|
Meet the World's Best Crew!
|
|
Troy Niemans - Director | TROY NIEMANS (Director, DP, and Editor) is quickly emerging as one of the freshest new talents in the Indie scene. Combining innovative, edgy technique and suggestive storytelling, Niemans continually searches for new ways to push the boundaries.
Upon completion of film school in Canada, Niemans pointed his motorcycle south and headed to Los Angeles, CA to see what Hollywood was really about. He moved into an apartment in the hills where he befriended horror-film director Scott Spiegel.
Niemans was visiting Spiegel one afternoon when Scott was asked by his best friend Quentin Tarantino to direct a sequel to the cult hit 'From Dusk Til Dawn'. Spiegel soon started work, with Niemans assisting him, and they set up shop in Cape Town, South Africa for four months to shoot the film. While in South Africa, Niemans showed a rough cut of his 20-minute super 8 movie he was editing to producer Michael S. Murphey (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Nightmare on Elm Street). Murphey quickly invited Niemans to co-produce and edit his next film upon returning to Los Angeles. The new film was entitled The Last Best Sunday. It was the directorial debut of Donny Most (Happy Days), and was Niemans' first feature. The film went on to win several awards, including best film at the Telluride Indie Fest.
From there, Niemans has edited projects that have taken him to Spain, India, Mexico and across the USA. Editing was the training ground for his directing career. After several award-winning shorts, Niemans is now making a name for himself, specifically directing music videos. Most recently, Niemans shot and edited a music video for Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction, Porno for Pyros) and Thievery Corporation.
Check out Troy Niemans on IMDB |
|
 | ANDREA KNAUB (Executive Producer / Writer) is a writer,
actress, script editor, and script supervisor with a background in
advertising, marketing communications, and production. She has
done work for companies such as Disney, JPL Productions, Syndicated
Productions, Chesterfield Writer's Film Project, Magic
Lantern Productions, Spain / Raye Films, Hershey Foods, Blue
Cross of California, Countrywide Financial, Pennsylvania State
University, Mellon Bank, and various advertising agencies. She
also co-wrote the successful rock opera theatre production Urban
Messiah which ran in Malibu in 2004. Her acting credits include
roles in theatre, film, and television, but her favorite role is as mother to two beautiful children, Kolten and Karina. Check out Andrea on IMDB |
|
 | ALLIE RAYE (Producer / Writer) grew up in Harrisburg, Pa.
and Rockville, MD. She began writing short stories at the
age of 10, and is still going strong. Allie produced her first
short film in 2002 after her gig on “Minority Report.” She
didn’t want Tom Cruise to ask her what she was working on
and not have anything to tell him, so she decided to make
“Purple Rose.” With no knowledge of how to put together a
film, she raised $2,000 and took a cast and crew on location.
She had the entire town of Cuyama supporting her and giving
her anything she needed, including free motel rooms. Allie’s
parents even flew out to be in the film. Her mentor at the time, Chuck Marra,
taught her how to be a producer. She had asked him to direct the film and what
a team they made. Allie was in her element and LA’s newest Producer was
born.
Since then, she has produced several short films which have, all but one, made
their way through the festival circuit. An imaginative writer, Allie has a
wide variety of completed scripts with original characters and storylines, just
waiting to be brought to the screen. Check out Allie on IMDB |
|
 | KURTIS RINTALA (Producer) finished his latest screenplay STAGE FRIGHT which was filmed in April 2003, and is being distributed by EBS World Entertainment. His produced writing credits also include the 2003 thriller A CONSPIRACY. Kurtis worked for two years as the in-house screenwriter for EBS World Entertainment, where he guided several different projects through development. Kurtis has a B.A. in Cinema Studies from California State University Chico, and studied for five years at The Groundlings Comedy Theater. He’s currently working on a comedy short he wrote and is producing, titled VAMPIRES IN VENICE. Check out Kurtis on IMDB |
|  | SHAULA VEGA (Producer) was born in Mexico City to Jorge Luke and Isela Vega, both icons of Mexican cinema. She attended a prestigious drama school in her native Mexico later continuing her studies at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute of Los Angeles. She has worked extensively in theater both in her native land as well as in LA. Shaula has participated with theater companies such as Mabou Mines of New York City, in The Off Broadway award winning play A Book of Hours starring alongside Jesusa Rodriguez and Liliana Felipe and directed by Ruth Malechzeck. She has been a long time member of the Theater Under the Stairs Company directed by Director David Beaird in LA starring in such plays as Pizza Man, The House of Bernarda Alba and Blood Wedding. Her film debut came in the film Original Sin sharing the screen with Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie. She is also an accomplished professional dancer who worked with people such as Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tamia, Kid Rock to name a few. She has been part of Choreographer Alex Magno's dance company "Personna Dance Theater" for over 5 years. Shaula has also worked with choreographers such as Frank Gatson, Jamie King, Keith Young, Cindera Che, Wes Veldink, Andre Fuentes. Check out Shaula on IMDB |
|  | MARK FRANK (Composer) began playing piano at the age of four. He is a well rounded musician who can also play the guitar, drums, harmonica, and the bass. He performed at the Kennedy Center at the age of eight, began composing music for a theater group at thirteen, and self produced his first album at the age of seventeen. He has performed for crowds as large as twenty-five thousand people, and performed in New York with Grammy award-winning artist Phoebe Snow. Mark currently plays in Big Al & the Kaholics and has opened for Hootie & the Blowfish, B-52's, Beach Boys, Spin Doctors, Lou Gramm, Tesla, Sawyer Brown, The Hooters, Flock of Seagulls, Badfinger, and They Might Be Giants. Mark also composes commercial jingles, corporate theme songs, and parodies for radio shows. This is the third time Mark has contributed music for one of Allie's movies. He wrote a beautiful melody especially for her first film Purple Rose and several of Big Al and the Kaholics songs were played as well. It made a wonderful soundtrack. They also chose many songs for her short “Charity." Mark wrote all original music for this film and the hard work shows. No one on the set could stop singing these songs for days!!! Mark and Allie have a history dating back to the early 80's, where they went to summer camp together. Allie was always intrigued by Mark's amazing talent on the piano and singing. She used to joke with him that one day he would make music for her films. Who would have thought that it was a foreshadowing for the future? Allie said that she will always ask Mark to do her music and has turned a ton of people onto his CD "Hype." |
| |
 Dharma says, "Check out the Press Kit"
|
|