AFCI Events

Non-Fiction Production: The Break & Butter of the Industry?

Bill Bowling is an expert in international film production. For 30 years, he has worked with Hollywood studios organizing filming around the world. From 2006 to 2008, Bill was the Worldwide Locations Executive for Warner Bros. Pictures. Previously, he worked with all Hollywood studios as a Supervising Location Manager, doing over 40 feature films and many television programs.

Bill has an extensive knowledge of international location shooting having traveled or worked in over 85 countries. He is a member of the DGA (Directors Guild of America) as well as a founding member and director of the LMGA (Location Managers Guild of America). Bill is also on the Advisory Board of the AFCI and an Advising Director with the AFCNet (Asian Film Commission Network). He consults with governments around the world regarding developing their film industries.

Rachel Brill

A devoted member of the ZOO Productions family since 2001, Rachel has escalated from intern to Vice President of Development where her creativity and energy continue to nurture the growth of the company. In her current capacity she manages show development and production relevant to pitches, presentations, pilots (and series when called upon) including the FOX primetime game show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" and TVLand's "How'd You Get So Rich?". In addition to her responsibilities in development - Rachel has played a key role on the production team for truTV's "Speeders" and "Speeders Fight Back", Oxygen's "Girls Behaving Badly", and the upcoming "Southern Fried Justice" for truTV. Prior to landing at ZOO, Rachel attended the University of Miami garnering accolades (Telly, Aegis Award, Crystal Reel Award, Collegiate Broadcasters Award) as a student producer, director & editor of a scholastic game show titled "UMIQ"; and held an advance staff position on the 2000 Gore/Lieberman Presidential Campaign.

Marie Cantin

AFCI University: Advanced Studies in Film Production

Marie Cantin is a producer with a range of experience on studio and independent productions. In collaboration with Gale Anne Hurd, she produced the Sundance Audience Award winning film The Waterdance. Ms. Cantin also produced the independent features Days of Wrath as well as The Book of Stars, which won numerous festival awards. Serving in various producer capacities, Ms. Cantin’s portfolio of projects includes Masked and Anonymous starring Bob Dylan, Save The Last Dance, Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead, Big Fat Liar, A Night At the Roxbury, Heart Condition, and the film version of the Broadway play Torch Song Trilogy. She has also worked as a production manager on a number of productions including Michael Mann’s Collateral and Roger Donaldson’s Dante’s Peak. Ms. Cantin’s television work includes the John Wells CBS series Smith and the KCET series Trying Times. With a degree in sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, Ms. Cantin pursued an M.F.A. in film production at the University of California, Los Angeles until she began to freelance on a full-time basis. As a member of the Directors Guild of America, Marie Cantin is an elected representative of the DGA Western UPM/AD Council, serving as Second Vice Chair. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Women In Film, Film Independent, and serves on the advisory board of Project: Involve. In collaboration with other filmmakers, Ms. Cantin currently mentors a slate of twenty-five second year thesis projects at the American Film Institute. She has taught film production courses in Helsinki, Finland and at the University of California, Santa Cruz, California State College Los Angeles, UCLA Extension, and the International Film and Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine.

Joseph Chianese

Joseph Chianese is the Vice President of Business Development and Production Planning at Entertainment Partners, the largest provider of production management services in the entertainment industry. For over 30 years, Entertainment Parnters has cultivated a commitment to excellence by viewing its clients as partners.

Mr. Chianese provides consulting, financial and administrative services for domestic and international production and tax incentives for film, television, and commercial production. His 25 years of accounting, tax and production experience include positions at Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, The American Broadcasting Company, Paramount Pictures and Ernst & Young, servicing such clients as the Marvel, Miramax Films, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Savoy Pictures and Warner Bros. As well as ABC Network, the A&E Network, ESPN, Hallmark Entertainment, the History Channel, Lifetime Television.

Mr. Chianese is a CPA, earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Connecticut and has a Masters in Tax and MBA from Fordham University.

Robin Citrin

What's New In Digital Technology

Robin Citrin has been a feature motion picture location manager for over 25 years. During this time, she has worked with such distinguished directors as Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton and Sydney Pollack. She has had the opportunity to collaborate with award winning production designers such as Dante Ferretti, Dennis Gassner and Rick Heinrichs. Her body of work includes such films as “The Aviator”, “Shutter Island”, “Walk the Line”, “Big Fish” and “Rain Man”. She has traveled globally scouting locations for period films (“Cold Mountain”, “Havana”), fantasy films (“Planet of the Apes”, “Percy Jackson”) and contemporary films ( “21” and the upcoming “The Killers”).

Over the years, Robin has worked closely with a multitude of film commissions, both nationally and internationally and has steadily built a network of location professionals. Robin is a member of the AFCI Advisory Board, a board member of the Location Managers Guild of America (LMGA), and a member of Hollywood Teamsters #399.

Neal Clarance

ROI: What's Your Worth?

Neal has extensive experience in the film, New Media, recording and theatre segments of the entertainment industry. He has assisted companies in the preparation of business plans, film library and record library valuations, loan applications, financing proposals, and in raising debt and equity financing both privately and publicly.

Neal has also authored articles and studies on topics ranging from preparing business plans to financing strategies for the Entertainment industry and the creation and review of incentive programs for the film, New Media and animation industries.

Ernst & Young provides accounting, auditing, taxation, financial and business advisory services to producers, distributors, studios, and broadcasters. Ernst & Young also assists in the financial structuring and packaging of feature films, animated productions, television series, movies and documentaries, and advises on numerous co-productions and co-ventures.

Jericca Cleland

Director/CEO Jericca Cleland is the director and CEO of Twenty One Inc, a cross-media film development and preproduction studio dedicated to bringing stronger visual stories to the screen more efficiently through CG previsualization. Raised as a filmmaker in the story-centric environment of Pixar Animation Studios, she pursues the creation of high-calibre films with narrative depth. An experienced CG cinematographer, Jericca designed the filming and staging of features such as Toy Story 2, and Finding Nemo. She is also a writer and live-action producer-director, bringing her combined cross-media expertise to bear on the vision and planning of all Twenty One Inc projects.

Kevin Considine

The Care & Feeding of a Reliable Workforce

Founder and CEO of Hollywood Cinema Production Resources (Hollywood CPR) www.hollywoodcpr.org a nonprofit, state-of-the-art entertainment crafts and technicians education and training program with unprecedented support from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE).

Created and developed entertainment industry-based craft and technician curriculum and vocational education programs with West Los Angeles College for 11 courses compromising more than 72 units meeting the needs of employers and labor for the following IATSE Locals: Local 33 Stagehands; Local 44 Affiliated Property Craftspersons; Local 80 Motion Picture Studio Grips; Local 600 International Cinematographers Guild; Local 695 Production Sound Technicians, Television Engineers; Local 700 Motion Picture Editors Guild; Local 705 Motion Picture Costumers; Local 706 Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists Guild; Local 728 Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians; Local 729 Motion Picture Set Painters and Sign Writers; Local 800 Art Directors Guild -- Art Directors, Graphic Artists, Illustrators, Matte Artists, Model Makers, Scenic Artists, Set Designers & Title Artists.

Began his career in Motion Picture and Television in 1980 working on films and television shows such as The Player, Queen, Die Hard 3, Mars Attacks!, shared an Emmy for his work on Scarlett, is the grandson of John W. Considine, Jr. a prominent producer in the 1920’s and 1930’s (whose credits include the Spencer Tracy classic, Boys Town and son of the actor & writer John Considine (Boston Legal, MacGyver, Another World, Gia, A Wedding, etc). His grandmother was Carmen Pantages of the popular theater chain.

Roger Corman

Keynote Breakfast: One-on-One With Roger

The saga of independent filmmaker Roger Corman ranks as one of the most amazing motion picture success stories. Having produced more than 550 films and directed fifty others, his influence on American film goes far beyond his own energetic, creative low-budget movies. He is arguably one of Hollywood's most gifted and masterful film makers.

Noted for his keen ability to spot young talents, his most lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the legion of producers, directors, writers, and actors he has fostered, among them: Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd, Talia Shire, Peter Bogdanovich, Robert DeNiro, Martin Scorsese, Sally Kirkland, Ron Howard, Charles Bronson, Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme, Gale Ann Hurd, and James Cameron.

Born in Detroit in 1926, Corman graduated from Beverly Hills High School. In 1947, he received a bachelor's degree in Engineering from Stanford University. After a stint in the Navy, he took a job at 20th Century Fox and by 1949 was a story analyst at the studio. Disenchanted with a studio protocol, he left Fox for England, where he did post-graduate work in modern English literature at Oxford's Balliol College. Upon his return to Hollywood Corman worked briefly as a literary agent.

In 1953, Roger Corman sold his first screenplay, entitled HIGHWAY DRAGNET, to Allied Artists and served as associate producer on the film. With the proceeds of the sale he made THE MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR the following year, his first film as an independent producer, on the remarkable budget of $18,000.

The triumph of his initial endeavor proved that a high quality film can be made with very little money. As a result, Corman began producing a wide array of low-budget features for American International Pictures; all were extremely successful. He tackled a variety of genres, from Westerns and gangster films to sci-fi, teen-age hot rod and rock'n'roll movies in 1957 alone Corman turned out nine films - some of which were completed in two or three days.

With this string of box office hits to hit credit, Corman began to procure larger budgets. Throughout the 1960s, Corman's cycle of Vincent Price/Edgar Allan Poe horror films earned him international acclaim. When the French Film Institute honored him with a retrospective in 1964, Roger Corman became the youngest producer/director ever to receive such an accolade.

Always a trendsetter, Corman made the first "biker" movie with {t}WILD ANGELS{/t}. Starring Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra, the film opned the 1966 Venice Film Festival to great acclaim. In 1967, {t}THE TRIP{/t}, written by and starring Jack Nicholson, began the "psychedelic" film craze of the late 1960s.

As American International Pictures' primary director, Corman's success built the company into a major force in Hollywood. Appalled by the intrinsic waste of time and money, as well as executive interference, Corman opted out of the major studio system. In 1970s, he founded his own production and distribution company, New World Pictures. New World's first year in operation astonished even Corman, as all eleven pictures distributed showed substantial profits.

New World rapidly grew into the largest independent motion picture distribution company in the United States. In addition to providing the public with such fast-paced entertainment as BIG BAD MAMA and EAT MY DUST, or cult films such as ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL, New World soon became the independent leader in presenting high-quality foreign films to the American public. New World releases included Academy Award-winning films by Ingmar Bergman, Francois Truffaut, Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, and Werner Herzog.

In January of 1983, Roger Corman decided to sell New World Pictures. The sale allowed him to continue producing films without simultaneously managing a gigantic distribution company. It also enabled him to produce more movies with larger budgets. The day after he sold New World, Corman announced the formation of his new company, Concorde-New Horizons. In the year that followed, he released five new films: the teen comedy SCREWBALLS, the sci-fi adventure SPACE RAIDERS, the sword and sorcery epic DEATHSTALKER, LOVE LETTERS with Jamie Lee Curtis, and the punk teen drama SUBURBIA, directed by Penelope Spheeris.

Concorde's recent releases include the critically acclaimed REFLECTIONS IN THE DARK, starring Mimi Rogers and Billy Zane and Paul Anderson's SHOPPING. For Showtime's "Roger Corman Presents", he showcased such films as ALIEN AVENGERS starring George Wendt, BLACK SCORPION II starring Joan Severence, HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP starring Robert Carradine and VAMPIRELLA starring Roger Daltry.

In 1990, Roger Corman wrote (with Jim Jerome) his autobiography "How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime", published by Random House.

Roger Corman lives in Santa Monica with his wife, producer Julie Corman, and four children.

Bill Draper

The Global Economy: Survival Is Revival

Bill Draper is Executive Vice President of Motion Picture Production for Warner Bros. Pictures. Mr. Draper joined Warner Bros. in 1996. His professional responsibilities include supervising all physical aspects of the company’s film productions, from budgeting and location to the hiring of such crew members as directors of photography, production designers, costume designers, line producers and second-unit directors. Mr. Draper is also responsible for overseeing the scheduling of theatrical productions, and for supervising the on-site management and cost control of each project.

During his tenure at Warner Bros. Pictures, Mr. Draper has worked with such distinguished filmmakers as Steven Spielberg (“A.I.: Artificial Intelligence”), the Wachowski brothers (all three episodes of “The Matrix”), David O. Russell (“Three Kings”), Chris Columbus “(“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”), and Edward Zwick (“The Last Samurai” & “Blood Diamond”). He is currently supervising physical production on “Clash of the Titans,” being directed by Louis Letterrier.

Prior to joining Warner Bros. Pictures, Mr. Draper served as a freelance unit production manager and production supervisor, after having spent time at Walt Disney Studios as an associate production executive.

Mr. Draper holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with emphasis in Motion Picture and Television Production from Brigham Young University, where he was named to the National Dean’s List.

Ward Emling

Social Media: A Look At Trends, Technologies, & Opportunities For The Future

Ward Emling was born in New Orleans and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. He was educated in the Jackson Public Schools and earned a Bachelor's degree in English from Millsaps College in 1976, then studied two years at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England. As an actor, he appeared in HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE PREMONITION, and in the TV miniseries BEULAH LAND before becoming Film Office director (for the first time) in 1980.

During his first tenure THE BEAST WITHIN, DON'T LOOK BACK, THIS IS ELVIS, BLACK BAYOU, RASCALS AND ROBBERS, MISTRESS OF PARADISE, and THE MISSISSIPPI were filmed in the state. When CBS renewed the series THE MISSISSIPPI, Ward left the film commission and became the series' location manager. After moving to Los Angeles in 1984, he served as location manager for D.A.R.Y.L., AS SUMMERS DIE, IN A SHALLOW GRAVE, BONANZA: THE NEXT GENERATION, VIETNAM WAR STORY, K-9, PROBLEM CHILD, and A PROMISE TO KEEP. He also continued to act, appearing in THE MISSISSIPPI, MATT HOUSTON, ST. ELSEWHERE, KNOT'S LANDING, OUR HOUSE, PROBLEM CHILD, MATLOCK, and several national and regional commercials.

Since returning to the Mississippi Film Office in 1990, Ward has guided the in-state productions of THE GUN IN BETTY LOU'S HANDBAG, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN, SISTER ISLAND, A TIME TO KILL, THE CHAMBER, GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI, MY DOG SKIP, COOKIE'S FORTUNE, RED DIRT, THE RISING PLACE, O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?, JOHN JOHN IN THE SKY, THE PONDER HEART, BIG BAD LOVE, WALK THE LINE, and BALLAST, in addition to several short films, documentaries, and commercials.

Ward is a past President and Treasurer of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), the 300+ member organization of film commissions from around the world.

Ann Glenn

Ann Glenn is senior web producer of Imageworks Interactive, the full-service interactive agency and digital marketing arm of Sony Pictures Imageworks. Ann Glenn has over 15 years of experience developing interactive projects in the entertainment industry.

As Senior Web Producer, Glenn creates and implements a wide variety of social network programs for Sony Pictures Entertainment as well as Imageworks Interactive’s other clients. Some of her recent work includes the highly successful Resistance 2018 twitter game for the Terminator Salvation international release.

In addition to being Sony Pictures's resident social network expert, Glenn plans, develops and maintains online communities for Sony Pictures Entertainment’s major film and television brands, such as Spider-Man™ and Wheel of Fortune. She also manages web production for Sony Pictures Releasing International in support of countries such as Japan, United Kingdom and Australia.

Back when the world was still on dial-up, she produced the award-winning Dawson's Desktop, which pioneered a new level of fan interaction with the digital lives of their favorite TV characters on Dawson's Creek.

Glenn graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 1993 with a BA in English.

Don Gray

Digital Scouting Workshop

Don Gray is a 1984 graduate of Alfred University in New York with a Fine Arts degree in Video and Computers. Throughout his career he has worked toward integrating digital tools in creative projects.

In the early 90’s Don established “Image House” in Santa Fe, NM and pioneered many of the techniques used in digital large format fine art printing and digital photography.

Since 2003, Don has worked as a Location Scout and Manager in the New Mexico film industry. In that time he has served as a contract location scout with the New Mexico State Film Office, taught Digital Imaging and Photography at the College of Santa Fe and taught location scouting and photography seminars for AFCI, the New Mexico State Film Office and IATSE Local 480.

Don is also a filmmaker and his latest project “Things We Do For Love” is a festival award winning short film shot in conjunction with the New Mexico Filmmakers Training Program.

Lyle Hall

What's New In Digital Technology?

A 20 year industry veteran, Lyle Hall oversees Heavy Iron Studios, managing its day-to-day product development and operations. Before joining Heavy Iron early in 2002, Lyle created and produced original as well as licensed properties while working at studios such as DreamWorks SKG, Crystal Dynamics and Virgin Games. Highlights include the first 32-bit character action game, GEX, Diehard Gamefan’s 1995 Game of the Year, Westwood Studio's Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty, RoboCop vs. The Terminator and Global Gladiators, SEGA’s 1992 Game of the Year. During his time at Heavy Iron, Lyle has also served as Executive Producer on The Incredibles, its video game sequel Rise of the Underminer, Ratatouille, WALL-E, UP and most recently SpongeBob’s Truth or Square, directing production and development of these Disney/Pixar franchises across multiple studios.

Michael Hammond

Non-Fiction Production: The Bread & Butter of the Industry?

Michael Hammond grew up in Southern California. Living so close to Tinsel Town, he was intrigued at an early age with Hollywood long before he ever set foot inside its doors.

At a young age Michael applied for and received an entry-level position at the Universal Studios Theme Park in Hollywood, CA. In a short span of time Michael had worked his way upward, and was supervising live shows within the theme park and commanding a small team of employees.

Eager to excel further at his long-term career goals, Michael was accepted to The University of Southern California and studied within the esteemed Film and Television program there. He graduated with a B.F.A Cinema Arts.

Fresh out of College and eager to enrich his real world skill set Michael enveloped himself in his trade, and picked up jobs working on music videos and Television commercial shoots in the greater Los Angeles area. It wasn’t long before his talent was recognized and he quickly became a Production Manager with such organizations as Spike Lees’ (Forty Acres and a Mule productions on “The Search for the next King of Comedy”/Pilot) making pertinent decisions and influencing the scope of every job he attained.

Michael’s abilities were again recognize, and he joined the team at and served as a Field Producer and Producer on WORLD RACE PRODUCTIONS (CBS) - The Amazing Race Seasons 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,13, 14).

Having honed his skills completely and running seven seasons of Amazing Race, Michael was asked to join the team at FOX/GRANADA AMERICA as a Line Producer for (Hell’s Kitchen 4,5,6,7)

Michael continues his career today with multiple reality and unscripted format projects in development and as a successful Line Producer with GRACE PRODUCTIONS currently wrapping The Red Bull Air Race World Championships, and is in pre-production on the highly anticipated BC1 competition filming before the end of 2009.

Sue Hayes

AFCI University: The Film Commission Professional

Sue Hayes has been the Film Commissioner for London for the past 9 years. She is also an AFCI board member.

During her time at Film London , and with the creation of the London Filming Partnership, London has become far less fragmented and accessible in terms of film friendliness.

Previously Sue has worked as a writer, producer and researcher for several broadcasters and publications. She has also worked in features.

Hudson Hickman

Keynote Breakfast: One-on-One With Roger

Hudson Hickman is a Los Angeles based producer with over twenty-five years experience in the film and television industry. He is currently completing post-production on his sixth DVD feature while preparing six productions for filming in 2009 and 2010. His recent credits include Legally Blondes, Into the Blue: The Reef, Dead Like Me: The Movie, WarGames: The Dead Code, and The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream.

Prior to his current producing duties, Hudson was Senior Vice President of Production for MGM Worldwide Television. During Hudson’s tenure at MGM, he was involved in the production of over twenty-five movies and more than 600 hours of episodic television, including Stargate SG-1, television’s longest running science-fiction series; Dead Like Me, the critically acclaimed series; Stargate Atlantis, The Outer Limits, and The Magnificent Seven, to name a few. Before joining MGM, Hudson was a freelance producer on numerous movies, pilots, and television series, including MacGyver, Get a Life, and Phenom.

In 2005, Hudson was privileged to be one of the producers of Mississippi Rising, a telethon fundraiser for the Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund that raised over $15 million for Mississippians affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Hudson serves on the Advisory Board of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), and is a former member of the Board of Directors of FilmLA. A native of Mississippi, Hudson lives in Sherman Oaks with his wife and two daughters.

Robin Holabird

Robin Holabird has been involved in the media for decades, including work as a Nevada film commissioner and as a film reviewer. With 30 years in government service, Robin retired in 2008, having spent the previous 21 years as a liaison between the state and film industry. She dealt with hundreds of projects, from series to major feature films including several Bonanza television movies and the upcoming Love Ranch directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Helen Mirren. She has broadcast a weekly movie review program on Reno’s public radio station KUNR since 1982 and remains active in professional and arts organizations such as the Association of Film Commissioners International and Sierra Arts Foundation. An outdoor enthusiast, she has run the Boston and numerous other marathons and enjoys exploring Nevada and other regions on foot.

Richard Holdredge

The Care & Feeding Of A Reliable Workforce

Richard Holdredge is a Professor of Education at Los Angeles Valley College. With his Master’s Degree at USC Cinema, Holdredge spent nine years in media production at the USC School of Medicine. During his 33-year career in the Community Colleges he has worked freelance in media production in medical education, and he has taught in the Media Arts and Cinema programs at Valley College, also serving a stint as department chair. He currently heads the Institute for Developing Entertainment Arts & Studies (IDEAS), an Economic and Workforce Development grant providing training in digital media tools for industry professionals. Richard is currently beginning an additional training grant this year with matching training funds from the Contract Services Administration Trust Fund.

Mary Ann Hughes

Candid Conversations With Studio Executives Part 3

Mary Ann Hughes started with Disney in 1988. Prior to that, she spent 7 years at Avery International in various tax and accounting management positions. During her 18 years in the Disney Corporate Tax Department, Mary Ann held a number of positions ranging from a Senior Tax Analyst to Vice President, Film Production Planning.

As a result of the growth and focus on production incentives and film finance opportunities, Mary Ann transferred to the Studio Finance Group in 2006 as Vice President, Film and Television Production Planning. She now devotes 100% of her time looking for opportunities to reduce production costs through film and television production incentives and structured film financing deals. She supports Disney’s feature film groups (Walt Disney Pictures and Miramax) as well as Disney’s television groups (ABC Studios and ABC Cable Network).

Trilby Jeeves

Social Media Optimization: Optimizing Your Online Presence

Trilby Jeeves is an actor, instructor, and writer from Vancouver, Canada.

Trilby Jeeves was the first English student to be theatrically trained in her second language for 3 years at the notable "Le Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique" in Quebec City. She went on to perform and direct in both languages across Canada, eventually coming back to Vancouver.

As well as performing in over 40 plays, she worked for 20 years in the theatre and film industry as a set costumer working on T.V. series such as "Highlander", Spielberg's "Taken", Paramount's "Higher Ground"; feature
films such as Disney's "Angels In The EndZone" and "The Lizzie McGuire Movie", Universal's "Snow Falling On Cedars" and many more.

Trilby has taught classes in improvisation throughout the school system in British Columbia, and is currently teaching her own popular "Buffoonery Acting Workshop" in Canada and around the world. She also works for the Vancouver Film School as an actor for both the writing and directing departments. As a writer, Trilby is currently developing her own one-woman show called "Dusty Shoes".

Trilby got involved with internet marketing, and Web 2.0 (Social Media) two years ago when she created her own website to promote her Buffoonery Workshops. As an artist she initially resisted the online format but quickly discovered how to use the Internet, and Social Media in particular, as an effective tool to help promote and grow her business.

After experiencing many aspects of the online world including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Squidoo, Google Analytics, Google Alerts, & Flickr, Trilby, along with partner Peter D. Marshall, has found herself in demand as a Social Media coach for artists and entrepreneurs.

Trilby specializes as a Twitter coach and she has perfected many Twitter tips and techniques that help anyone to quickly get a web presence Online.

As a result of Trilby's knowledge of Social Media using Twitter, Facebook, Squidoo, and LinkedIn, her Blog, www.trilbyjeeves.com and her Website, www.buffooneryworkshops.com now rank on page one of Google for the key words Trilby, Bouffon, and Buffoonery.

Sam Kitt

AFCI University: Advanced Studies in Film Production

Sam Kitt is among the founders of the modern American Independent Film movement and has worked for many years in both independent and studio filmmaking worlds.

Mr. Kitt began his career in New York in the late 70's where he organized "American Mavericks," one the earliest film festivals to celebrate the rise of independent American films. Later, at Libra Films and as head of United Artists Classics, Mr. Kitt was instrumental in the distribution of such films as "Eraserhead," "Return of the Secaucus Seven," and "The Draughtsman's Contract," and "The Grey Fox."

In 1985 he was retained by the Independent Feature Project to reorganize their annual Independent Feature Film Market, which showcases the output of American Independents to international buyers and programmers. In Mr. Kitt's two-year tenure, the Market reached new levels of attendance and profitability.

In 1988, Mr.Kitt moved to Universal Pictures in Los Angeles as an Acquisitions Executive, to seek out film packages and completed films for theatrical and video distribution. In this capacity he covered film festivals and markets around the world and brought to the studio such films as Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" and Lasse Hallstrom's first American film,"Once Around."

Mr. Kitt soon made the transition to Production Executive and worked with Spike Lee on a series of films at Universal including, "Mo' Better Blues," "Jungle Fever," "Crooklyn" and "Clockers." He also worked on such projects as Richard Linklater’s "Dazed and Confused," Phil Alden Robinson’s "Sneakers," (with Robert Redford) Ron Howard’s "Far and Away" (with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman) and Steven Soderbergh’s “King of the Hill.”

In May 1997, Mr. Kitt joined Spike Lee's 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks as President of Production where he supervised development and production of the 40 Acres feature film and television slate. During his tenure the company produced “He Got Game,” “Summer of Sam, “Bamboozled,” “The Original Kings of Comedy” and ‘The 25th Hour,” all directed by Mr. Lee. In addition, Mr. Kitt and Mr. Lee produced the “The Best Man” for Universal, “Love and Basketball” for New Line Cinema as well as the telefilms “3 A.M.” and “Good Fences” for Showtime Entertainment. Also for Showtime, Mr. Kitt developed the series “Sucker Free City” and produced the pilot that was directed by Mr. Lee.

In 2004 Mr. Kitt departed 40 Acres to found his own production company Future Films where he is developing a number of film and television projects. Most recently he produced the independent feature “Cherry” by writer/ director Jeff Fine and starring Kyle Gallner, Laura Allen and Brittany Robertson. “Cherry” is scheduled for a 2010 release.

Jack Kyser

The Global Economy: Survival Is Revival

Jack Kyser is the Founding Economist of the Kyser Center for Economic Research of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. Called the “guru of the Los Angeles economy” by the Los Angeles Business Journal, Mr. Kyser is responsible for interpreting and forecasting economic trends in the Los Angeles region (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties), and for analyzing the major industries of the region. Utilizing this information, he helps develop job retention and creation strategies for Los Angeles County. Mr. Kyser’s advice is frequently sought by business, government and the media.

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) is a private, not for profit membership organization whose mission is leadership in the retention and creation of jobs and economic base in the Los Angeles area. Mr. Kyser’s analytical research work and insightful knowledge of the regional economy has helped to elevate the LAEDC to recognition as the pre-eminent source of economic information and forecasts on Southern California. In late 2007, the LAEDC named its research function “the Kyser Center for Economic Research.”

Prior to joining the LAEDC, Mr. Kyser was chief economist for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. He has also worked for Security Pacific National Bank, First Interstate Bank, and the Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was transportation economist. He also taught economics at the University of Nebraska – Omaha, and served as a business reporter and commentator for radio station KVNO, also in Omaha.
A native of California, Mr. Kyser was born in Huntington Park. He resides in Downey where he graduated from Downey (Union) High School. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Design and an MBA from the University of Southern California. He has also pursued additional course work at UCLA.

Mr. Kyser serves on the economics advisors panel for the California Chamber of Commerce. He is also a past president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association for Business Economics; a member of Lambda Alpha – a land economics fraternity: and on the board of directors for the Building Owners & Managers Association of Greater Los Angeles, and the City Club on Bunker Hill.

Michael Lake

Michael Lake has over 40 years’ experience in production and management within both the Australian and International film industries. For 17 years he ran the Queensland based Warner Roadshow Studios and during that time he was instrumental in attracting productions valued at $1.6 billion to Queensland, resulting in around $800 million being spent within the region. From 1998 to 2005 he split his time between the Gold Coast and Los Angeles where he was Executive Vice President of World Wide Feature Film Production for Village Roadshow Pictures during this time he oversaw production of 45 features with Village’s production partners including Warner Bros, Sony, Fox and Paramount.

In 2006 he returned to the Gold Coast to Executive Produce the WWE Films/Lionsgate production “The Condemned. At the conclusion of that production he was appointed as President of WWE Studios the filmed entertainment division of World Wrestling Entertainment.

Currently he is working as a freelance Producer. In addition to being a long time member of the AFCI Advisory Board he is also an adviser to the Asian Film Commissioners Network.

Suzanne Lyons

Social Media: A Look At Trends, Technologies, & Opportunities for the Future

After ten years as VP of Marketing for a television network Canada, Suzanne moved to Philadelphia where she worked in domestic and international distribution for film and television. She moved to Los Angeles in the mid 90s and co-founded the Flash Forward Institute, leading hundreds of Entertainment Industry Seminars to over 15,000 participants in both the US and Canada. In the late 90's Suzanne co-founded Snowfall Films, Inc. and in 2005 she co-founded WindChill Films, Inc. To date she has produced or executive produced eight movies. Suzanne has worked with wonderful talent including Brenda Blethyn, Christopher Walken, Naomi Watts, Alfred Molina, James Caan, Dean Cain, Jennifer Tilly, Jon Lovitz, Asia Argento, Winona Ryder, Peter Fonda, Adrian Paul and more. Her budgets have ranged from $200,000 to $10 million. Ms. Lyons’ films have won a gamut of awards and festivals from the prestigious British BAFTA award, a premier at the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, best picture at Shockerfest and acceptance into the Toronto, Berlin and Montreal Film Festivals. Her films have been distributed by Miramax, Screengems and Lionsgate.

Suzanne is in the process of developing and producing family films. She has partnered with Producer Michel Shane at Hand Picked Films (“Catch Me If You Can”, “I Robot”) to produce a World War I family drama titled SCOUTS HONOR to be shot in Europe 2010. SCOUTS HONOR recently won best screenplay at La Femme Film Festival in Los Angeles. Ms. Lyons is working with Helix Digital Inc. in Nova Scotia on an animated Christmas feature film titled OMARR THE CAMEL and with the WWE to co-produce a family film titled THE CHAPERONE with Director, Mark Rosman. Snowfall Films is completing negotiations on their 2002 film, UNDERTAKING BETTY, to be produced as a Broadway Musical.

Beverly Macy

Beverly is the CEO of Gravity Summit and Managing Partner of Y&M PARTNERS, a strategic advisory firm located in Beverly Hills, CA. The company was founded in 2001 to help companies gain insight into complex business challenges, strategize breakthrough solutions, and execute on opportunities that benefit both their customers and the bottom line.

Prior to Y&M PARTNERS, Beverly spent 14 years at Xerox Corporation in sales and marketing positions.

Beverly also lectures at USC and teaches Executive Marketing courses for the UCLA Business and Management Extension Program. Her newest course, Social Media Marketing, was launched in the Fall 2008 Semester. She has been active in community service for the past 20 years and served as President of the Board of Directors for the Friendly Hand Foundation in Los Angeles. Beverly is a published and accredited business author and regularly speaks and lectures on strategic business initiatives.

Peter D. Marshall

Social Media Optimization: Optimizing Your Online Presence

Peter D. Marshall is a filmmaker from Vancouver, Canada.

He has worked in the Film and Television Industry for over 35 years - as a Film Director, Television Producer, First Assistant Director and TV Series Creative Consultant.

Peter has Directed over 30 episodes of Television Drama such as "John Woo's
Once a Thief", "Wiseguy", "21 Jumpstreet", "Neon Rider", "The Black Stallion", "Scene of the Crime", "Big Wolf on Campus" and "Largo Winch."

As a First Assistant Director, Peter has worked on over 12 Features (including "Dawn of the Dead", "The Butterfly Effect", "Happy Gilmore", "The Fly II"); 15 Television Movies; 8 Television Series; and over 20 Commercials.

He has written, directed or produced over 50 hours of documentary and educational programs and his documentaries and dramas have won, or been
nominated for, 14 International film awards.

Peter has worked for directors such as John Woo, Phillip Noyce, Ed Zwick, John Badham, Roger Vadim, Dennis Dugan, Anne Wheeler and Zack Snyder.

He has also worked with actors such as Peter O'Toole, Kevin Spacey, Morgan
Freeman, John Travolta, Kathy Bates, Michelle Pfiefer, Marcia Gaye Harden, Madeleine Stowe, Mel Gibson, Ashton Kutcher, Goldie Hawn, Judy Davis and
Adam Sandler.

Peter has been a directing instructor at the Vancouver Film School, the Directors Guild of Canada, Victoria Motion Picture School and Capilano College.

He has also developed several filmmaking workshops and seminars that he has
presented over the past 15 years - from Canada to Singapore to Dubai.

In 1999, he created his website, www.ActionCutPrint.com and began to publish
the free monthly ezine, The Director's Chair which is presently read by over
3500 filmmakers in 100 countries around the world. He also has his own
filmmaking blog called www.FilmDirectingTips.com.

Peter has been active in Internet Marketing since 1996 and has been heavily involved with Social Networking for the past two years.

Peter's expertise in Internet Marketing and Social Networking has enabled him to have his blog and/or website listed on the first page of Google for several keywords: film directing and film making.

Over the past 2 years, Peter (with his partner Trilby Jeeves) has taught workshops and seminars to various groups interested in learning how to market themselves, their products or their organizations on the Internet using traditional Online Marketing techniques combined with Social Media.

Some of these organizations are The Director's Guild of Canada (BC District), Stunts Canada (BC), The Backroom Theatre Club, SCTC (Speakers, Consultants, Teachers and Trainers).

Morris May

What's New In Digital Technology?

Morris May has worked on films winning Academy Awards for both Best Visual FX “Spider-Man 2” and best animated feature. “Happy Feet”. He recently has functioned as CG supervisor on several of this summers biggest blockbusters. Including Wolverine, Fast and Furious and 2010. Currently he is CG supervisor at Buck.

Amber Mazzola

Non-Fiction Production: The Bread & Butter of the Industry?

Amber Mazzola is a seasoned producer, writer and showrunner focused on docu-soap reality. Her experience and success in the reality field has allowed her to partner with producer Rachel Tung to start their company, FiveFive Productions. FiveFive is currently launching its first project, a 12-epsidoe series titled King of the Crown, now airing on TLC.

Her original ideas, storytelling skills and ability work with all personalities have also earned Amber a first look deal with Fox 21 Studios and the opportunity to continually develop new projects. She is currently developing a pilot for E! Entertainment.

Amber has written for sitcoms such as DAG for NBC and That 70s Show for FOX. Moving into reality, she made a name for herself carving out Bravo’s The Millionaire Matchmaker, Kathy Griffin: Life on the D List and E!’s Sunset Tan, all projects that moved into consecutive seasons.

Other credits include Top This Party for Lifetime, Vh1’s Breaking Bonaduce, TLC’s Texas Cheer Moms and Girls Behaving Badly on Oxygen.

Kathleen Milnes

The Care and Feeding of a Reliable Workforce

Kathleen Milnes is at the cutting edge of innovation in the area of workforce and economic development for the entertainment industry. After fourteen years building successful programs at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation (EIDC), Milnes founded The Entertainment Economy Institute in July 2004.
She is the co-author, with The PMR Group, Inc., of three landmark occupational studies on careers in the entertainment industry (Making Digits Dance: Visual Effects and Animation Careers, Amazinga Post: Post Production Careers, and Reel Jobs: Physical Production Careers) and the companion website Entertainment Careers.

As a result of this work, it became clear that there was a dearth of good economic and employment data on this critical California industry. To address this “data deficit,” former Governor Gray Davis awarded a $742,500 grant from his discretionary Workforce Investment Act funds to create the Entertainment Data Project at EIDC under Milnes’ direction. This work continues at EEI and their first studies were released in December 2004. Additional studies include: Crossworking: High-Tech Motion Picture and Television Workers in California, Employment Patterns and Industry Cross-Over Opportunities (2005) and Multimedia Occupations: The Convergence of Art and Technology in the Age of New Media (2006).

In an innovative partnership with the California Employment Training Panel, Milnes managed contracts that provided $3.5 million in training subsidies to upgrade the technology skills of 2,200 current industry employees in 370 companies. Her mission also includes strengthening and expanding the New Media and Entertainment Academies across California as well as programs in the Community Colleges. Recently, she helped write the first Arts, Media and Entertainment Standards and Frameworks for California Career Technical Education programs.

Milnes’ acknowledged expertise in these areas led to gubernatorial appointments by both Governor Gray Davis and current Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the State Workforce Investment Board. She was appointed by Los Angeles Mayors Riordan and Villaraigosa to the City Youth Council. The California Legislature appointed her to the commission to revise California’s Master Plan for Education and she is an appointee of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to an Advisory Committee on Career and Technical Education. She also serves on the Boards of the Hollywood Post Alliance, the Los Angeles Chapter of SIGGRAPH) and the Advisory Board of the Visual Effects Society. She is a member of the Television Academy, Film Independent and the International Documentary Association.

Prior to founding EEI, Milnes served as Senior Vice President, Workforce and Economic Development at EIDC (now L A Film, Inc.) from 1997 – 2004. Previously, she was Vice President of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for seven years. During her tenure at the AMPTP, she handled production, employment and labor, and education and job training issues at the federal, state and local levels. Milnes played a lead strategy role on the industry side in creating the EIDC to privatize the city and county film permit offices in 1995. From 1983 until 1990, she served as Deputy Director of the California Film Commission.

In the early 80’s, Milnes freelanced as a commercial producer and worked in studio operations at Paramount Pictures. Before moving to Los Angeles in 1981, she was Vice President and Production Manager for ten-time Academy-award winning documentary producer Charles Guggenheim. Milnes started her career in the film industry as a development director with the American Film Institute.
Milnes has a B.A. in American Studies from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is an adjunct professor in the Digital Media Department at the Otis College of Art and Design. As a speaker, panelist, or moderator, Milnes has presented at conferences sponsored by the California Association for Local Economic Development, California Workforce Association, California Department of Education, California Community Colleges, and SIGGRAPH. She has been interviewed by such media as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, KNX Radio, CNBC, and National Public Radio.

Alice P. Neuhauser

The Care & Feeding of a Reliable Workforce

Alice P. Neuhauser has a broad range of entertainment experience in financial management, establishment and oversight of corporate, legal and accounting procedures, and business development and strategic planning. From successfully developing a major commercial real estate project to assisting lenders in maximizing the value of distressed assets to managing the day-to-day operations of independent film companies, Alice has demonstrated entrepreneurial success in maximizing effort and investment by finding opportunities to utilize both existing studio structures and independent constructs.

Over the course of her career, Alice has arranged and managed project financing for motion pictures ranging in budget from $2 million to $100 million each, totaling approximately one half a billion dollars. Such financings included some of the largest independently financed pictures including Terminator 2 (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Cliffhanger (starring Sylvester Stallone). More recently, Alice coordinated the financing of produced pictures including Oscar-nominated 3:10 to Yuma (starring Russell Crowe), The Forbidden Kingdom (with Jackie Chan and Jet Li), and The Bank Job, along with not-yet-released pictures: Brothers, A Perfect Getaway, Nine, Spy Next Door, Dear John and Season of the Witch. Alice also managed two $100 million revolving film production credit facilities with two separate syndicates of banks, which helped finance such movies as Basic Instinct (starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone) and Total Recall (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone).

Looking for opportunities to capitalize on businesses that support film production, Alice developed a $100 million motion picture and television production facility from concept through 100% utilization. With Roy Disney’s Shamrock Holdings as investment partner, the first full-service production facility in Los Angeles in over 50 years was created. This 22-1/2 acre studio lot includes 14 state-of-the-art sound states, eight production buildings, a commissary, a four-story office building, and a parking garage. The tenants include original anchor tenant 20th Century Fox for television producer David Kelley (currently shooting Boston Legal) and top television shows such as The OC, CSI: Miami and Medium. Hands-on, Alice’s efforts included developing the financing model and working with prospective investors, tenants and lenders, managing construction of the project and on-site coordination of final move-in by the tenants

Operational management has been a hallmark of Alice’s career. She is a creative problem-solver with outstanding cash management skills. She returned a remarkable 100% of senior bond and trade debt of Carolco Pictures Inc. after its bankruptcy, exceeding investment banker projections by over 100%. In the course of maximizing values of corporate balance sheets, she has negotiated various asset sales, totally approximately $100 million.

Alice has demonstrated depth and breadth of management and governance in a variety of ways, including responsibility for financial and operational reporting obligations to the SEC and the U.S. Trustee on behalf of Carolco Pictures Inc. from August 1995 through June 1996 and The Kushner-Locke Company from April 2002 through current. She supervised the preparation and the presentation of quarterly and annual financial and operational status to the Board of Administrative Trustees for The Carolco Liquidating Trust from June 1996 through December 2003.

Alice is an honors graduate of Harvard College and earned her MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA while working full-time.

Laura Peterson

As Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Hollywood Cinema Production Resources (Hollywood CPR) she helped develop the organization from its inception with Founder Kevin Considine into a state-of –the-art entertainment crafts and technicians training program. Laura’s background is in education and fundraising and she was principally responsible for securing funding totaling over $5 million as well as helping to establish the collaborations with West Los Angeles College, community based organizations, work source centers and others. Together with Kevin Considine they have positioned Hollywood CPR in a unique place in the entertainment community. Hollywood CPR has brought together for the first time the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), West Los Angeles College to create curriculum and hands-on specific craft training that leads to a college certificate and degree.

Lisa Pitney

The Global Economy: Survival Is Revival!

Lisa began her career in politics in 1984, working with the Reagan/Bush presidential campaign. She later worked in the Office of Presidential Personnel at The White House in 1986. In 1987, Lisa managed a State Assembly Campaign and in 1988, she worked on the Bush/Quayle presidential campaign.

Lisa spent five years as the Manager, and later Director of the Government Affairs Department for FHP International, a health maintenance organization.

Lisa joined The Walt Disney Company in 1996 as the Manager of Government Relations for the Disneyland Resort, and was later promoted to Director of Civic Relations.

In 2000, Lisa became the Director of California Government Relations for The Walt Disney Company, and was later promoted to Vice President of Government Relations. In this role, Lisa represents The Walt Disney Company to city, county and state government, and serves on the boards of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, the Central City Association of Los Angeles, the Motion Picture Association of America – California Group, the Valley Economic Alliance, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Public Affairs Council of the California Chamber of Commerce.

Dana Plautz

Dana Plautz spent 10 years in the Hollywood entertainment industry holding senior posts at Embassy Communications and Hanna-Barbera Studios. Followed by 13 years in high tech at Intel, Corp. specializing in the area of new media and emerging applications, but her roots never strayed far from the entertainment field. She held a government appointment for 6 years chairing the Oregon State Film and Video office. She is also an accomplished video and web producer. Some of her projects include the award winning documentary "Artist Response to 9.11", along with producing interactive installations and websites. Most recently Plautz started an Internet production company along with one of the stars of “The Drew Carey Show” and with its former Executive Producer/head writer. Called www.MrsP.com it’s a new kind of website for children. It recently won the American Library Association honor of "Great Web Site for Kids" along with The National Parenting Center 2009 Seal of Approval.

Lisa Rawlins

An 18-year Studio veteran, Lisa Rawlins serves as Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Warner Bros. Entertainment. In this post, she is charged with the day-to-day oversight of the Public Affairs department, which comprises government affairs, corporate responsibility, philanthropy, community affairs and environmental initiatives.

Rawlins joined Warner Bros. in 1990 as Vice President, Studio and Production Affairs, a position for which she was recruited to oversee feature film and television production-related issues. In addition to her production affairs responsibilities, she created the environmental initiatives and corporate responsibility departments.

She was the driving force behind and first director of the California Film Commission, which was launched in 1985. Overseeing a staff of 11, Rawlins assisted more than 12,000 production projects a year. Prior to that, she worked in the Office of the Governor of California, where she handled press and film production affairs. She began her career in story development for Ransohoff Productions and the NBC Television Network.

Rawlins holds a degree in cinema from the University of Southern California.

Jim Reikowsky

AFCI University: Advanced Studies In Film Production

Jim Reikowsky has been with the Vallejo/Solano County Film Office since its inception in 1996 has been the Film Liaison since April of 1998. He has served for several years on the AFCI’s Membership Committee and is on the board of directors for FLICS (Film Liaisons in California, Statewide), a network of regional film offices and commissions that work cooperatively with the California Film Commission to retain, attract and facilitate feature film, television, commercial and print media production in California. He holds a Journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma (Radio/Television/Film).

Nancy Richardson

NANCY RICHARDSON, A.C.E. is a graduate of U.C.Berkeley and received her MFA from UCLAís graduate film department. She has been an editor for twenty years. Her most recent credit is TWLIGHT, her third film with director Catherine Hardwicke. Her other collaborations with Hardwicke were LORDS OF DOGTOWN and her directorial debut THIRTEEN. She also edited STEP UP, the surprise hit of 2006, for director Anne Fletcher. Her other credits include STAND AND DELIVER, ROADSIDE PROPHETS, WHITE MANíS BURDEN, three films with Charles Burnett:: †TO SLEEP WITH ANGER, SELMA LORD SELMA, and ANNIHILATION OF FISH, and three films with Gregory Nava: MI FAMILIA, SELENA, and WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE. She edited the directorial debut of Maya Angelou, DOWN IN THE DELTA, released by Miramax, and HENDRIX for which she received an Emmy nomination. She is a member of American Cinema Editors and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She has served on the Editors Guild Board of Directors for the last four years and was just re-elected for another term. She is also a professor at the UCLA School of Film, Television and Digital Media. She is currently editing THE LAST SONG, starring Miley Cyrus and Greg Kinnear, directed by Julie Anne Robinson.

Danae Ringelmann

Social Media: A Look At Trends, Technologies, & Opportunities for the Future

Danae Ringelmann is a founder of IndieGoGo, a company which provides tools for fundraising, promotion, and discovery to the film and media industry. The platform enables people to showcase their work, mobilize their fans, and DIWO (Do-It-With-Others!).

Danae founded IndieGoGo to democratize the film funding process, and often speaks on DIWO (Do-It-With-Others) Filmmaking. Recent speaking engagements include PGA's Produced By Conference, LA Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, Int'l Documentary Association, UGCX, Women in Film & TV, and IFP Labs.

Danae brings entertainment industry and film finance expertise. Prior to IndieGoGo, Danae was a securities analyst at Cowen & Co. where she covered entertainment companies including Pixar, Lions Gate, Disney, and Electronic Arts. Danae also focused on cable network, NFL, newspaper and hedge fund clientele while at JPMorgan's Investment Bank and Private Bank. In the wake of 9/11, Danae co-produced a concert reading of Incident at Vichy, an Arthur Miller play addressing the politically charged topic of racial profiling.

Danae is a CFA charterholder and holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. Danae was also a Morehead Scholar and Varsity Rower at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Rodney Rumford

Rodney has over 21 years experience in the technology industry. He is a true visionary and has authored books on Social Media, Twitter, Business Blogging & Podcasting as well as numerous White Papers that relate to the business and marketing aspects of these technologies.

He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Business Week, Business 2.0 and numerous Associated Press & Reuters articles. His sites have also been featured in the acclaimed “For Dummies” series of books.

He has held senior level management positions in Fortune 100 companies and start-ups in the areas of Engineering, Marketing, Project Management and Business Development. He also sits on the board of several technology companies.

Rodney has been involved with the Facebook f8 platform since its launch. He is the founder & CEO Gravitational Media, a new media agency that has helped many Fortune 100 clients as well as hundreds of small businesses. His company www.GravitationalMedia.com provides Businesses Strategy, Marketing, Ideation and Technology Consulting to help Brands Engage in Social Networks. Clients include Vivendi, Mountain Dew, Pfizer, Simon & Schuster, Seth Godin and many more.

He is also the Publisher of www.FaceReviews.com which rates & reviews Facebook applications, as well as provides news and strategy insights about social media trends.

Iain Smith

The Care and Feeding of a Reliable Workforce

Iain Smith is one of the UK’s most experienced producers, having produced “Local Hero”, “The Killing Fields” and “The Mission” for David Puttnam, as well as “City of Joy”,”1492-Conquest of Paradise”, ”Mary Reilly”, “The Fifth Element”, ”Seven Years in Tibet”, ”Entrapment”, ”Spy Game”, “Cold Mountain”, “Alexander”, ”The Fountain”, ”Children of Men” and “Wanted”. He has served on the boards of the UK Film Council, Scottish Screen, the Joint board of Creative Scotland, the Scottish Film Council, the Scottish Film Production Fund, the Scottish Film Training Trust and as a Governor of the National Film and Television School, as Patron of the London Film School, and on the board the Production Guild of Great Britain. He is currently a patron of the London Film School, Chair of the Film Industry Training Board and the Film Skills Council, and is a director of the Children’s Film and Television Foundation. He has recently been appointed Chair of the new UK Film Industry Training Board, and is Chair of the Edinburgh International Film Festival in his spare time. In 2005 he was awarded a BAFTA Scotland for Outstanding Achievement in Film and was made an OBE in the 2008 New Year’s Honours List.

David Soleil

AFCI University: Leadership for Film Commissioners

Mr. Soleil is an independent Leadership Education consultant and the former Chair of the Leadership Education group for the International Leadership Association. He is also the former Associate Director of the Center for Global Leadership and Team Development at The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine. He has designed, delivered and managed leadership education programming for four MBA programs and worked as a leadership education consultant with numerous corporate clients.

In addition, David has experience in the film industry and extensive experience with nonprofits, including working as a consultant to the Gesundheit Institute during the filming of the Robin Williams feature "Patch Adams". Most recently, he was a consultant to the Freedom Writers Foundation prior to and during the filming of the Hilary Swank feature, "Freedom Writers."

His academic background includes a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute Conservatory, as well as a Master of Public Affairs in Nonprofit Management from Indiana University in Bloomington, and a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from the University of Illinois.

Mark Stricklin

ROI: What's Your Worth? & AFCI University: The Film Commission Professional

Mark Stricklin, in his fourth year at the helm of the Birmingham-Jefferson Film Office, brings over 22 years of film commission/management experience to the Central Alabama region. His accumulative efforts have resulted in over $990 million in revenue for Birmingham (AL); Buffalo
(NY), the State of Oregon, Wilmington (NC), and the Sate of Alabama from 1987-2009 through the recruitment of over 380 productions.

Stricklin served as Director of the Wilmington (NC) Regional Film Commission for six years and was instrumental in the start-up of the organization. Through public and private investment, Wilmington became a major player in film production during the 1990s. Stricklin also held positions as a consultant for the Association of Film Commissioners International and as Executive Director of the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission, the Oregon Film & Video Office, and the Alabama Film Office.

Currently, Stricklin serves on the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) Board of Directors. Some of Stricklin’s more notable credits include “Lifted”, portions of “Honeydripper” and “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”, “ESPN Classic Vintage Live: Negro League Baseball”, “Poultrygeist”, “Bruce Almighty”, “The Hunted”, “Bandits”, portions of “A.I” and “Pay It Forward”, “28 Days”, “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, “Muppets From Space”, “A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries”, “Lolita”, “Virus”, “To Gillian on her 37th Birthday”, “The Jackal”, “Empire Records”, “The Road to Wellville”, “Under Siege”, “Blue Sky”, “Mississippi Burning”, “War and Remembrance”, and the TV series “Moochers”, “Sorority Life II”, “Fraternity Life”, “Dawson’s Creek”, “American Gothic”, “CI5: The Professionals”, “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles”, and “Matlock”.

Lisa Strout

Lisa Strout spent 20 years in the film and television industry, primarily as a location manager. She worked on numerous films including Room with a View, Falling Down, Mulholland Falls, Red Corner, Gattaca, Dante’s Peak, and Thirteen Days. In addition, Ms. Strout managed the New York offices for Merchant Ivory Productions for two years. In 2001, Ms. Strout adopted New Mexico as her home and, in 2004, was appointed the Director of the New Mexico Film Office by Governor Bill Richardson.. As Director, Lisa has worked closely with Governor Richardson’s Office, economic development and the film unions and guilds to create a viable and sustainable industry in New Mexico. She has focused her efforts on workforce development, nurturing culturally under-represented voices, and supporting the filmmaking community at large, both financially and creatively. In addition, new initiatives have been launched including a Green Filmmaking Program and the First Visions Filmmakers Forum, a conference focused on diversity in film and television. She is a board member of the Association of Film Commissioners International and The Coalition of Quality Children’s Media.

Jacques Themelaque

The Global Economy: Survival Is Revival

In 1993, Jacques co-founded Filmmakers Alliance, and in 2004, founded FA Productions, of which he is co-president. He was also the former Chief Community Officer at Withoutabox.com.

His films include: "Transaction" (Sundance Film Festival, and winner of the Grand Prix du Jury Award in the Labo Competition at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival), “Infidelity In Equal Parts” (Sundance Film Festival), “The Dogwalker” (Los Angeles Film Festival, Best First Feature - Cinequest Film Festival), “Egg” (Best Comedy Short - Cinequest Film Festival) and “Love Without Socks” (AFI International Film Festival) He’s also produced 5 feature films including “The Revenant” which recently won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at CineVegas 2009.

Jacques is currently on the Board of Advisors for the IFP Emerging Filmmaker Lab and the Ashland Independent Film Festival.

Danny Tomlinson

The Business of Persuasion

Danny L. Tomlinson is a highly respected lobbyist and public affairs professional, with over 30 years of lobbying experience at the Colorado General Assembly. After his service as an officer in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War, he began work with Mountain Bell (now Qwest Communications) where he lobbied for eleven years. In 1987, he organized Tomlinson & Associates, an independent governmental affairs firm primarily focused on dealings with the Colorado Legislature.

Tom Tveidt

ROI: What's Your Worth?

Mr. Tveidt is a research economist whose expertise is regional economic assessment and evaluation. Mr. Tveidt is an active practitioner with experience in industrial site selection, industry target evaluation, workforce analysis, economic impact analysis, and regional economy appraisals.

Currently, Mr. Tveidt sits on the Editorial Review Board for the journal Applied Research in Economic Development, published by Southern Mississippi University. Tom is chair-elect of the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) in Arlington, Virginia, and is an active member of the National Association of Business Economics (NABE), and the Association of Public Data Users (APDU). Tom has been an invited instructor for the National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA), International Economic Development Council (IEDC), and the C2ER. In March 2009, Tom Tveidt, was recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau for “Outstanding Practices” in application of Labor Employment Dynamics, for his work in regional economic analysis.

Tom is also President of SYNEVA Economics, LLC, ., whose recent projects include the economic impact of widening the Houma Navigational Canal in Louisiana, workforce assessments in southern and central Georgia, site selection evaluation for a food manufacturer, distribution center, and pipe manufacturer, the economic impact of the marine industry in Lake Havasu, Arizona, and numerous community assessments across the U.S.

As director of Asheville, North Carolina’s Metro Business Research Center, Mr. Tveidt’s publications on regional economics enjoy a monthly readership of about 10,000 persons. He regularly speaks before business groups, government organizations and public assemblies, detailing regional economic trends and issues. He is frequently quoted in newspapers, business journals, and TV news programs.

In 2006 and 2007, Mr. Tveidt participated as a senior policy advisor and curriculum developer for a U.S. Department of Economic Development Administration funded program to develop and deliver regional economic development training based on regionalism and industry clusters. The program was a partnership of Western Carolina University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Council for Community and Economic Research.

Mr. Tveidt has a BA in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, California, and an MBA in Finance from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.

Jonathan Vangar

Jonathan Vanger was introduced into the film business by his late father Lawrence Vanger who was active in film financing and owned a completion bond company, Performance Guarantees. Initially, working as a production assistant he rapidly moved up the ladder, moving into production in 1989 spending 2 years producing a series of low budget features in South Africa. During this time he also gained invaluable production experience while working for Vanger Snr as the completion bond representative on a number of films covered by Performance Guarantees.
Jonathan moved then to the UK and took up the reigns of Performance Guarantees UK LTD, Issuing completion guarantees on over 25 features shot in Europe, Australia and in South Africa.

In 1998 Vanger Produced LADIES ROOM starring John Malkovich and Greta Scacchi and THE MAGIC OF MARCIANO with Natassja Kinski and Robert Forster. He was instrumental in structuring co-production financing on GREY OWL starring Pierce Brosnan, directed by Richard Attenborough that shot in Canada in late 1998-99 and DRUIDS starring Christophe Lambert, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Max Von Sydow.

His most recent produced projects include :

STEAL starring Stephen Dorff and Natasha Henstridge, directed by French Action specialist Gerard Pires (TAXI) licensed in the US to Miramax.
NAPOLEON a 6 hour mini series starring Gerard Depardieu, John Malkovich, Isabella Rosselini and Anouk Aime, directed by Canadian director Yves Simoneau produced with GMT in France, Kirsh Media in Germany, Transfilm in Canada and A&E in the United States.
HONOR MY FATHER starring Gerard Depardieu and his son Guillaume, directed and written by Jacob Berger.
JERICHO MANSIONS starring James Caan, directed by Alberto Sciamma.
THE THREE MUSKETEERS starring Emmanuelle Beart directed by Stephen Herek.
LES EGARES starring Emmanuelle Beart and Gaspard Ulieol directed by Andre Techine.

THE LAST SIGN directed by Douglas Law starring Andie MacDowell and Tim Roth.

Keith Weaver