

Have you ever wanted to get out of the business?
No. I don't know if you can ever fully remove yourself from the business. Making movies is addicting. But I have stopped asking for jobs. At some point I realized it was nice to do the work I wanted to do and not worry about what any one else thought. So I have made it a goal to make at least 1 feature a year.

Who was your mentor?
Joe Surges taught me a lot. He had about 30 years of experience in the smaller market, doing corporate gigs and television commercials. He was a very talented producer and writer.

Back in the day, based on the strength of a spec script, he was invited to interview for staff position on The Newheart Show. He passed that up to raise a family and stay in Pennsylvania. He taught me some things about the business and life that have guided me through both New York and Los Angeles. 1. Do your best work. 2. Show up on time, always. 3.Never burn a bridge.

One time I called Joe from New York. We had just lost 1.5 million dollars worth of financing on our feature. And suddenly I was in New York with limited money and lots of rent. I called Joe and he kindly informed me that projects fall apart. He told me that I just experienced life's first bloody nose. I wouldn't say he was nice about it, but he told me to wipe the blood off, get up and start working on my next project immediately. He also said: You never know which ripple will hit the shore first. That stays with me.

Joe had a pretty good network in New York City and really helped me get my first job there. He passed away a few years ago.

I also worked with some great people in New York and the Maine Media Workshops - people with the heart of a teacher, passionate about passing the torch. Barry Primus comes to mind as does Forrest Murray.

Why were you worthy of guidance?
I don't think a mentor relationship can be forced. Maybe it has something to do with that proverb: when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. If I were to pinpoint one thing, maybe a mentee reminds a mentor of that initial excitement - like the first time you load a film camera or set up a light under the backdrop of New York City. There is just something memorable about why we initially got into this business.

What was your most recent project?
We are in post production on a feature documentary called Toxic Soup. And it's my first doc. In the past, my focus has always been narrative features. But this one moved me. It's about some folks in West Virginia and Kentucky who are very sick due to the chemical and radioactive pollution dumped in their back yards. Prior to Toxic Soup, I produced a character driven indie that played a pretty good festival run, but fizzled. And prior to that, I produced a Zombie comedy which has garnered a cult following.

What’s next?
I always look at projects from two fronts, What is the marketable hook? And can I have fun living this thing for the next two years. If I can answer both questions without hesitation, then I move on it.

Right now, I'm in development on a zombie ninja haunted house movie.

As you can tell, I bounce between socially responsible films and popcorn movies. But despite the silliness, I always view each project wondering if I can make a return on investment.

What was the worst thing that ever happened on a movie?
The bad things always seem to happen in prep (like we loose money) or post (when we realize we don't have enough money to re-shoot a bad scene). Despite these difficulties, we have always learned from our lessons the hard way.

Admittedly, my response might be filtered through my delusional philosophy that every challenge on set makes the movie better. In that regard, I have experienced people getting stuck in traffic and grinding our day to a halt. I have experienced a screaming director at 3AM, right before he walked off set. I once had to fill a baby pool with jello and we didn't have enough jello. And one time my pants caught on fire from a severed electric cord. (Not anything we set up; just a random cord in the middle of a field.)

Any regrets that you became a filmmaker?
- When I was paying my dues in NYC and Los Angeles, many of my college buddies devoted their lives to raising wonderful families. I think the movie business is a trade off. This business requires such a hustle and is full of uncertainty, that I wonder at what point it will slow down enough to have a family. But at the same time, I like the challenge.

Which film of yours is your favorite?  Why?
I would have to say Toxic Soup. Mainly because I believe it can make a difference in the world.

Any advice for the thousands of new filmmakers pouring out of film schools?
There are too many filmmakers who do not understand general sales and marketing. As distribution channels make the shift from brick and mortar operations to VOD and streaming websites, filmmakers will have multiple outlets to sell their movies. But in order to prosper, marketing will become one of the most vital roles in actually getting a movie seen and sold. Additionally, I would advise cutting up credit cards. I once worked in banking. Banks work very hard to make debtors slaves to lenders. Debt can kill movie making dreams dead.

Is it good that anyone can “make a movie” with a few hundred dollars of equipment?
I think the future of movie making is pretty bright for an entrepreneurial producer. You can produce professional looking content for minimal up front costs, instantly deliver content to the world and create a revenue stream without inventory. To me, this is amazing!

However, I believe this accessibility creates a gap between high budget movies and low budget movies. I know at least one seasoned indie producer who typically operates in the range between 2-7M. He was having difficulty closing the deal on one of his projects (with name talent) because some investors got cold feet due to uncertainty within traditional distribution channels. If this proves true for other projects in this "no man's land budget range," then the ripple effect means below the line crew may have difficulty finding well paying gigs.

Some movies will be made with less cash upfront. So as a result we might see projects that promise low up front money and back end points. This is in ways akin to a traditional start up model.

If you can take the risk, you might get rewarded. Or not.

Optimistically, I believe new channels in distribution will create additional revenue opportunities. We just haven't figured them all out yet. Companies like Hulu are very close. However, as the delineation between cable television and the internet fades, you have to wonder if networks will become 100% VOD - and if so, will studios become just another channel on your TV? "Honey, can you turn on the Paramount channel?"

If you could do one film over again, which would it be?
I think it's about time someone re-made Top Gun.

Have you done any other jobs for films?
Besides composing, I have been a performer on woodwinds, keyboards, synthesizers and guitar.  I am also an orchestrator.  I have been a music copyist, proofreader and librarian.

Did you have a mentor when you began?  Who?
My main mentor for Film/TV music was Earle Hagen - mentor to a lot of composers.  I studied with Earle at his home and in the BMI Scoring Workshop.  There are so many amazing composers - classical composers; film and TV composers; rock, jazz and blues artists; composers from other cultures - all influences to be listened to and studied to find your own style.

What was your last project?
I recently completed scoring "The Last Word," a feature doc about a wrongful execution in Amarillo TX.  I also recently completed scoring "our Families, Ourselves," an 18 episodes series for PBS.

What's your next project?
I am currently recording a set of 3 CDs of Yoga/Relaxation music for the GAIAM company.  I have composed scores for about 45 of their DVDs and they have released 10 CDs of my music.

What other projects have you done?
Almost 400 episodes of documentary/educational productions for PBS and many productions for the History Channel, A+E, Biography, Showtime AMC and Bravo.  I have been the orchestrator on Chicago Hope, Batman, the Animated Series, SeaQuest DSV and others.  I've also scored short films for Disney Educational, Churchill, Film Fair, Shoebox, KCET, KOCE and others. 
Which of your scores is your favorite?           
I'd have to say "The Unfinished Nation," a 52 episode PBS Series about U.S. History.  It gave me a chance to compose dramatic and documentary music in all sorts of styles and instruments, moving through the various periods of time in our history - from the first people to cross the Bering Straight into the Western Hemisphere to current time.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to continue growing as a composer and musician, being a great dad and family guy, stay healthy, keep my collection of British Sports Cars healthy, going for great hikes, cooking, playing and having fun with friends and enjoying this life!

What's your next film...?
Esfahan, Pearl of Iran is in English, French & Farsi.  It documents the brilliant art and architecture of Iran.

What other projects have you done?
I'm especially proud of From the Heart Productions and the Roy W. Dean Grant Foundation.  We've provided financing and mentorship programs worth millions of dollars in goods and services. from original donation of raw stock, lights and camera to the current New York Film, LA Film and LA Video grants valued at over $50,000.00 each.  Plus our new writer/researcher grant for a 4 week sojourn in New Zealand - it allows serious screenwriters and documentary filmmakers to work on their projects in a serene, quiet setting on the Wye River surrounded by unspoiled beauty from the surrounding hills and working sheep farms.

I produced over 100 television programs, including the popular cable program, HealthStyles, where o interviewed great people including Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Weil and Dr. Caroline Myss.

I share a lot of my knowledge about financing in The Art of Film Funding which teaches filmmakers how and where to find funding. (The book is sold on ReelGrok - just click the image.)  My newest book is for a wider audience.  The Art of Manifesting: Creating your Future was created to bring important information from leading physicists on the new studies that support your ability to create your reality, attract what you want and manifest the future you want.

What are you doing now...?
Raising goods and services for more Dean Grants, mentoring filmmakers and teaching film financing.

Which of your films is your favorite...?
Play it Again Sam, a video sales brochure I made for my short ends and reprocessed film stock  before I sold Studio Film & tape to Edgewise.  That started everything.

Who was your mentor...?  How did you find your mentor?

I have had a few mentors over the years, but the most influential is one of my best friends today.  Her name is Pam Kuri.  Right now she is the 1st AD on the Emmy nominated TV show, SAVING GRACE.  Pam and I actually met on EARTH2.  She gave me my first set PA job.  I can tell you she was the best boss I ever had.  She is also the best A.D. I have ever seen.  She trained me about set etiquette, identifying what's the priority, how to break down a script and tons more.  She is a person of enormous character and strength.  I was lucky to have found her.  After EARTH2, Pam and I went on to work on several other big union shows.  Now, for my directing work today, my mentor is Michael Grossman.  Michael directs a lot of TV shows and movies.  And, again, he and I met on the set of EARTH2 as well.  He was the 1st AD at the time.  He and Pam were best friends and remain so today.  We have all moved up over the years, but remain close.  I am very, very lucky to have met such good and generous people early on.

What was the worst thing that ever happened on a set...?

I guess the worst thing that ever happened to me was new script revisions had arrived and I neglected to give them to the Script Supervisor.  I was a Set PA and still very, very green.  All of a sudden at the end of the day, the 2nd 2nd AD came down on me really hard and the script supervisor would not speak to me.  I was totally confused as to what had happened.  The 2nd 2nd AD made me apologize to the script supervisor and that was that.  Later is was explained to me that the script supervisor is the first person who ought to receive the script revisions... makes perfect, common sense now... but at the time... with over 100 crew... honestly, I did not know who to give them to first.

Who are your favorite actors?  

As a director, my favorite actors are based on who I find inspiring.  It's very subjective.  While I can and do have a great deal of respect for many, many actors who master the craft, there are certain ones I am especially impressed by.  Hilary Swank, Laura San Giacomo, Michael Chiklis, CCH Pounder, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Aniston, Lindsay Lohan, Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Norton, Ian Somerhalder, Gary Sinise, Glenn Close, Felicity Huffman, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Katey Sagal, Diane Lane, Evan Rachel Wood, Jennifer Garner.

Who are my favorite directors?

My favorite feature film directors are: Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Twilight), James Mangold (Copland, Walk the Line), Marc Forester (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland), Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk), Kim Peirce (Boys Don't Cry, Stop-Loss).  My favorite episodic TV directors are Michael Grossman (Private Practice, Dirty Sexy Money), Marcos Siega (Dexter, Vampire Diaries), Guy Ferland (Sons of Anarchy, The Eleventh Hour), Robin Schmidt (The Shield, Saving Grace) and Gwyneth Horder-Payton (Criminal Minds, The Unit).

Any regrets that you became a filmmaker?

Absolutely none!  I cannot imagine doing anything else.  I certainly don't want to do anything else.  Even though occasionally it crosses my mind that by staying in Los Angeles and doing what I do is a bit like chasing the dragon... I do know that no matter what anyone can make it in this town.  I remain very optimistic almost all the time.  You have to believe in yourself, as they say, because if you don't no one else can...  Plus, inevitably people move up the food chain here... a bit like last one standing... If you are not Meryl Streep or Martin Scorsese today, who can say you won't be someday?

What was the best project you ever did...? 

My best project was my last movie, HOLDING TREVOR.  The script was so good and the acting that it was a real treat to make it come to life on the big screen. The crew came together as a passion project.  There was so much talent on our set.  It was one of the happiest experiences of my life.

The worst project? 

The worst project?!  Well, unfortunately, many can be that way... ones where I was the set PA or even the 1st AD were sometimes so painful and usually due to bad producing.  Crews typically are pretty happy when there are good decisions coming from the top.  If the crew loses faith in the producers... the negativity and resentments spread like a California wild fire.  Filmmaking is hard enough, I always say.  There are so many challenges and so much can go wrong.  The cards are already stacked against you... So, the solution is to do everything right... hire the best people... and by that I mean not just people who are the best at what they do, but also the ones with the good character.

What was your most recent project?

My most recent directing project was HOLDING TREVOR.  It was the little movie that could and did.  We had a shoestring budget and shot it in 14 days with 2 cameras.  The movie went on to get a theatrical release in the U.S. and sold in many countries.  I was the director and producer.  It was a labor of love.

What's your next project?

My next project is either a director for hire gig where I direct someone else's project or a KGB FILMS production, which is my company. I am currently developing many projects under that shingle. The frontrunner is an indie love story revolving around death called MONGOOSE8.  It's a bit like GHOST meets 6th SENSE with a WIZARD OF OZ twist. Currently, I am looking for producers to work with on a slate of projects at KGB FILMS. http://www.kgbfilms.com.

Any other projects keeping you busy...?

I mentor and tutor through ReelGrok, working with filmmakers to plan and plot their productions.  It's vital to help filmmakers get their films seen everywhere from Sundance to TV to the web. 

What was your last project…?
A silent film shot in color, serving as a trailer and a vehicle to re-discover the genre.

What’s your next film…?
Film Synergy Magic, LLC is developing Trouble With Uncle Max - a Film Noir.  A hoodlum fresh out of prison has to deal with a dead body, get his girlfriend back and kill his rival.  All in a single evening.  We’ll be looking for an Executive Producer in 2009.

You earned a Master’s in Music Education.  Do you use it…?
Absolutely.  I still sing and I’m thinking about starting a rock band.  We tend to stay young as long as we have our dreams.

What are you doing now…?
Shooting a Web/TV comedy about two musical clowns - a blind/deaf piano man who’s voice coaching a mute singer.  I’m also rediscovering writing.  Working collectively in the Film Synergy Group.  And developing projects in our company, Film Synergy Magic, LLC.

What kind of collective work are you doing in the Film Synergy Group…?
Building a community of filmmakers.  Americans spend most of their energies developing themselves as individuals.  And people sometimes don’t understand that we’re all parts of a larger community – the Universe, God, Gaia, Nature, Humanity, Society, Nation, Culture, Family, you name it.... While so many people are trying to become powerful, rich and famous, I want to build my career by nurturing the communal aspects of filmmaking.

How…?
By creating an environment that encourages individuals to work together. To reach serious depths, an orchestra or a film crew has to learn how to play well  together.  And that takes years.  Mentoring filmmakers is part of the mission of Film Synergy Magic - we learn when we share our insights.  For example, I took Norman Bern’s online classes last year.  I was so impressed by their thoroughness and overall quality, I thought, “We need to bring this to the masses!”  And now we’re developing a six-week online course, complete with guest speakers and great follow-up materials.

Which of your films is your favorite…?
The ones I haven’t made yet....  They are perfect.

What have you learned most from your shoots?
I've found it very valuable to learn as many different workflows as possible. Very often what is both expensive and time consuming using a 'standard' workflow is both cheap and quick using another. My experiences with a variety of workflows allow me to gently suggest alternatives to my DP and/or director that can pull the production back onto schedule and budget.

Another valuable lesson is never to discard the unusual or untried. Ric Waite once told me of a shoot he was DP'ing wherein he had to capture cut-aways of squad cars rushing past with lights and sirens. As he was carrying the camera and batteries from one location to another a block away he heard sirens. Without focusing or mounting the camera, he simply turned it on and kept walking - shooting the cut-aways that were eventually cut into the movie on the fly.

A somewhat similar situation happened on a short I shot for another producer. We were shooting on location in a very small cabin using a wide variety of Dutch angles and positions. As we wrapped the shoot one actress said her favorite moment was when I murmured, "I don't know how I'm getting this next shot but that sewing basket is part of the solution!" And it was. I used the sewing basket as a impromptu baby legs tripod to shoot a cutaway of a character picking up scattered cassette tapes from UNDER the coffee table! Another shot from the same production called for laying the camera on it's side on a plastic sheet under a bed. This was one of the most enjoyable shoots I've been on yet - and a hell of a lot of work and skull sweat!

The fact is that once the cameras are rolling failure is NOT an option. I - we all - have to do whatever it takes to successfully capture the footage and sound needed in postproduction. If this means we have to throw the book out the window and make up our own solutions on the fly, and this is often the case, than so be it. It's more fun this way, don't you think?

What other jobs have you done on film...?
My goodness, that's a long list.  I started working in entertainment at the age of twelve as an extra in a European-produced movie titled 'Joseph and Mary: a Love Story'. You can guess the plot from the name. I was cast, primarily, because I was living in Israel at the time, was the correct age, and spoke fluent English and Hebrew as well as conversational Arabic and Aramaic.  The working language of the movie was English but, for some reason I still don't understand, the producers forgot to hire interpreters. I've extraed, uncredited, in a couple of other movies since then and been on TV and radio but most of my acting, in named roles, has been in minor stage productions. Acting is fun on an occasional basis but I much prefer working behind the camera.

I've been a director, editor (Avid and FCP), DP, camera operator, production designer (once!), boom op, best boy, sound op, telepromptor operator, gaffer, craft services, P.A. (of course), production secretary, UPM, security, location scout and manager, 1^st and 2^nd assistant director, and now producer. This is the short list.

There is, I have found, a definite advantage to having performed all of these jobs and more. I now know what everybody does in at least some detail and have a basic understanding of each job's jargon. Postproduction's definition of 'rendering' is completely different from production design's - but both are vital to the production process. If my production designer tells me the forced-perspective renderings aren't quite correct, I don't have to ask for an explanation and we can move directly to the extent of the problem and possible solutions. If I don't know what rendering means to a production designer, if forced-perspective is an unknown term, I would then have spend time figuring out what I'm being told. I'd much rather use my time giving the production designer the time and resources they need to fix the problem.

But of even more importance, my having filled so many jobs on shoots gives me a deep appreciation of and respect for the work each person working on the production has to do. When I see anyone working, my reaction is "God, I remember that...!" and my appreciation of the work being done grows because I no longer have to do it myself.  We've all heard that film and video is a collaborative art - but I KNOW it because I've worked so many positions.

Who was your mentor...?  How did you find your mentor?
As a cinematographer and camera operator, my mentor is Ric Waite ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005923/ ). In 1954, in the middle of a successful career as a fashion photographer, Ric found that business too overrun to be profitable - so he packed his bags and moved to L.A. With no experience in shooting movies he talked his way into a DP gig and realized he knew nothing about shooting MOTION.

He learned. His first gaffer made Ric look good ("Just act like you're talking, tell me what you want, and stay out of my way") by calling the lights according to Ric's supposed plan and Ric learned by paying attention and remembering everything that happened.

I took a number of classes under Ric in film school. Eventually he took me aside and told me he was tired of hearing my voice giving everyone the correct answers and would I please let other students think for themselves. We worked out a solution: I stopped answering questions - until all the other students were stumped and Ric asked me directly. Over the years I spent as his student we became good friends. Ric's earned several Emmys and I hope to hire him and get him the Oscar he so richly deserves.

Oh, and by the way, his hearing my voice was nothing more that the voice projection theater actors learn. Even in a large studio, a correctly projected voice carries for a very long distance. Being able to be heard across a large and noisy studio without having to shout can be a great advantage...

As a writer, well I don't think I have a mentor. I've been a published writer for more than twenty years and recently changed from articles for newspapers and magazines and shorts and (unpublished) novels to screenwriting. While the format and background of the projects have changed, the essence of telling a compelling story hasn't. Why the change? Screenwriting has the highest per-word return of any writing. You don't have to believe me - do the math yourself.

As an editor, I learned what I know from Jerry Hofmann. Jerry is an accomplished FCP editor and expert - and an exacting taskmaster. Work with him and you will learn that anything less than perfection just isn't good enough. This is one of many reasons he's so very good at what he does. I took most of my postproduction classes under Jerry.

As a producer... well, as we all know, producers tend to be relatively unknown outside the business and a mentor, to me, is someone I know on both a personal and a professional basis.  The film school didn't provide connections to producers. I should explain that the film school I attended hired only working or retired film/video professionals as instructors. There is a great advantage to this as classes are based, however egocentrically, on real world experience and not on theory alone. However, I don't live in southern California - I live in the Denver metropolitan area. This means there just aren't any feature producers to draw from and the relatively few short and commercial producers who remain in the area tend to be too busy to take on such a low paying, high maintenance job on the side. Production courses, therefore, were taught by UPM's, production coordinators, etc. and, while each of these is a valuable crew member and completely professional and competent, they aren't producers per se. So my contact with producers in and of themselves wasn't really possible through the film school. This does not mean to say I haven't had any contact with producers. Quite the contrary.

Early on I decided to use my time as a student in building the list of contacts I would eventually need professionally. To, at least in part, accomplish this, I used that wonderful tool, the Internet. I joined several online groups (Norman's among them, of course!) read every post and offered information I was learning at school as answers to questions being asked by others. I now own or moderate six different filmic groups including a new one I am just starting for film students to offer mutual help and support - and get tough answers and answers to tough questions from a picked list of industry professionals. These groups have given me the access to independent producers that film school couldn't and I consider the groups and the contacts I make through them a vital asset in developing my first feature production. I don't ask many questions publicly, I know, not because I know everything - if I did I wouldn't have needed film school! - but because I HAVE read the posts and save many important ones for future reference.

I guess this means that the producers who participate in ReelGrok and the groups are my mentors, as well they should be. There is nothing so valuable and precious as someone who teaches without asking for compensation. The data gleaned by the student tends to be impartial and the lessons real, so thank you, one and all, for mentoring me.

Why did you become a filmmaker?
Some of you already know at least part of this story - I did post it at least twice on the groups. Different groups, of course.

I graduated university this past December (2008) with a BFA in film emphasizing in cinematography (the film school did not at that time offer an emphasis in producing). I STARTED college in 1996, which means I have been going to college for twenty-two years, longer than many college students have been alive! How & why?

I started college 'way back when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.  In my third semester I had to drop out to care for my ailing parents. I took a few courses over the years because I love learning just to learn but I couldn't maintain my grades when I had to drive hundreds of miles once or twice a week to my parent's home. Eventually I simply bought textbooks and continued learning on my own when and if I had the time. In this fashion I learned many esoteric subjects (quantum-astrophysics, for instance).

My parents passed away within three years of each other with two of my six siblings just ready to move out and a third just entering high school. The eldest (of six) sister lived in NYC but my slightly younger brother and I lived less than a mile apart in the Denver area. We cooperated in raising our youngest brother.

I restarted community college in 2003 about the same time my youngest brother graduated high school. I was intent on pursuing a double major in programming and physics. I was getting ready to transfer to the Colorado School of Mines (one of the best applied sciences schools available) when I found out just how expensive it was going to be. $22,000 per semester for six or more semesters? On financial aid? Like hell! Instead I went downtown to the University of Colorado Denver, took the tour, and spoke with an admissions person. They mentioned they had a film school and I had my epiphany. Three weeks later I started my first film courses and I haven't come up for air since. Which all explains how I became a filmmaker.

Why did I become a filmmaker? Not for the money. So far becoming a filmmaker has cost me more that $50K and brought in - oh, about $1K. Certainly I'll take all the money I'll eventually be making but that doesn't apply yet.

For the fame? I'm a producer. Not a whole lot of fame there unless your initials are SS (hint: Jaws)... Besides, I want to be rich but not famous. If you're both rich and famous everybody wants a piece of you and all your money. If you're rich but unknown nobody knows to ask...

Certainly I' didn't become a filmmaker for the stability of my income. Everyone here who currently earns stable, bill-paying income from film or video please raise your hands. Nobody? Gee, who would have thought?

No, there are three main reasons I became a filmmaker: enjoyment, creativity, and variety.

Enjoyment: I love this industry, not like someone who loves their job but can't wait to get home at the end of their nine-to-five workday, but for working for the sheer fun of it. My days start at 7AM and end at 11PM at least six days a week - and I'd work more if I didn't have chores and outside commitments. I don't have to say I'd work this job even if I don't get paid - I'm NOT getting paid yet and I still enjoy being a producer immensely.

Creativity: To paraphrase Robert Heinlein, This world is a slum being run by an absentee landlord. Even the best parts of the world are worn out and starting to fail. I get to create whole new worlds to visit, worlds untouched except for those few I allow to enter but which can be vicariously enjoyed by all. Nobody other than a god has this much power, these many options. How can you not have fun creating whole new worlds?

Variety: I'll admit up front that I tend to stagnate and get bored if forced (by the need to pay bills) to perform the same tasks repetitively year after year. Producing provides an opportunity to use a specific set of skills in completely new ways with each project.  I know how unexciting this sounds but it is of vital importance to me if I am to stay happy.

What was your most recent project...?
I don't work on 'a' project. I tend to work best with half a dozen or more irons in the fire at all times. Currently, I'm:

Posting a wedding video for my cousin's daughter and her new husband (I also shot it)

In development on:

• A SciFi murder mystery (the one from That First Feature Feeling blog)
• A reality TV show
• A fantasy western
• A teen-coming-of-age SciFi spy thriller
• A SciFi action adventure
• A musical fantasy thriller
• A SciFi/western feature & TV series (combined)

Yes, I like mixing strong genres in my fiction. Well-defined target audiences with compelling characters and stories and devious mind-bending plots and sub-plots, tend to make funding easier. Not easy, no, but easier.

What was the worst thing that ever happened to you on a set...?|
Luckily it happened on a student shoot so I didn't lose money or professional credibility. It was my sophomore year in film school and I had a great student crew and cast (the film school also has a program to teach film/video acting).  Everyone knew their call times and the location... and only one person (aside from myself) in the seven-person crew showed up. We only had the location for the day and we had to show dailies the next week so we couldn't postpone and none of the other five crewmembers were answering their cell phones.

So we shot it anyway. I gaffed and worked both sound and camera. The other person both directed and script supervised. We cut all the other crew members out of the project and titles, leaving them short of the number of productions they were required to crew for the semester and, thereby, costing them their grade. Their problem, not mine.

What did I learn? Never, ever, do more than one job at a time. Yes, we got the shoot in the can and it was... presentable, I guess, but it could have been so much better had we been able to postpone the shoot or found reliable crew. This was the one shoot I have produced that ever ran over schedule - by only thirty minutes. I got a good grade but I consider this shoot to be a dismal failure in organization and human resources.

Any regrets that you became a filmmaker?
Regrets? Please! Filmmaking is as much fun as you can legally have with your clothes on. In what other profession can you fix all the world's problems in two hours with time out for commercial breaks once you go to cable?

Correction: not profession, recreation. Most people who say they love their jobs would never think of going into work on their days off - off the clock - and getting things done just to have more fun. Can anyone in this business say they spend no personal time whatsoever working on a film/video-related project without pay? I suppose there may be a few but they're very much in the minority.

The truth is that filmmaking is much more a passion than a way to pay bills. Unless you're an A-lister the money you make doesn't come close to paying for the time and effort you put in. Why, then, do we continue working? Because it's so much fun, that's why! We few who 'work' in film and video get paid to play whatever games we want according to our own rules. How can you not have fun recreating the universe in your own image at least once each year?

What projects are you doing now...?
I started my production company, Dancing Cat Productions, LLC, in December of 2005 as a platform to represent my student shoots in the business community. I also used my last few semesters at film school to do quite a lot of development work on my first feature, SecFor (I actually used the feature as my student project is three different courses that final semester - with each instructor's permission, of course).

Since graduation I've been working on funding the feature as well as developing the list of projects, above. I'm also writing several screenplays in various stages of completion intended for option and sale.

What can I say? I like to keep busy.

Which of your films is your favorite...?
'Way back in the 1960's, when I was about six and my brother five, we had a super16 home movie camera with a manual trigger and no sound at all. For those of you too younger to remember those early home movie monstrosities, once you wound the camera up (spring action, no batteries!) you could hold down the trigger to move the film normally or 'fire' it like a gun to shoot one frame at a time.

My brother and I would line up our Matchbox cars on the floor and shoot these truly terrible stop motion chase-and-crash scenes. I doubt many of these reels survived the intervening years - and I wouldn't released them if they did! - but the sheer joy of making these reels remains with me, undiminished, to this day.

Of my more - ahem! - mature work, I shot a documentary for Denver University detailing their service learning program. They had already commissioned and had produced an hour-long piece on how the program works but neglected to include any information on WHY the students should get involved. I produced a 5-minute short to answer that question. The university still shows that short doc to all incoming students, staff, and faculty. Considering it cost nothing but gas and craft services to produce and was shot in under three days using all film student labor including the editors and sound technicians), it was a very successful piece. I even received a one thousand dollar scholarship in return - my first paying job!

As for my projects in development, I'm enough of a producer to say I love them all and they're all great and wonderful projects. Always talk your projects up, right? But if I had to pick one...

I'm going to be - No, I AM - a feature producer but the reality show I'm developing has really touched a nerve since the moment the concept occurred to me. I've never gotten into the reality show craze due mostly, I think, to the artificial setting the shows all have, all the unrealistic structure behind the show: this is how you play, this is how you get cut, these are the rules you will live by... The unrealistic situations distance the shows from me as a viewer.

All I can say is that this is a very unique concept and something completely new but close enough to the reality show as it is currently known not to be rejected out of hand. Any TV reality producer who wants more information can contact me privately at DavidM @ DancingCatProds . com  and we can discuss it in private. It's just too early in development to make the concept public. I know you'll all understand.

Why did you name your company Dancing Cat Productions?
I am a cat person. To all you dog people out there who are groaning, let me just say these two things: I prefer a cat's feigned independence and the fact that, living at 6118 feet altitude, in the winter I don't have to take a dog for a walk in below-zero darkness.

When I decided to form a production company I wanted a name that, while simple, created an animated image just by being spoken. I was sitting around thinking of this when Mili, one of my cats can into the room.  She dances. No, really. Well, okay, she chases her tail but a cat's tail flicks back and forth and it makes her look like she's doing the Twist very slowly. Instead of being born, some ideas hit you in the face like a sledgehammer.

Once the name was registered and the company incorporated I noodled around in LiveType and came up with the simple yet elegant bug I still use. I've uploaded an SD version to ReelGrok so you can see what I mean. Simple, yet unique and memorable.

Why put so much work into a company name and bug? I know the fashion is to let your production company go bankrupt every few years so as to get rid of uncomfortable commitments and liabilities. Personally and professionally I think this is an affront to the concept of being a good businessman. If the commitments and liabilities are so onerous why would I agree to them at all? No, I have not the slightest intention of creating more than this one production company and if I'm going to stay with this one company I should put the effort in to make it stand out.

Who was your mentor...?

I can't really point to one person though I have been lucky enough through the years to have a variety of people who believed in my ability to take the step. I've had the advantage of growing up in the industry. but my family come from theatre and in many ways they never understood the business I'm in now.  But my uncle. Vivian Matalon. who is a Tony award winning Broadway director. has always been there to listen and advise.  And my mother. Elizabeth Seal/  She's a Tony winner herself.

The other pivotal characters have been Gillian Lynne. a choreographer who has always inspired me. And the acclaimed British arts photographer, Michael Ward, who has always had faith and taken utter pleasure in my efforts.  I think in many ways I have always had to be my own mentor by simply seeing something I wanted and going after it. I have crossed industries and departments several times and have always pushed myself where others may not have had such faith. The one thing I think I have done is always be ready for the opportunity and always been ambitious and yet able to show my fear. I believe strongly in surrounding myself with the strongest team possible as it's what brings out the best in me.

As I have gotten older I have often looked back with a certain amount of regret that there was not that one person who had stood behind me and been a sounding board but I have tried to put that back and turn that around by taking a keen interest and pleasure in helping those who show promise. I probably find one PA or intern every 15 months who proves themselves and every one I know has become a working member of the industry doing something else that they love.

What was your most recent project...?

That would be the completed film, Seasons in the Valley, a feature documentary.  And I just finished work as a producer on a new pilot series, Making Over America, with Trinny and Susannah. It's a fashion makeover reality show with the British talent behind the original What Not To Wear. My first episode airs on August 28th. I had never done a fashion reality show before and it was amazing fun.  I am hoping the show will get picked up for a full series later in the year. 

Reality is the strangest kind of story telling and both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time because there is pressure to deliver a story without always knowing what that story is or how you can weave it. Last year I created the pilot to a reality show called Gorehounds, which got a lot of attention at networks but never got greenlit. It opened my eyes to the possibilities in the genre. It does not all have to be a trainwreck.  I would love to do some more reality as a producer and director and continue to develop my own show ideas.

What's your next film...?

My next film depends on how fast the producers move!  Its either an action thriller called SOL which I am producing as well as directing.  Or it'll be a family film called Sparkle Serena! which I'm slated to direct.

What are you doing now...?

I'm learning how to use Photoshop and a program called Sitegrinder so I can design my own websites and get a little more sophisticated with design and graphics. What I would like to be doing is a rewrite of a script of my own called Love's A Drag. It's my next "My" film.

Which of your films is your favorite...?

My favorite film in terms of fun is Sex & Camping and then Seasons In The Valley, which was a very hard film to make but remained true to the film I wanted to make. That said, I kind of hate watching my work because there is always a myriad list of nitpicky things that drive one crazy.

What's the worst thing that ever happend  to you on a set...?

I was directing a very important project for an important corporate client.  With a brand new camera....  About three minutes before cameras were to roll, we discovered that we had bought the wrong tape.  So I concocted some sort of spectacular gizmo failure on the steadicam (with operator/DP, Aaron Medick). While we pretended to fix this unknown disaster, a PA ran uptown to buy the right tape so we could shoot.  The client never knew, but I never want to repeat that feeling again.

What advice would you give a new filmmaker...?

• Don't get caught up in the result of your work. Get caught up in your work instead. 
• If you're only thinking about success, you've aleeady shortchanged yourself.  
• If you want to direct, grab your friends and a play and direct them. 
• Take a camera and set up shots, try to recreate angles. find perspectives you like. 
• Learn the rules and then so you can break them. 
• It will take years to learn a craft - have the humility to keep learning.  
• Surround yourself with people who know more than you do. 
• Aways smile and say good morning to everyone, whether you're the PA or an executive producer.  
• Don't talk about making a film. Make a film!  
• Your first feature will never be your best - if it is you have no future.

Who was your mentor...?
Several people have mentored me personally and professionally. Fritz Perls, the founder of Gestalt Therapy, was a huge influence personally. As far as I know, he coined the phrase, "Lose your mind, and come to your senses." Professionally, Jim Washburn was my boss for a while at KCET and elsewhere. He taught me about perspective. When the spaghetti hit the fan, he would say, "It's just the higgly pigglies. Don't let 'em get to you."

What was your last project...?
My last project was a documentary, "Meth Inside Out - Brain and Behavior," which I wrote, produced and directed with Emily Meyers at Eyes of the World Media Group and UCLA's Integrated Substance Abuse Programs. It's target audience is primarily people in treatment from meth addiction and their families. It represents the latest in a string of projects I've been doing for the last ten years, aimed at people in recovery from addiction, or people who are incarcerated and who need help figuring out how not to come back to prison. It's rewarding work.  To see the trailer, click the DVD image.  To learn more, vist the website at www.methinsideout.com.

What's your next film...?
The next project is about domestic abuse. It's a series of short scripted scenes that depict different kinds of abuse: emotional, economic, using isolation, using children, using intimidation. These scenes will be combined with other elements and packaged as DVDs, then distributed to jails, prisons, victims and batterers groups across the country to help people learn about and recover from abuse in their own families. We are currently funding.

What other projects have you done?
I've also written a book, "Film & Video Budgets," a guide to budgeting for beginner and intermediate level filmmakers. This is the 4th edition, so it's been around for a few years now and has been adopted by quite a few film schools and independents alike. It's even available for sale at a discount right here on ReelGrok - click the book to buy it now.