Crew
MICHAEL GRODNER – Writer / Director / Producer
Michael Grodner has extensive experience behind the camera directing music videos and branded content. He’s directed music videos for Cursive, Chiodos, Kill Me Tomorrow, The Human Abstract, Civet, The Briggs, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Sabertooth Tiger, Women And Children, and the Black Kites. Cursive’s “Dorothy at Forty” was named one of MTV2’s Top Ten Subterranean Music Videos of the Year and MTVU’s Favorite Comeback Kid Video of the Year. His work receives regular shout-outs from MTV2 and MTVU, and has appeared at world-wide festivals such as the Brighton Festival (UK), Synch Festival (Athens, Greece) and the Indie Pop & Film Test in Newport, Kentucky where his video, Brazil’s “Escape” captured Best Music Video. Michael’s recent highlights include: The Human Abstract’s “Procession Of The Fates” music video, the artwork for the Human Abstract’s new album “Midheaven”, and a projection piece to coincide with the band’s upcoming world tour. He followed these with a commercial spot and a music video for the indie-rock band Iran. Michael is a graduate of the USC film school. He is repped by Vitamin M, a NY based production company.
MATT REEVES – Producer
In 2008, Matt Reeves came to feature film prominence as the director of the acclaimed science fiction horror hit, “Cloverfield” for Paramount Pictures. The modestly budgeted film set a domestic record for January release, and went on to gross over one hundred seventy million dollars, worldwide. Prior to that film, the writer-director-producer was best known as one of the creators of the popular television series “Felicity”, starring Golden Globe Award winning actress, Keri Russell. He served as executive producer with partner and co-creator J.J. Abrams, and frequent director during the show’s four season run, which began on the WB in 1998. Reeves made his feature directorial debut with Miramax’s 1996 dark comedy, “The Pallbearer”, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, David Schwimmer, and Barbara Hershey. He developed the screenplay with co-writer Jason Katims through Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute. In 1999, Matt co-wrote and co-produced James Gray’s critically acclaimed feature, “The Yards”, starring Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, and Charlize Theron. He first gained the attention of the industry with his award-winning student short, “Mr. Petrified Forrest” upon graduating from USC’s prestigious cinema school. Reeves got his start in 1995 when a screenplay he penned in college with classmate Richard Hatem was purchased by Warner Brothers, and later turned into “Under Siege 2: Dark Territory”. For the small screen, in addition to the pilot for “Felicity”, Reeves helmed the pilot episodes of “Gideon’s Crossing” and “Miracles” for ABC, “Conviction” for NBC, and series episodes of “Homicide: Life on the Street”, and “Relativity”. His upcoming projects include writing, directing, and producing the independent drama/thriller, “The Invisible Woman” for Gotham-based Greenestreet Films; as well as, writing and directing an American adaptation of the acclaimed Swedish horror novel and film, “Let The Right One In”, for Spitfire/Hammer Films and Overture Films due out in theaters in early 2010. Reeves currently lives with his fiancée in Los Angeles.
WOLFGANG MASCHIN – Visual Effects Supervisor
Wolfgang Maschin has over 8 years extensive experience in Onset VFX Supervision, Compositing, Concept Engineering, Motion control, photography, photochemical process, Creative Director and Visual Effects Supervisor on Feature Films, Commercials and Music Videos. His film credits include Twilight, Hancock, Transformers, The Chronicles of Narnia, and I, Robot to name a few. He has worked with “A” list directors such as Michael Bay, Peter Berg, James Cameron and Roland Emmerich. Wolfgang’s music videos include Justin Timberlak, Elton John, Destiny’s Child, Backstreet Boys, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, LeAnn Rimes, Ludacris and Will Smith.
MATTHEW RYLE – Production Designer
Production Designer Matthew Ryle began working with acclaimed American artist Matthew Barney in 1996, fabricating sculpture for CREMASTER 5 and serving as Production Designer on CREMASTER 2 and CREMASTER 3. Barney’s CREMASTER CYCLE, a five-part film project organized by the Guggenheim Museum, premiered at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, in June 2002 and subsequently traveled to the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in October 2002 before its presentation in New York. Matthew was also the Production Designer on Barney’s film DRAWING RESTRAINT 9. When not working on the films, he is Production Manager of the Barney Studio, overseeing the manufacture and installation of all sculptural elements and exhibitions. Obsessed with materials and processes, Ryle has a background in plastics and large-scale architectural fabrication. An avid drummer, he lives with his wife and 3 dogs in Brooklyn, NY.
SHELLEY H. SURPIN, Partner, SURPIN & MAYERSOHN, LLP – Legal Counsel
SHELLEY SURPIN specializes in representing individuals and companies in the motion picture, television and allied fields, including their activities in independent finance, production and distribution. She received her law degree from the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley, where she received two American Jurisprudence Awards. She is also summa cum laude graduate of Stanford University and member of Phi Beta Kappa. Ms. Surpin is currently Chair of SubSCREEN, the L.A. County Bar Subcommittee for Film & TV Screen Entertainment, and serves as well on the Executive Board of Stanford in Entertainment. She has previously served on the Executive Committee of the Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Section (IPELS) of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She has spoken on entertainment law topics for U.C.L.A. Extension, the Writers Guild of America, IFP West, Film Independent and others and has published articles in a variety of motion picture industry publications. SURPIN & MAYERSOHN, LLP has sponsored the annual Film Independent Finance Conference and regularly represents one or more films/filmmakers at the Sundance Film Festival and other prominent film festivals.