John Agnello

John Agnello (born c. 1959) is an American producer, recording engineer and mixer who has been involved with many albums throughout the last 25 years. Most recently, John has been involved with Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, Alvvays, Sweet Apple, Dinosaur Jr., Thurston Moore and Jemina Pearl.
Career.
Early work.
Agnello's life in the studio began in 1979 at the age of 19 while working as an intern at the legendary Record Plant Studios in Manhattan. He worked his way up the ladder and became the studio’s go-to-assistant. He assisted on a number of albums including those by Aerosmith, Twisted Sister, Scandal, John Cougar Mellencamp, and John Waite. John also worked briefly on “Born In the USA” with Bruce Springsteen. However, working on Cyndi Lauper’s "She’s So Unusual!" had the biggest recording and production impact on him at the time. He worked with some of the great engineers and producers of that time, including, Jack Douglas, Jimmy Iovine, Rick Chertoff, William Wittman, Mike Chapman, Dave Thoener, Jay Messina, Roy Cicala, and Shelly Yakus.
He got his first true break engineering on the second album by The Hooters. He was involved with artists such as Patty Smyth, Sophie B. Hawkins and The Outfield. The Outfield's first record, "Play Deep", had a #2 hit with "Your Love".
Around that time, he also got to do a one off session with Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger, two of his favorite artists. The Bob Dylan song was “Series Of Dreams” which he co-mixed with Bill Wittman. That version was used by NARAS when presenting Bob Dylan with his lifetime achievement award. And the Mick Jagger song, "Hard Woman", was for a special made-for-MTV only video.
1990s.
During the early nineties, Agnello began an association with Dinosaur Jr. and the Screaming Trees. This collaboration has extended through almost a dozen records. In fact, John recently mixed the heralded Dinosaur Jr. reunion record, "Beyond", with the original lineup. He was also responsible for productions with artists such as Buffalo Tom, Chainsaw Kittens, Jawbox, Chavez, Redd Kross, Madrugada and Patti Smith, among others. He also worked with Alice Cooper on "The Last Temptation Of Alice Cooper".
2000–present.
Agnello has worked with such artists as Sonic Youth, The Living End, Andrew W.K., Drive-By Truckers and Social Distortion. He has helmed both "Boys And Girls In America" and "Stay Positive" by The Hold Steady.
Even though he excels at the hard edge sound of many of the aforementioned artists, he's also adept at working with the subtler sounds of artists such as Son Volt, The Kills, Thurston Moore, The Walkmen, and Five for Fighting.
Agnello has also been involved with many newer artists including Scottish band The Hazey Janes. Agnello mixed one of their records in Spain in 2006. Agnello also worked with Jennifer O'Connor on her latest album, "Here With Me", for Matador Records.
Agnello has had commercial success overseas. The three records he did with Norwegian band Madrugada have scored both critical and commercial success. In the press release for the current record, "Madrugada", they describe Agnello as "the external creative force that has had the most influence on Madrugada’s artistic development.” Agnello has also had success with another Norwegian band, Turbonegro, on their last record, "Retox".
In October 2012, Agnello produced the sixth album from indie punk band The Thermals.
In 2015, Agnello produced the album "Manhattan" for the anti-folk singer Jeffrey Lewis.


Edward L. Hyman

Edward Lloyd Hyman (1894-1984) was an early twentieth century theatre manager and innovator in the cinema industry.
Biography.
Born in 1894, Edward Lloyd Hyman began his career as a theater manager for the Victoria Theater in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, in 1916. He gained popularity for his elaborate productions of film during the silent era, most notable for his musical accompaniments that included: overtures, prologues, interludes, and countless other vocal and dance numbers. His success at the Victoria not only transferred, but increased when he was hired to work at the prestigious Strand Theatre, Brooklyn in 1920. He was later named the Vice President of Paramount Pictures after their historic merger with the American Broadcasting Company. He was responsible for acquisitions and dealt frequently with Walt Disney Productions.
Victoria theatre (1916-1920).
Hyman became the manager for the Victoria Theatre in 1916, when he was just 21 years old. As the manager, he gained a positive reputation for actively communicating with his patrons about what films they wished to see the most. From this dialogue with his patrons he was able to construct his programs with the audience's desires in mind, which filled the house to capacity on most nights. He realized that the standard audience member was bored by the routine screening, and thus sought to include a variety of elaborate stage productions with each screening. Here, he first identified the importance of musical accompaniment, and spent the rest of his tenure as manager improving the sonic qualities of film exhibition.
He was one of the first exhibitors to treat his orchestra as an integral component of the production. Through discussions with his patrons, Hyman realized that musical performance was one of the most compelling theatrical draws. The sentiment was rather clear, the audience had much more interest in films that featured a strong musical accompaniment. In the past, exhibitors neglected the musical wants of their performers and audience, resulting in an unpleasant atmosphere for both parties. Orchestra members felt they weren't being utilized to their full potential, and audience members were frustrated and distracted by the lackluster performances. Hyman sought to establish a friendly relationship with his orchestra, and increase their role in the exhibition. As a result, the orchestra members produced more enjoyable music that accompanied the on-screen images. Giving the orchestra members a say in exhibition helped enhance the relationship between audio and visual elements in cinema at the time.
One innovation Hyman developed at the Victoria related to the exhibition of advertisements. Rather than spend considerable amounts of money on official advertisements, Hyman simply cut out film advertisements featured in Motion Picture News, hired a photographer to take pictures of the cutouts, and then projected these images onto his screen during intermissions. As a result, the Victoria had high-quality previews produced at a fraction of the standard cost.
Strand theatre (1920-1927).
The Mark Strand theatre is where Hyman first garnished nationwide popularity. He was well known for introducing numerous musical and stage novelties, such as prologues, overtures, light shows, dance numbers, and radio broadcasts. He was very successful at securing popular musicians and dancers to perform at his theatre, namely: Charles Wakefield Cadman, Victor Herbert, Van and Schenck, Ben Bernie, Vincent Lopez, The Happiness Boys, and The Goodrich Silvertown Orchestra. Additionally, immediately following Gertrude Ederle's record breaking swim across the English Channel, Hyman was a key factor in bringing Ederle to the Mark Strand theatre for a personal appearance.
Musical Novelties.
Prologues.
Before the start of his features, Hyman would often produce an elaborate musical or dance number on stage. Prologues were frequently used in theatrical productions, but it was rare for them to be used in conjunction with motion pictures. His productions were universally liked by his patrons, which caused him to realize the importance of music in his programming. Additionally, many silent films were hard to follow, so the prologues helped explain the plot to the audience. Pictures of his prologues are included below along with original text published in the Exhibitor's Trade Review.

Overtures.
Different from a prologue, an overture also takes place at the beginning of a film, but refers to the piece of music played before the opening credits. Overtures originated in European operas, but Hyman and other exhibitors adopted this practice to set the mood of their motion picture for their audience.
Stanley Corporation (1928-1937).
In 1928, Hyman was promoted by the Stanley Corporation (a now defunct movie theater chain) to manage their theaters in Richmond, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., in addition to the Brooklyn Mark Strand. During his time with this motion picture chain, Hyman was active in film acquisition, securing performers, and in implementing up-to-date musical and cinematic innovations.
The Stanley Corporation was purchased by Warner Bros. later on in 1928. At the time, The Stanley Corporation owned one-third of the shares in rival film company, First National Pictures. This purchase reduced competition and enabled Warner to gain further control of the market.
Paramount pictures (1941-1965).
After he resigned from his position with the now defunct Stanley Corporation, Hyman briefly continued to write publications for trade journals. Shortly after his resignation, Hyman joined United Detroit Theatres, an affiliate of Paramount. In 1941, he became affiliated with Paramount Pictures directly. Paramount operated both a theater chain and production studio until 1948, when the supreme court ruling "United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc." made it illegal for a single company to hold exclusive distribution rights.
Merger Between American Broadcasting Company and United Paramount Theatres.
In 1949, during the eighth year of Hyman's tenure with Paramount, the company completed a merger with the American Broadcasting Company. He was named the Vice President of the company in the following year. The company experienced great economic success after the merger, and was purchased by Capital Cities in 1985 for $3.5 billion in a monumental deal financed by Warren Buffett.
Vice President of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Inc. (1949-1965).
Following the merger, Edward Hyman was named the Vice President of AB-PT. As the VP, Hyman was responsible for identifying the most valuable films held by distributors, and connecting them with theaters in a timely fashion. He held the position until he retired in 1965, at the age of 71.


Tina Albanese

Tina Albanese is an American television producer and television writer.
Biography.
Albanese worked as a production assistant on the David E. Kelley-produced series "L.A. Law", "Picket Fences" and as a post-production coordinator on "Picket Fences" and "Chicago Hope". She was a consultant during the of "" and as a post-production coordinator and associate producer on "JAG", co-starring her husband Patrick Labyorteaux.
In 2012, Albanese and Labyorteaux created the Nick at Nite series "See Dad Run", starring Scott Baio.
Albanese and Labyorteaux have been married since 1998; they have one child together.


Maggie Blanc

Maggie Blanc (formerly Maggie Randell) is an American television line producer of British descent.
Career.
Blanc produced the situation comedies "Frasier" (NBC) from 1993 to 2004 and "Back to You" (Fox) from 2007 to 2008. In 2009, Blanc produced the pilot episode of the NBC sitcom "100 Questions", and the entire run of episodes of the short-lived ABC series "Hank".
Awards.
Blanc won five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series for "Frasier" from 1994 to 1998. She was also nominated three additional times from "Frasier" from 1999 to 2001.


Janae Bakken

Janae Bakken is an American television producer and screenwriter best known for her work on the television series "Scrubs".
The Minneapolis, Minnesota-born Bakken has worked on "Scrubs" since 2001, as a writer, and in 2002 served as a story editor, but was promoted and until 2004, served as an executive story editor. From there to 2005, she worked as a co-producer and in 2006 became a producer, and between 2006 and 2007 was supervising producer of twenty episodes. Aside from "Scrubs", she has written the 2005 film "Artistic License" and two episodes during the third season of "Malcolm in the Middle".
She once commented that almost all of the ideas brought into and discussed in the "Scrubs"' writers' room were parallel to the writers' own lives, and that she specifically had suggested a number of storylines and subplots based on her own life.
An alumna of Northwestern University she has held a number of lectures at their School of Communication.
Personal life.
She married actor Michael Cotter on April 24, 2004; the couple has one child.


Tony Sheehan (producer)

Tony Sheehan is an American producer and screenwriter.
Career.
Sheehan started his career, as producing and writing for the television series "Barney Miller", in 1975.
In 1977-1980s, Sheehan was nominated for an Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the episode "Quarantine: Part 2" from "Barney Miller". In 1977, he became an developer with Chris Hayward and Danny Arnold for the Barney Miller (spin-off) "Fish", when "Abe Vigoda" (Phil Fish) left the series in Season 4 from "Barney Miller".
In 1980s-2000s, Sheehan became an executive producer and screenwriter for the television series "Mr. Belvedere". He left the sries in Season 5, to create the new NBC sitcom television series "Sister Kate", which he created with Frank Dungan and Jeff Stein. He also was an executive producer for "The King of Queens", in 1998.
In 2016, Sheehan became an executive producer, for the revival of "The King of Queens" titled "Kevin Can Wait".


Jack Cohn

Jacob Cohn (October 27, 1889 – December 8, 1956) was a co-founder of Columbia Pictures Corporation.
Early life.
Cohn was born in New York, the son of Joseph, a tailor from Germany, and Bella, from Russia. He had three brothers, Maxwell (1888-1948), Harry (born 1891), and Nathan (born 1900), and a sister Anna (born 1897).
He left school at 13 and joined the Hampton Advertising Agency as an errand boy, where he worked for six years.
Career.
In 1908 he became a laboratory assistant at Carl Laemmle's Independent Moving Pictures. He also became involved in editing and printing. He focused on newsreels and became editor and producer of "Universal Weekly" and established bureaus in key cities to provide the news. In 1913, he was placed in charge of production at IMP's studio at Tenth Avenue and 59th Street. His younger brother Harry was now also working for IMP and together they made their first film, "Traffic in Souls" (1913).
In 1919, the Cohn brothers joined forces with fellow IMP employee Joe Brandt and went on to found CBC Film Sales Corporation. They started making short films with the "Screen Snapshots" series starting in 1920 and made the company's first feature film, "More to Be Pitied Than Scorned" (1922). Following its success, they opened their own film exchanges. In 1924, they renamed the company Columbia Pictures.
Jack became supervisor of the New York office in charge of sales, while Harry moved to California to oversee the studio operations. Brandt stayed in New York with Jack. He became executive vice-president, heading the distribution organization including Nathan B. Spingold and Abe Schneider (father of Bert Schneider).
Over the years, there were power struggles between Jack and Harry with the two not speaking to each other for months. In 1932, Jack attempted to oust Harry but failed, with Brandt resigning and selling his third of the company to Harry, who took over as president, consolidating his power.
Personal life.
Cohn married Jeanette Lesser and they had three sons - Ralph, Robert and Joseph Curtis. Ralph (1914-1959) who founded Screen Gems, a Columbia subsidiary. Robert worked for Columbia's Paris office and became a production executive in Hollywood. Joseph Curtis died in 1954 at the age of 32.
In 1939, Cohn founded the Motion Picture Pioneers, an organization for men who had served in the industry for more than 25 years. The Foundation of the Motion Picture Pioneers provided aid to the members.
Death.
Cohn was admitted to the Midtown Hospital in early December 1956 for minor surgery and died of a pulmonary embolism on December 8, 1956.


Matt Amato

Matt Amato (born 10 May 1967) is an American film writer and director. His major works include music videos for artists such as Barbra Streisand, Beach House, Bon Iver, Dido, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Soko, and Wild Nothing. He also co-founded the Los Angeles based visual arts collective, The Masses. In 2020, he completed his debut feature, Never My Love. Amato is now documenting the efforts of historic preservationist Larry Giles at the National Building Arts Center.
Early life and education.
Amato grew up in St. Louis, MO and was educated by the Benedictine monks at St. Louis Priory. He briefly attended film school at Columbia College in Chicago before venturing to California.
San Francisco (1990s).
Amato began his directing career in the mid-1990s while living in San Francisco. Shooting on 16mm, he created music videos for San Francisco's American Music Club, Red House Painters and Tarnation. Amato’s videos were broadcast on MTV shows such as 120 Minutes and Subterranean. Experimenting with 8mm for the band Tipsy, Amato’s work aired on MTV’s electronic-music based, Amp. Amato continued to make progress at Palm Pictures with a video for Tijuana's Nortec Collective and live visual presentations for Supreme Beings Of Leisure.
Los Angeles + The Masses (2000s).
Amato sustained his work in music videos by embracing digital film-making. In 2006, Amato established a partnership with his best friend, Heath Ledger. Amato told the Los Angeles Times in 2009, What Heath brought to us at the Masses was his pure creative energy, chessboards and surfboards. The Masses started developing their own movie projects. During this time, Ledger also developed the screenplay with Amato for what would be Amato's first movie, Never My Love. “I was very well aware of the movies Heath wanted to make, because we shared the same values,” Amato reflects. We definitely wanted to make movies for smart women. I think he had his daughter in mind, as well. We hated violence in our culture. We’re very against it. We wanted to flip that paradigm and focus on women and love, and chess. Amato was on location in Eau Claire, WI directing Bon Iver’s first video the day Ledger died. “It was no longer about just making a Bon Iver music video anymore,” the group’s singer-songwriter Justin Vernon says. “This was now our chance to be there with Matt as he grieved. It was a three-day wake."
The Masses 2.0 (2010s).
Amato joined forces with Executive Producer Jack Richardson in what was essentially the Masses 2.0. The Masses functioned as a "directors agency" representing music video directors in Los Angeles: Ben Fee, Ben Kutsko, Chris Coats, Alistair Legrand, Isaiah Seret, Elliot Sellers, Raúl Fernández, Eli Stonberg, Alex Pelly to name just a few. The Masses also assisted in the creation of OMG! Cameras Everywhere!, a music video making summer camp for young people in Los Angeles, London and NYC. Amato's "natural and soulful" videos are known for their intimacy, spontaneity and sense of place often filming on location. Amato says, It's about connecting with people. I've had some great opportunities to connect in a very personal way with some of the artists I worked with on music videos. There is that sense of nostalgia, even while you're there, on some music videos. I'm thinking particularly of the family I stayed with in Scotland when I did the "Withered Hand" video. Or working with Justin out in the woods during the "Bon Iver" video. Those are very powerful memories for me. For Barbra Streisand's Release Me, "While Streisand had recorded the unreleased song in 1970, Amato did not direct the video until 2012. Consequently, he had to jog the memories of the original producer, Richard Perry, about important details of the original recording. Amato reproduced small details such as the original type of microphone preferred by Streisand and the setting of the recording. Amato describes it as “an exercise in verisimilitude.” Amato invited "Kodachrome-drenched journeying" actress Michelle Williams to work with him on a "wistful" and "visually arresting" music video for Wild Nothing's "Paradise". Amato "comely grasps the elusive feeling of the song" and captures "Williams’ especially moving and elegant performance that elevates the video to absolute emotional harmony."
"I Am Heath Ledger" (2017).
Amato signed on as an Executive Producer and creative consultant on the documentary film, "I Am Heath Ledger". He traveled to Perth, Australia to work with Ledger's family and to insure it would be a magnanimous sketch of his friend and partner. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival with a Q+A involving Amato and Ledger's sisters, Ashleigh Bell and Kate Ledger. The "uncommonly tender" documentary is heralded for its sensitivity while reflecting on the actor's artistic nature as told by his most faithful friends and loved ones. "I Am Heath Ledger is a cinematic portrait of Ledger the artist. Devoid of gossip and any hint of salaciousness," one reviewer noted. "The result is refreshing, insightful, and also devastatingly sad." It currently holds an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. "I'll always have my reservations with the final product. But, overall, it's a very positive portrait of a real lover of life, and his family truly loves it. Their appreciation of it means a lot to me and made it worth doing.” Amato told MTV News. “And I felt like there needed to be an anecdote to all of the gossip that's out there.”I don’t need to defend Heath or tell people how you should feel about Heath because you already have a feeling about Heath. He did his job beautifully. He was a communicator. He reached people, and that was his art.
"Never My Love" (2020).
In the summer of 2013, Amato returned to his hometown of St. Louis to write and direct his debut feature, "Never My Love", (aka The Makings Of You) starring Sheryl Lee, Grace Zabriskie and Jay R. Ferguson. After resolving legal issues concerning a fraudulent investor, Amato completed the movie as it was intended in 2020 and is looking forward to its official release. An early cut of the movie garnered some glowing reviews; this one from The Hollywood Reporter: "This beautifully acted and photographed drama leaves a lasting impression. Amato, a veteran helmer of music videos, invests the proceedings with a subtle, dreamlike quality that gives the film an undeniable, but never stultifying, artsy feel. If you're not already in love when you see the film, you'll desperately want to be afterwards."


E.C. Scott

E.C. Scott (born September 14, 1951 or late 1950s) is an American electric blues, soul blues, gospel and soul singer, songwriter, record producer and television host. Jerry Wexler, called Scott "one honest-to-God soul singer." She has been nominated for nine Blues Music Awards, and has shared the stage with Ray Charles, Patti LaBelle, Lou Rawls, John Lee Hooker, and the Ohio Players.
Life and career.
Most sources give her birth name as Ecrettia Jacobs, born in Oakland, California, in the late 1950s, but researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc suggest that she was born Ecrettia Peevy in 1951. She attended the Skyline High School in Oakland and is listed in the 'Class of 1970'.
In her childhood she saw gospel singers such as Shirley Caesar and Inez Andrews. She also sang at the local St. John Missionary Baptist Church. She later turned her attention to soul music after listening to her sisters' radio. Scott began singing in nightclubs at the age of 16, and she was performing professionally two years later. Marriage and raising three children led Scott to put her music career to one side, before resurrecting it when her children grew older. Initially performing jazz, she reverted to blues and R&B once her backing band, named Smoke, were in place. She performed around San Francisco, including a spell as the house band at a nightclub called Slim's.
Scott released her debut single in 1988 and built up a local fan base. She appeared at a number of blues festivals, and performed at Grand Openings for the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Ballet, and the San Francisco Opera, before signing a recording contract with Blind Pig Records in 1994.
Her first album, "Come Get Your Love" was released in 1995. "Living Blues" noted that "E.C. Scott must be ranked among the best of the promising female blues singers in recent years." "Hard Act to Follow" duly followed in 1998. Scott received a nomination for a Blues Music Award in 1999 for 'Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year'. Scott performed at both the San Francisco Blues Festival, and Briggs Farm Blues Festival in 1999, and the Sarasota Blues Fest in 2000. "Masterpiece", her final recording with Blind Pig, was issued in 2000.
Her self-released album, "The Other Side of Me" (2003), included more of her self-penned numbers, and had a guest vocal appearance by Little Milton on two of the tracks, "Just One of Those Days" and "If I Can Borrow Some of Your Love". In Lincoln, Nebraska, she had filmed a video for "These Ain't Yo Daddy's Kind of Blues," another track from "The Other Side of Me". However, Scott discovered that, without a single blues video television program in the United States, she was left with only her own website and YouTube to air the promotional tool. In November 2006, performing as a television host, she presented the first show of the American public access television program, "EC's Jook Joint", which reaches eight million households through around 350 broadcast stations nationwide. The program features videos of blues performances, with introductions and editing work by Scott.
Through her own company, ECS Productions, Scott also began working as an artist manager for a number of acts typically performing blues, pop or gospel material. In addition, she has operated as a video producer for acts including Ronnie Baker Brooks.
In 2009, she toured Europe and regularly appears at Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco. In 2011, she performed at the Riverfront Blues Festival.
She currently lives in Union City, California, in a house which incorporates her home studio for editing "EC's Jook Joint".
Songwriting.
Her songs have been recorded by various other artists including Sonia Dada ("Sail Away" on "A Day at the Beach"), Worl-A-Girl ("Why You So Cruel", "Party", and "Stylee" on "Party"), Stephanie Nakasian ("Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat" on "Invitation to an Escapade"), Juelz Santana ("Gone" on "What the Game's Been Missing!"), The Diplomats ("The Pit" on "More Than Music, Vol. 1"), and Kenny Vance ("Diamonds and Pearls" on "Lovers Island").


Brad Jenkins (producer)

Brad L. Jenkins is an American producer. He is the managing director and executive producer of Funny or Die DC. Jenkins is the former associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, an experience he discusses in the forthcoming book.
Career.
A native of Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, Jenkins attended Steinert High School, where he took an advanced course about government that included presentations from local elected officials and a three-day trip to Washington that allowed him to gain a greater understanding of how government works and was the germ of his interest in politicsyears later.
After graduating from the University of Virginia, Jenkins worked as an investment professional for six years in New York and San Francisco, where he worked for Farallon Capital. After moving to California, Jenkins and his wife joined a volunteer group for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign in 2007 before the Democratic primaries. He later moved to Chicago and became the National Deputy Director of Special Projects for the Obama Campaign.
Jenkins served as the founding vice president of Business Forward, an organization that brings entrepreneurs into the policy-making process, before signing on at the White House as associate director for the Office of Public Engagement under Valerie Jarrett. At the White House, Jenkins served as a liaison to the creative community working with executives, celebrities, artists and advocacy leaders. In his role, he also served as a liaison for the comedy video website Funny or Die and was involved in the Emmy-award-winning episode of "Between Two Ferns", in which Zach Galifianakis interviewed President Obama about the Affordable Care Act. Several weeks after the interview aired, Jenkins and Jarrett briefed the President in the Oval Office about its widespread critical acclaim and how it was the show's "most successful video." Jenkins recounts this story in depth in "West Wingers: Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House", a collection of personal stories by Obama Administration staffers.
In 2015, it was announced that Jenkins would be named managing director and executive producer of Funny or Die's new Washington, D.C. branch. At Funny or Die DC, Jenkins produces politically themed content and provides consulting services for social media, talent outreach, writing and brand strategy for clients.
In 2020, it was announced that he and Meena Harris (the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris), would launch a production studio titled "Phenomenal Productions".


Rob Halverson

Rob Halverson is an American record producer, songwriter and studio engineer, who lives in Austin, Texas. He is also a film composer.
"The Austin Chronicle" claims Halverson "a low-key but nonetheless very important figure in Austin music since 1989". He has performed tours of Australia twice, and has toured in Europe and UK numerous times. He has released two solo records, and six instrumental albums with Thor Harris. Halverson has recorded or produced over 100 albums.
Discography.
"partial"


Bob Berney

Bob Berney (born 1953) is an American independent film executive based in Los Angeles. Currently, he is the CEO of Picturehouse, an independent motion picture marketing and distribution company that acquires, markets and distributes films from the U.S. and around the world. Most recently, Picturehouse has announced that it will release "Fatima", a historical drama directed by Marco Pontecorvo and starring Joaquim de Almeida, Goran Višnjić, Stephanie Gil, Lúcia Moniz, Sônia Braga and Harvey Keitel.
Berney has guided the acquisition, marketing and/or distribution of many notable independent films, including "Manchester by the Sea", "Memento", "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", "The Passion of the Christ", "Pan’s Labyrinth" and "Drive". The films he has been associated with have won multiple Academy Awards and grossed more than $1 billion at the North American box office.
Early years.
Berney studied film history and production at the University of Texas at Austin. Before graduating with a B.A. in communications he was a manager and projectionist for AMC Theatres. Berney continued working for the theater chain until he left to renovate the Inwood Theatre in Dallas, which he and his partners reopened as an arthouse venue in 1984. After gaining this experience he served as a distribution executive for companies including FilmDallas ("Kiss of the Spider Woman"), Triton Pictures ("A Brief History of Time", "Hearts of Darkness") and Orion Classics ("", "Prisoner of the Mountains", "Ulee's Gold"). Berney released Todd Solondz’s "Happiness" under the Good Machine Releasing banner and Christopher Nolan’s "Memento" under the Newmarket Films banner. The success of the latter film led to the formation of Newmarket Films as a theatrical distribution company.
2000 to 2005.
In October 2000 Berney became SVP, Marketing & Distribution at IFC Films, starting his tenure with the company in Los Angeles before moving to New York in 2001. Films acquired and theatrically released included "Y Tu Mama Tambien", "The Safety of Objects" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". In 2002 Berney founded Newmarket Films’ theatrical distribution division with Newmarket Capital Group owners Will Tyrer and Chris Ball. Their releases included "Real Women Have Curves", "Whale Rider", "Monster" and "The Passion of the Christ".
Initial tenure with Picturehouse.
In 2005 Berney was hired to launch Picturehouse, a joint venture created by Time Warner subsidiaries New Line Cinema and HBO Films with the mandate to acquire, produce and distribute independent films. In its first two years of existence the company released features such as Robert Altman’s "A Prairie Home Companion", starring Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin; Guillermo del Toro’s "Pan’s Labyrinth", which tallied six Oscar nominations and won in three categories; "La Vie En Rose", which garnered Marion Cotillard an Oscar for Best Actress; and Sergei Bodrov’s Genghis Khan biopic "Mongol", an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
2009 to 2012.
Berney and producer/financier Bill Pohlad formed Apparition in August 2009. The company’s projects included "Bright Star", "The Runaways" and "The Young Victoria". Next, Berney formed FilmDistrict with Graham King and Tim Headington of GK Films and released "Insidious", "Soul Surfer", "Drive", "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", "The Rum Diary" and "In the Land of Blood and Honey", Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut.
Reopening Picturehouse.
In 2013 Berney and his wife Jeanne took ownership of Picturehouse and relaunched the label as an independent theatrical distributor. That same year they released Nimród Antal’s "Metallica Through the Never", a Grammy Award nominee for Best Music Film. The company's other initial releases included Adriana Trigiani’s "Big Stone Gap", starring Ashley Judd, and Christian Keller’s "Gloria", with Sofía Espinosa.
Amazon Studios.
Berney joined Amazon Studios in 2015 as head of marketing and distribution. There he built and oversaw the company’s theatrical distribution arm and oversaw the release of more than 50 films including double Academy Award winner "Manchester by the Sea" (the first Oscar nominee for Best Picture released by a streaming platform), "The Big Sick" (Oscar nominee, Best Original Screenplay), "Cold War" (nominated for three Oscars, including Best Director) and "The Salesman" (Oscar winner, Best Foreign Language Film).
Picturehouse acquires "Fatima".
In 2019 Picturehouse acquired "Fatima", a historical drama directed by Marco Pontecorvo and starring Joaquim de Almeida, Goran Višnjić, Stephanie Gil, Lúcia Moniz, Sônia Braga and Harvey Keitel.


Max Dreyfus

Max Dreyfus (April 1, 1874 – May 12, 1964) was a German-born American music publisher, arranger and songwriter. Between the 1910s and 1950s he encouraged and published the work of many of the writers of the so-called Great American Songbook, and was president of Chappell & Co., Inc., the world's largest music publishing firm.
Biography.
He was born in Kuppenheim, Germany, the son of a cattle dealer. At the age of 14 he traveled to the USA at the invitation of family friend Aaron Lehman who had immigrated to Jackson, Mississippi. Initially, Dreyfus worked as a travelling salesman selling picture frames, but by the mid-1890s worked on Tin Pan Alley in New York City where he worked closely with songwriter Paul Dresser and transcribed song arrangements. Within a few years he had secured a post with the publishing firm set up by Thomas B. Harms (1860-1906), arranging, plugging songs, and doing some songwriting; his song "Cupid's Garden", published under the pseudonym Max Eugene, was successful in 1901.
Harms sold his share in the family publishing firm in 1904 to Max and his younger brother Louis Dreyfus (1877-1967), who had joined him in the US. The two brothers retained the company name T. B. Harms, and established a partnership with the London firm of Francis, Day & Hunter, allowing them to market their songs in Britain. They also encouraged young new songwriters in New York, most notably Jerome Kern, who soon achieved success and became a partner in the company. After the First World War, the company had commercial success with songs such as "Poor Butterfly", and more songwriters joined the company, including George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Rudolf Friml, Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar, and Cole Porter.
In 1920, the brothers were approached by the British publishers, Chappell & Co., to handle their interests in the US. By 1926, they had bought Chappell outright, and shortly before the Great Depression they made a highly profitable sale of their interest in T. B. Harms. The companies remained independent of the Hollywood system which bought up many of the other publishing houses, with the result that the brothers retained a strong financial position. In 1935, they reconstituted their holdings as Chappell, Inc., with Louis Dreyfus moving to London and Max remaining in control of their New York operations, based in the Rockefeller Center.
Max Dreyfus was "a softspoken, slightly built man who was reserved almost to a fault." He was seen as a "man of integrity" and a "gifted talent spotter". He helped found ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) in 1914, and served as a board member for fifty years until shortly before his death. He pioneered a new style of orchestration for theatre performances, employing Russell Bennett as the company's chief orchestrator from 1919. He established a company policy under which composers, lyricists and librettists were all in partnership with the publishing company. He insisted on exclusive contracts for many of his writers and orchestrators working on Broadway shows, with the result that "through the thirties and forties, Dreyfus had a virtual stranglehold on the Broadway musical, with almost all of the most successful songwriters (except Berlin) under contract. And the best and most knowledgeable theatrical orchestrators as well."
He remained in control of Chappell & Co. after World War II, with new writers including Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, whose "My Fair Lady" he published. Although other independent publishers took a larger share of the market after the war, Chappell also found success with "South Pacific", "The Sound of Music", "Gypsy", and "Funny Girl", among others.
Dreyfus was played by Charles Coburn, who was considerably bulkier and more gregarious than him, in the 1945 Gershwin biographical film "Rhapsody in Blue". Dreyfus did not like the film, saying to a friend, “Did you ever see me wear a top hat ?”
Personal life.
Max Dreyfus and his wife, the former Victoria Brill, had no children. They bought a 300-acre summer home near Brewster, New York, Madrey Farm, in 1929. The property had formerly been owned by Daniel Drew, the 19th century railroad magnate, who is buried on the property. There Victoria Dreyfus raised Percheron horses and cattle, and the couple entertained Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter and other eminent musicians.
Dreyfus died at Madrey Farm in 1964, aged 90. The ASCAP Foundation Max Dreyfus Scholarship was established in his name. Victoria Dreyfus died at age 95 in March 1976.


Michael Nolin

Michael Nolin is a former American motion picture producer, former studio executive and former writer/director.
Biography.
Nolin went to film school at the University of Southern California and began his career as a clerk typist in the MGM story department. Eventually he served stints as a Vice President at Columbia Pictures and 20th Century Fox.
In 2001, he was invited to join the faculty at Brooklyn College by Dan Gurskis (writer of "Full Body Massage") and in 2003, he became a Professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where he teaches writing, producing and film history classes and supervises the M.A. program in the School of Film and Television.
Production credits.
His producing credits include "Mr. Holland's Opus" (which won a Christopher Award and for which Richard Dreyfuss was nominated for an Academy Award), "Full Body Massage" (for director Nicolas Roeg), the Independent Spirit Award-nominated "84 Charlie Mopic" (for writer/director Patrick Sheane Duncan). He wrote and directed "Wildly Available" (which was runner-up for a Discovery Award at the Hollywood Film Festival) and co-wrote the teleplay for "Maniac Magee" (which was nominated for a Humanitas Prize).


E. Kidd Bogart

Evan Bogart (born January 23, 1978), better known as E. Kidd Bogart, is an American songwriter, music publisher, record executive and television producer. He is the son of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart and former music manager Joyce Trabulus. Bogart's music has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, winning one, and he currently serves at President of the Los Angeles Chapter of The Recording Academy.


Brian Bird

Brian Bird is an American film and television writer and producer. He is best known for his work on "Touched by an Angel", "Not Easily Broken", "Jamaa", "Captive" and "The Case for Christ". He is also known as an executive producer and co-creator of the Hallmark Channel original series, "When Calls the Heart".
Life and career.
Brian was born in Kewanee, Illinois. He then attended California State University, Fullerton, graduating with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Later, he worked for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, World Vision magazine and Christianity Today. In 1984, He wrote his first TV Series, "Fantasy Island".
Brian is the co-founder, along with Michael Landon, Jr., of Believe Pictures.


David Zen Mansley

David Zen Mansley is an American theatrical and voice actor. He is best known for voicing of Agent/President John Bishop in the 2003 cartoon series "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Mansley has also provided the voices for several other cartoon characters on TMNT such as Rat King, Darius Dun, Zog, Savanti Romero and Triple Threat. He has also provided the voice for on the cartoon series "", Nefertari Nebra on the 4Kids version of "One Piece" and Lord Van Bloot on "Chaotic".
Theater.
In addition to voice work, Mansley works off-broadway as an actor, director, set-designer, and script writer.


Betty Bonifay

Betty Bonifay is a professional water skier and mother to professional wakeboarders Shane and Parks Bonifay. In 1976, she and Sally Winter were instrumental in developing the technique for skiing on a 360-degree swivel binding that allowed turning in a full circle while on a single water ski. The 360 swivel ski debuted in the Cypress Gardens' Super Show in 1977.
She has been designing safer equipment for over 30 years and owns her own business in creating a new, foam-filled swivel ski. Bonifay is one of the first women to perform on a swivel ski, that has a rotating binding of 360 degrees. The Bonifay Ski School, located in Florida, is the only school in the world specializing in show skiing. She also travels all over the country to teach clinics to aspiring water skiers of any talent level.


Garrett Batty

Garrett Batty is an American film director, writer, and producer known for his film "The Saratov Approach". He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and a native of Park City, Utah. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (LDS Church) and his films are part of Mormon cinema, but with a more general audience. He has written, directed, and produced four full-length films, including "Freetown" (2015) and "Out of Liberty" (2019), and will begin work on a fifth in 2020. For "Freetown", he was awarded the 2015 Ghana Movie Award for Best Screenplay alongside Melissa Leilani Larson.
Early life and education.
As a young boy in Park City, Utah, Batty began making short films. He attended Park City High School and often attended the Sundance Film Festival. In both high school and college, Batty participated in acting, improv comedy, and filmmaking. After serving an LDS mission in New York City, he graduated from Brigham Young University in 2001 with a film degree. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Professional career.
During his early career in Hollywood, Batty edited TV pilot episodes, trailers, and DVDs. He often worked with LDS film companies such as Excel Entertainment and Halestorm Entertainment. He later moved to Utah, where he and his wife adopted three children. He was inspired by LDS films such as "The Singles Ward", and after moving to Utah, filmed "Mormon Messages" for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He began a production company, Three Coin Productions, in 1993. His short film "#Pound# 646" was shown at the 2008 LDS Film Festival and later compiled into the Best of LDS Film Festival 2008 DVD. In 2009 he wrote, directed, and produced "Scout Camp", a movie about a group of boy scouts starring Shawn Carter and Kirby Heyborne. Batty drew from his own experiences as a boy scout, and the actors who played scoutmasters improvised many of their lines for comedic effect. According to Batty, the film produced enough money to "pay back all of [its] investors."
While continuing to work for the Church, he began working on "The Saratov Approach", a film based on the true story of the 1998 kidnapping of LDS missionaries in Saratov, Russia. Batty first heard the story as a college student, and resolved to one day tell it through film. He obtained permission from the men who had been kidnapped, then began working on the script while recovering from heart surgery. It was released on October 9, 2013 and grossed $2.1 million; it was Batty's first theatrical release. According to "The Daily Universe", "Saratov" "shattered all previous LDS movie records." After "Saratov"'s success, Batty released another film documenting a true story about LDS missionaries, "Freetown", in 2015. Filmed in six weeks in Ghana, it depicts the missionaries' struggles during the First Liberian Civil War. Batty worked alongside screenwriter Melissa Leilani Larson on "Freetown", for which they were awarded the 2015 Ghana Movie Award for Best Screenplay. In 2019, Batty directed, wrote, and produced "Out of Liberty", a drama western about the imprisonment of Joseph Smith, told from lesser-known jailer Samuel Tillery's perspective. It grossed $265,279. According to the "Daily Herald," Batty will begin filming a movie about missionaries in the Philippines in 2020.


George Treadwell

George McKinley Treadwell (December 21, 1918 in New Rochelle, New York – May 14, 1967 in New York City) was an American jazz trumpeter and the manager of the Drifters.
Treadwell played in the house band at Monroe's in Harlem in 1941–1942, then worked with Benny Carter later in 1942 in Florida. Following stints with Ace Harris's Sunset Royals and Tiny Bradshaw, Treadwell worked with Cootie Williams (1943–1946) and J.C. Heard (1946–1947). As a member of Heard's ensemble, he accompanied Etta Jones and Sarah Vaughan, whom he married in 1947. He also recorded with Dicky Wells and Ethel Waters in 1946.
Treadwell quit playing late in the 1940s to work as Vaughan's manager, and continued in this capacity after their divorce in 1957. He also managed the Drifters and Ruth Brown and did artists and repertoire (A&R) work in the 1950s. After 1959 Treadwell also worked as a songwriter.


Ed Cash

Edmond Martin Cash (born August 6, 1971) is a producer, songwriter, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. He was named the "Producer of the Year" at the Gospel Music Awards for four consecutive years (2004–2007) and gains recognition for his work with Christian singer Chris Tomlin. In addition to several Grammy Nominations and countless BMI Citations of Achievement, Cash has produced or written with artists such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Colin Bernard, Amy Grant, Bebo Norman, David Crowder Band, Bethany Dillon, Kari Jobe, Dave Barnes, Matt Wertz, Caedmon's Call, Casting Crowns, Annette Lee. He is a member of the band We the Kingdom.
Background.
Cash gained further recognition as a songwriter for having co-written and produced "How Great Is Our God", which earned him five Dove awards, including Song of the Year and Praise and Worship Song of the Year. Along with having co-written with Chris Tomlin, Mark Hall (Casting Crowns) and Amy Grant, Ed Cash has also received honors from the BMI Awards as the Christian Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year.
Cash is a recognized musician with credit for acoustic and electric guitar and backing vocals, album credits for playing banjo, mandolin, Hammond B3 organ, Wurlitzer organ, harmonica, Rhodes, programming, synthesizer, piano, drums, bass guitar, percussion, and both string and choir arrangements.
Cash's involvement with The Gathering International came under scrutiny when "Christianity Today" published an article investigating claims that the group is a cult. The article claimed that Cash's songwriting had helped fund the group and its leader, Wayne Jolley, and that Jolley had been given songwriting credit and royalties from Cash's portion of songs co-written with Christian music artist Chris Tomlin. "Christianity Today" later revealed that Cash had left the group and had severed connections with Jolley.


Joann Alfano

JoAnn Alfano is an American television producer.
Career.
Alfano replaced Suzanne Daniels as Executive Vice President Entertainment at Lifetime Networks in late 2008.
Prior to starting TV Tray Entertainment in June 2007, Alfano was President of Broadway Video Television, where she developed and executive produced NBC's "30 Rock" and the ABC series "Sons and Daughters".
Alfano rose through the ranks at NBC, from New York-based publicist to become Senior Vice President of Drama Development, and then Senior Vice President of Comedy Development. She was also Vice President of Prime Time Series for NBC Studios. Before that, Alfano was Director of Current Comedy for NBC Entertainment. She had previously been Director, NBC Media Relations and Primetime Series.
Before joining Lifetime, Alfano was president of her production company, TV Tray Entertainment, which had a first look deal at NBC Universal Media Studios.
Awards and nominations.
Alfano was among those who shared the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2007, and she was among those nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program in 2011.


George Armitage

George Brendan Armitage (born March 2, 1942) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He got his start as part of the stable of up-and-coming filmmakers who broke into the business through Roger Corman's New World Pictures. He is best known as the director of the films "Miami Blues" and "Grosse Pointe Blank".
Life and career.
Armitage was born in Hartford, Connecticut. His mother was a writer who wanted to get into movies, so they moved to Beverly Hills in 1956, when Armitage was 13.
"What a culture shock", he reflected later. "I’m still reeling. In Connecticut there wasn’t a hot rod in sight. Out here it was people racing up and down the street, building their own cars—it was teenage paradise, the kids were running everything." He attended UCLA where he majored in economics and political science. While waiting for his real estate licence to come through, Armitage entered the film industry in 1965 via the mail room at 20th Century Fox. He later said:
I have a very personal relationship to film. I've gone to films all the time since I was a kid. I thought I could have some fun trying to make them. I always thought I was pretty close to what people were thinking. There's lots of tricks to be played, things to be done in film. Film is so close to the way the mind works – the way the mind communicates with itself. Film is a dream, an emotional coda.
Armitage later recalled, "The counterculture movement had begun, and the people running Fox, especially in the television division, were these 30-ish hipsters, kind of jazz guys. Suddenly I was a person, being 20 or 21, who could explain to them what was going on, and I became very valuable on the lot." He started writing screenplays in his spare time.
In 1966 Armitage became an associate producer on "Peyton Place", "primarily to deal with the young kids on the show, to help them loop their lines." Armitage recalls his period at Fox as an "incredible experience... I went from producer to producer all over the lot pitching ideas, I created series, I wrote a couple of things for television and, about that time, started writing screenplays.
Armitage worked as associate producer on "Judd for the Defense" and created a TV series and tried to co-produce a TV movie but neither went beyond script stage.
Films.
Armitage met Gene and Roger Corman at Fox while they were making "The St Valentine's Day Massacre":
The commissary was a place called the "Gold Room" where the producers would go. They were all sort of mothballed, but they still had energy enough to snob the television people, who were making "High Noon", "Lost in Space", "Batman". The movie producers would sit on the other side of the room from the TV people. This left the TV people with nobody else to snob, so they would snob Roger Corman... And that really pissed me off, because I was a fan of his. So I began to visit him on the set and the whole thing, and told him about the conflict that was going on, and he got a kick out of that.
Armitage left Fox in 1967 to focus on movies. He wrote a script called "Carrot Butts" about animated cartoon characters coming to life. This was sent to the Cormans, who liked it but could not get financing. However Armitage then wrote "Gas-s-s-s" for him.
"Gas-s-s-s" impressed Corman enough to allow Armitage to write and direct "Private Duty Nurses". Corman optioned an Armitage script, "Coming Together".
In 1972 Armitage wrote and directed "Hit Man", recently acclaimed in John Cribbs' Obscure Genius series.
In 1975 Armitage was quoted in an article as saying:
I try to follow the Hollywood sports – to see who's winning. It doesn't seem the best system to make films that are both interesting and commercial, but it's the only one that works, at least for me. I think there must be other ways but I can't think of them. It's all new to me, even after ten years. I would like to see more courage and imagination, of course. That's something to look for.
In 1976 he directed "Vigilante Force". The picture was not a large success and Armitage's career then became bogged down in "development hell", apart from the movie "Hot Rod". Armitage spend the 1980s mostly writing screenplays which were never made.
In 1990 Armitage wrote and directed the critically acclaimed "Miami Blues". In 1997 Armitage directed the equally acclaimed "Grosse Pointe Blank" starring John Cusack and Minnie Driver.


Brandt Andersen

Brandt Andersen (born September 13, 1977) is an American Activist, Film Director, Writer, and Producer. Andersen is known for such films as "Everest", "Lone Survivor", "2 Guns", "Escape Plan", and "Broken City". His film "The Flowers of War" was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2011. Two of Andersen's films have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. First in 2012 with the Stephen Frears film "Lay The Favorite", and then in 2015 with the Jared Hess-directed "Don Verdean".
Other projects include the Doug Liman film "American Made" starring Tom Cruise, the Martin Scorsese film "Silence", starring Andrew Garfield and Liam Neeson, the Garry Marshall film "Mother's Day", starring Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, and Kate Hudson.
Andersen most recently wrote and directed a short film titled REFUGEE starring Yasmine Al Massri, Omar Sy, and Jason Beghe. The film was Andersen's directorial debut and has been screened at film festivals across the globe, by the UNHCR for World Refugee Day, and at Banksy's Walled Off Hotel. The film earned Andersen the award for Best Director and Best Dramatic Short Film at the 2020 French Riviera Film Festival and was notably short-listed for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short in 2020.
Early career.
Prior to working in film Andersen owned an NBA Development League franchise. During the 4 seasons (2006–2012) the team played they made the finals or playoffs every year. During his ownership tenure, the team had the highest attendance and sponsorship revenue in the NBA Development League. Andersen hosted the Iranian National Basketball team as they trained for the 2008 Olympics. For his assistance in helping the Iranian Olympic Team, Andersen, along with then Deputy Commissioner of the NBA Adam Silver, received a medal of peace from the Iranian Basketball Association. In 2009 the Chinese National Basketball Team awarded Andersen an award for the cooperation shown in allowing their National team access to train with the Utah Flash. Andersen was one of the first sports owners to put a strong emphasis on recycling in-arena waste. For instituting the Flash Recycling Initiative, Andersen was awarded the Environmental Quality Award in Utah. In 2013, Andersen sold the team to the Philadelphia 76ers.
In 2007 Andersen and famed architect Frank Gehry collaborated to design a community outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. Andersen has publicly stated that his friendship with Mr. Gehry has had a huge impact on how he works and views creativity.
In 1998, Andersen attended Brigham Young University. During his sophomore year at BYU, while working at a small film studio to pay for his education, he founded uSight, a technology company that created banking and transactional software for small businesses. In 2004, "Inc." reported that the company was the second fastest growing company on its annual Inc. 500 list. Shortly after Andersen sold and exited the company. Andersen was the sole shareholder and the sale was reported above $50M. Following the sale he returned to school and graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from Brigham Young University.
Philanthropy.
Andersen first started working with Refugees in 2009. From 2009-2019 Andersen traveled to visit refugees in Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Italy, Germany, France, and Mexico. In July 2017, in association with CARE, Andersen led a group of filmmakers including Shay Mitchell, Jason Beghe, and Tobias Schliessler to the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan to run a filmmaking bootcamp for Syrian teenagers. Their film Peace Please has been shown at Human Rights conferences around the world.
In 2010, three days after the earthquake that devastated the country of Haiti, Andersen traveled with a team of Doctors to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He spent 10 days working with doctors and aid workers and assisted in importing and disseminating millions in aid. Upon his return Andersen raised money to help rebuild an orphanage on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. While in Haiti USA today listed Andersen's Twitter account as one of the top ten accounts to follow for updates from the country.
In 2006 Andersen started the Flash Family Foundation to help children living below the poverty line with food, clothing, and education. The foundation was run by Andersen with the help of volunteers including basketball players from the Utah Flash and Utah Jazz.
While attending University, Andersen spent a year training with the Utah County Search and Rescue Team, part of the Utah County Sheriff's Department. Following his training, Andersen spent the next five years as an on-call volunteer for the Search and Rescue team. His work included assisted rescues and recovery in some of the most extreme environments in the Mountain West. During his time with Search and Rescue he was trained and certified in avalanche rescue and recovery, water rescue, ice rescue, canyoneering, and mountain rescue techniques.


Alex Beckstead

Alex Beckstead is a documentary filmmaker based in San Francisco.
Beckstead graduated from the University of Utah with a B.A. in Film Studies. His first short film, "sXe" screened at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. He previously directed "Trailer Park Blues" (2002), a film about his grandfather's struggle with alcoholism while he and Beckstead's grandmother were living in a trailer park.
Beckstead's "Paperback Dreams" (2008) is about "two landmark independent bookstores and their struggle to survive. The film follows Andy Ross, owner of Cody's Books, and Clark Kepler, owner of Kepler's Books, over the course of two tumultuous years in the book business."


Whip Jones

Whipple Van Ness "Whip" Jones (November 8, 1909 – June 29, 2001) was a ski industry pioneer, founder, developer and the original operator for 35 years, of the Aspen Highlands ski area in Aspen, Colorado. Whip Jones and the company he founded, Aspen Highlands, won a US Supreme Court case against his rival, the Aspen Skiing Company. Jones was also a philanthropist, and was inducted into The Colorado Ski Hall of Fame and The Aspen Hall of Fame for his work with Aspen Highlands.
Early years.
Jones was born in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin to Esther Olin Whipple (1884–1977) and Frank William Jones I (1876–1936). A 1932 graduate of Harvard University, he married heiress Mary Sue McCulloch (1913–1996). He was a captain in the Missouri State Guard and worked as a trust officer at the St. Louis Union Trust Company. At the outbreak of World War II he transferred to the US Army Air Corps and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Founder of Aspen Highlands.
Jones was the builder and the owner of the Aspen Highlands, one of the four ski areas of Aspen, Colorado.
Aspen Highlands had its beginning in 1956. Jones owned the land at the base of the mountain and became interested in developing it after the Forest Service suggested it would be a "great place for a ski area." Jones first offered the opportunity to Aspen Skiing Company who turned it down. He then hired Dick Durrance to do a feasibility study and Fritz Benedict to design a lodge. Jones went ahead with the project on his own, and laid out a well-balanced set of ski runs: 25% beginner, 50% intermediate, 25% advanced. Jones financed the project by selling the lumber from the cleared ski runs and using low cost labor. When the area opened in 1958 it had three lifts, including the world's longest single section double chairlift and eventually grew to over 50 trails. The base area of Highlands Mountain is located 1½ miles from the village of Aspen.
Supreme Court antitrust case.
Throughout his ownership, Aspen Highlands and founder Jones remained at odds with the local rival Aspen Skiing Company, which owned and operated the three other ski areas Aspen Mountain (Ajax), Buttermilk and Snowmass in Aspen, with Jones owning the remaining independent ski area, Aspen Highlands. In 1979, Jones sued the Aspen Skiing Company, alleging violations of the Sherman Act. Aspen Highlands and Aspen Skiing had, for several years, cooperated to sell an "all-Aspen" ticket that allowed a skier to visit Aspen Skiing's three mountains and Aspen Highlands. However, the rival companies were unable to agree on a means to administer this program and distribute proceeds. In 1978, Aspen Skiing decided to discontinue the all-Aspen ticket, and to instead sell only the ticket to the three Aspen Skiing mountains. Aspen Skiing also refused to sell Aspen Highlands any lift tickets to the Aspen Skiing mountains (even at full price), thereby preventing Aspen Highlands from offering its own multi-mountain package. The issue made it to the US Supreme Court and was decided as with Jones winning over $10 million in treble damages.
Halls of Fame.
In 1998, Jones was inducted into the Aspen Hall of Fame and in 2000, he was inducted into the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame. At the induction ceremony, the Colorado Hall of Fame noted:
Whip's vision and marketing ingenuity proved invaluable when he had to compete with the larger Aspen Ski Corporation... His innovative marketing lured many a skier to the Highlands with the promise of fun. Many Coloradans remember with nostalgia the wine and cheese parties, Stein Erickson's flips on skis, and the opening of Steeplechase near the top of Loge Peak--a steep, avalanche-prone slope that gave expert skiers a taste of adventure.
Death.
He died on June 29, 2001 in Tallahassee, Florida after a long illness.
Harvard endowment.
In 1992, after the longest continuous ownership of any ski area in Colorado, Jones donated the Highlands to Harvard University. The $18.3 million gift remains one of the largest donations the University has ever received. The proceeds endow the "Whipple V.N. Jones Cornerstone Scholarship Fund" and the "Whipple V.N. Jones Professor of Economics Chair" once held by Andrei Shleifer and currently held by Xiao-Li Meng.


Rob Moore (executive)

Rob Moore is an investor in Esports also serving as CEO of Phoenix1 Esports LLC, which oversees the Los Angeles Gladiators for Stan and Josh Kroenke's Kroenke Sports and Entertainment. Moore is the former Vice Chairman of Paramount Pictures, an American film and television production/distribution company. He oversaw the following divisions: marketing, distribution, home entertainment, digital, interactive, television, licensing and business affairs.
Education.
Rob Moore attended Pepperdine University and graduated with cum laude honors in 1984. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.
Career.
Moore worked at The Walt Disney Company for a period of 13 years from 1987 through 2000. Moore first served as a Senior Financial Analyst and was later appointed Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations. He was responsible for the following business and operating activities: live action film, feature animation, television animation, theatrical marketing and distribution, video marketing and distribution, music operations, stage play business and Miramax Films. While at Disney, Moore helped to facilitate a partnership between the company and Pixar.
In 2000, Moore joined American production company Revolution Studios, supervising business affairs, finance, production and operations. He was one of four partners at the newly formed company, where he headed international and home-video distribution.
Moore later joined Paramount in 2005 as President of Worldwide Marketing, Distribution and Operations. In 2006, he became President of Worldwide Marketing, Distribution and Home Entertainment. He was promoted to Vice Chairman in 2008.
During Moore's tenure at Paramount, the studio produced and distributed commercial hit film franchises including, Transformers, Mission: Impossible, and Star Trek. Moore was responsible for overseeing the campaigns for Marvel Studios' Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. He was also instrumental in forming strategic partnerships between Paramount and numerous Chinese media companies, including Alibaba Pictures and CCTV 6.
In September 2016, Moore was dismissed from Paramount after a lackluster fiscal year. It was also rumored that a partial sale of the company to a China corporation played a role in his ousting.
Moore began investing in esports in 2016 with the formation of Phoenix1 Esports. In 2017, Moore became the CEO of Phoenix1. That summer, Moore formed an alliance with Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE) led by Stan and Josh Kroenke. KSE had purchased a new Overwatch League franchise, named the Los Angeles Gladiators, which would launch in 2018. Moore and Phoenix1 now oversee the Gladiators for KSE. In 2018, Phoenix1 was rebranded Sentinels, adding players competing in other esports including Fortnite. In 2019, the Sentinels kicked off an aggressive expansion plan, signing one of the 10 most popular game streamers in the world, Felix "xQc" Lengyel.
Philanthropy.
In 2011, Moore served as a keynote speaker at a Pepperdine leadership and social change seminar. In 2012, Moore was honored at a fundraising event for The Fulfillment Fund, a Los Angeles charity that enables low-income students to attend college.
Personal life.
Moore claims to be a devout Christian, and was instrumental in bringing the movie "Noah" to theaters under Paramount Pictures in 2014.


Barbara Cassani

Barbara Ann Cassani, CBE, (born July 22, 1960) is an American businesswoman. She was the founder under British Airways of budget airline Go Fly and was the first leader of London's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Personal life.
Barbara Cassani was born in Boston to James and Noreen Cassani. She studied at Mount Holyoke College, graduating "magna cum laude" with a BA (Hons) international relations in 1982; and is also a former trustee of Mount Holyoke. Cassani earned a master's degree, again in international relations, from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She was awarded an honorary degree from Cranfield University in 2004.
Barbara Cassani married British investment banker Guy Davis in 1985. The couple have two children, Lauren and James. She is a keen horse rider, and competes in eventing, showjumping, and dressage events. Since stepping down from the Olympic bid, Cassani has been working on plans for a new startup company, and appears as a business and management speaker on the public speaking circuit.
Professional life.
Upon graduation in 1984, Cassani worked as a management consultant for Coopers & Lybrand before moving to work in the US operation of British Airways. There, she worked in sales, marketing, and on the team that integrated Dan-Air into BA's business.
In 1997, facing increasing competition from low cost airlines Ryanair and EasyJet, British Airways decided to found its own budget offering, to be known as 'Go'. Chief Executive Bob Ayling selected Cassani for the task, giving her only £25 million in seed capital. The company began operations in 1998 and reached profitability two years later. In 2001, Cassani led a management buyout of the company (with most of the funding coming from venture capital firm 3i), and became its first Chief Executive.
In 2002, Cassani won the "Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year award." Later that year, the airline was bought by rival EasyJet (a move bitterly opposed by Cassani) and she was not offered a position in the merged company. She next released a book detailing her experiences at Go; "Go - An Airline Adventure" () won a number of business publishing awards the following year.
In October 2003, Cassani became a non-executive director of retailer Marks & Spencer, a position she relinquished when she accepted the Olympic position. After her Olympic tenure, she was one of the executives mooted as taking over as the struggling company's Chief Executive.
London 2012 Olympics bid.
In June 2003, Cassani was appointed to chair London's bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. The organizing committee felt that her business background would give the bid a badly needed professionalism; the organizational reputation of British sport had already been tarnished when it won the right to host the 2005 World Athletics Championships but was forced to withdraw when the promised stadium could not be built.
Cassani's selection surprised many commentators, as she was unknown in the highly political world of Olympic sport. Although she was married to a Briton and had lived in the UK for more than a decade, her American nationality also raised some eyebrows. She led the bid through the first phase of the two-stage bidding process. During her tenure, the newly formed bid team grew to a staff of 80, with many large institutional backers, and gained increasing approval from a sceptical British public and political class. Her team created the bid's master plan, which detailed where events would be held, what infrastructure would be built, and provided an overall budget projection for the Games. This was submitted to the International Olympic Committee in the spring of 2004, and on the strength of it London was selected as one of the five candidate cities.
In March 2004, "The Daily Telegraph" diary column printed claims that Cassani had been highly critical of Tony Blair, saying "To be frank he wasn't very bright ... the subject he got most animated about was beach volleyball." Cassani sued for libel saying that the story was not only completely without foundation but also highly damaging to the bid; on April 21, the "Telegraph" admitted that she had made none of the remarks attributed to her, and agreed to apologise in print, pay her costs, and make a donation to the Olympic bid committee.
In May 2004, Cassani announced she was stepping down as chairman in favour of Olympic gold medallist and politician Lord Coe, saying that she felt the bid had reached a stage where his track record in the Olympic movement would be more useful to the bid than her technical and managerial experience. Some commentators felt, however, that her departure had been precipitated by internal politics in the British sports establishment. Pierre-Yves Gerbeau, whom she had appointed as the bid's ambassador, quit the effort shortly after she stepped down, saying the way Cassani had been treated was "shocking."
Cassani stayed on with the bid, serving under Coe as Vice Chairman responsible for technical aspects of the bid. She continued to serve on the board (working unpaid one day per week); the IOC awarded the XXXth Olympiad to London on 6 July 2005.
On 24 September 2007, Cassani became the new chairman of the board at Vueling Airlines, replacing Jose Miguel Abab Silvestre, who resigned abruptly citing "managerial differences." Vueling, founded in 2004, is a airline based in Barcelona, Spain, whose share value in the stock market had dropped by 30% earlier in 2007. Board members Jose Creuheras Margenat and Ferran Conti Penina also resigned. Since 2013, Vueling has been part of International Airlines Group which also owns British Airways.
Barbara Cassani was appointed Executive Chairperson of Jurys Inn hotels in 2008.


Alex Aldi

Alex Aldi is an American, New York City-based record producer and mixing engineer, who has worked with bands such as Passion Pit, Magic Man, and Holy Ghost!.


Robert Colby

Robert Colby (July 7, 1922 – March 10, 1987) was an American songwriter, music publisher and theatrical producer. Among his songs were "Jilted" and "Free Again". He composed the music and lyrics for the 1962 Off-Broadway musical "Half-past Wednesday", based on the fairy tale "Rumpelstiltskin".


Eazy-E

Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records, pushing the boundaries of lyrical content.
Born and raised in Compton, California, Wright had several legal troubles before founding Ruthless in 1987. After a short solo career with frequent collaboration with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, they joined, forming N.W.A, later that year.
N.W.A's debut studio album, "Straight Outta Compton", was released in 1988. Controversial upon release, it is now ranked among the greatest and most influential albums. The group released its third and final studio album, "Niggaz4Life", in 1991, and soon after disbanded.
During N.W.A's splintering, largely by disputes over money, Eazy-E became embroiled in bitter rivalries with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, who had departed for solo careers in 1989 and 1991, respectively. Resuming his solo career, Eazy-E released two EPs. Yet he remained more significant behind the scenes, signing and nationally debuting the rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony from 1993 to 1994.
In 1995, Eazy-E was suddenly hospitalized and diagnosed with AIDS, and died due to its complications. He is often referred to as the "godfather of gangsta rap".
Early life and Ruthless Records investment.
Eric Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright on September 7, 1964, in Compton, California, a Los Angeles suburb noted for high crime rates and gang culture. His father was a postal worker and his mother was a grade-school administrator. Wright dropped out of high school in the tenth grade, but later received a general equivalency diploma (GED).
Wright supported himself mainly by selling drugs, and introduced his cousin to the illicit occupation. Wright's music manager Jerry Heller recalls seeing Wright selling marijuana, but not cocaine. Heller would claim that Wright's "dope dealer" label was part of his "self-forged armor". Wright was also labeled as a "thug". Heller explains: "The hood where he grew up was a dangerous place. He was a small guy. 'Thug' was a role that was widely understood on the street; it gave you a certain level of protection in the sense that people hesitated to fuck with you. Likewise, 'dope dealer' was a role that accorded you certain privileges and respect."
In 1986, at age 22, Wright had allegedly earned as much as US$250,000 from dealing drugs. However, after his cousin was shot and killed, he decided that he could make a better living in the Los Angeles hip hop scene, which was growing rapidly in popularity. He started recording songs during the mid-1980s in his parents' garage thus starting Ruthless Records.
The original idea for Ruthless Records came when Wright asked Heller to go into business with him. Wright suggested a half-ownership company, but it was later decided that Wright would get eighty percent of the company's income and Heller would only get twenty percent. According to Heller, he told Wright, "Every dollar comes into Ruthless, I take twenty cents. That's industry standard for a manager of my caliber. I take twenty, you take eighty percent. I am responsible for my expenses and you're responsible for yours. You own the company. I work for you." Along with Heller, Wright invested much of his money into Ruthless Records. Heller claims that he invested the first $250,000 and would eventually put up to $1,000,000 into the company.
Musical career.
N.W.A and "Eazy-Duz-It" (1986–1991).
N.W.A's (also named as “the world’s most dangerous group”) original lineup consisted of Arabian Prince, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube. DJ Yella and MC Ren joined later. The compilation album "N.W.A. and the Posse" was released on November 6, 1987, and would go on to be certified Gold in the United States. The album featured material previously released as singles on the Macola Records label, which was responsible for distributing the releases by N.W.A and other artists like the Fila Fresh Crew, a West Coast rap group originally based in Dallas, Texas.
Eazy-E's debut album, "Eazy-Duz-It", was released on September 16, 1988, and featured twelve tracks. It was labeled as West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap and, later, as golden age hip hop. It has sold over 2.5 million copies in the United States and reached number forty-one on the "Billboard" 200. The album was produced by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella and largely written by MC Ren, Ice Cube and The D.O.C.. Both Glen Boyd from the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" and MTV's Jon Wiederhorn claimed that "Eazy-Duz-It" "paved the way" for N.W.A's most controversial album, "Straight Outta Compton". Wright's only solo in the album was a remix of the song "8 Ball", which originally appeared on "N.W.A. and the Posse". The album featured Wright's writing and performing; he performed on seven songs and helped write four songs.
Ice Cube left N.W.A in 1989 because of internal disputes and the group continued as a four-piece ensemble. N.W.A released "100 Miles and Runnin"' in 1990 and "Niggaz4Life" in 1991. A diss war started between N.W.A and Ice Cube when "100 Miles and Runnin'" and "Real Niggaz" were released. Ice Cube responded with "No Vaseline" on "Death Certificate". Wright performed on seven of the eighteen songs on "Niggaz4Life". In March 1991, Wright accepted an invitation to a lunch benefiting the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle, hosted by then-U.S. President George H. W. Bush. A spokesman for the rapper said that Eazy-E supported Bush because of his performance in the Persian Gulf War.
End of N.W.A and feud with Dr. Dre (1991–1994).
N.W.A began to split up after Jerry Heller became the band's manager. Dr. Dre recalls: "The split came when Jerry Heller got involved. He played the divide and conquer game. Instead of taking care of everybody, he picked one nigga to take care of and that was Eazy. And Eazy was like, 'I'm taken care of, so fuck it'." Dr. Dre and The D.O.C. sent Suge Knight to look into Eazy-E's financial situation as they began to grow suspicious of Eazy-E and Jerry Heller. Dr. Dre and The D.O.C. asked Eazy-E to release him from Ruthless, but Eazy-E refused. The impasse led to what reportedly transpired between Suge Knight and Eazy-E at the recording studio where "Niggaz4life" was recorded. After he refused to release Dr. Dre and The D.O.C., Suge Knight told Eazy-E that he had kidnapped Jerry Heller and was holding him prisoner in a van. This did not convince Eazy-E to release Dr. Dre and The D.O.C. from Ruthless, and Suge Knight threatened Eazy-E's family: Suge Knight gave Eazy-E a piece of paper that contained Eazy's mother's address, telling him, "I know where your mama stays." Eazy-E finally signed Dr. Dre and The D.O.C.'s releases, officially ending N.W.A.
In 1993, Eazy E regularly attended court in the prosecution of the officers involved in the beating of Rodney King, often standing alongside Theodore J. Briseno, who he had met through sharing the same lawyer. Eazy E said, "The difference is that most people look at the video and say four white officers were responsible for the beating of this helpless, innocent black man. I say, 'Wrong.' Three white officers were responsible for beating Rodney King. The other officer (Theodore J. Briseno) happens to be Mexican-American, and he tried to stop them." This caused controversy in the hip-hop community, with Willie D calling Eazy E a "sellout".
The feud with Dr. Dre continued after a track on Dre's debut album "The Chronic", "Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')", contained lyrics that insulted Eazy-E. Eazy responded with the EP, "It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa", featuring the tracks "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" and "It's On". The album, which was released on October 25, 1993, contains pictures of Dre wearing "lacy outfits and makeup" when he was a member of the Electro-hop World Class Wreckin' Cru.
Personal life.
Wright had a son, Eric Darnell Wright (known as Lil Eazy-E), in 1984. He also had a daughter named Erin who has legally changed her name to Ebie. In October 2016, she launched a crowd-funding campaign to produce a film called "Ruthless Scandal: No More Lies" to investigate her father's death. It ended unsuccessfully in December 2016.
Wright met Tomica Woods at a Los Angeles nightclub in 1991 and they married in 1995, twelve days before his death. They had a son named Dominick and a daughter named Daijah (born six months after Wright's death). After Wright's death, Ruthless was taken over by his wife. According to Jerry Heller, Wright had 11 children with eight different women.
Illness and death.
On February 24, 1995, Wright was admitted to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with a violent cough. He was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. He announced his illness in a public statement on March 16, 1995. It is believed Wright contracted the infection from a sexual partner.
During the week of March 20, having already made amends with Ice Cube, he drafted a final message to his fans. On March 26, 1995, Eazy-E died from AIDS-induced pneumonia, one month after his diagnosis. He was 30 years old (most reports at the time said he was 31 due to the falsification of his date of birth by one year). He was buried on April 7, 1995, at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California. Over 3,000 people attended his funeral, including Jerry Heller and DJ Yella. He was buried in a gold casket, and was dressed in a flannel shirt, jeans, and his Compton hat. On January 30, 1996, ten months after Eazy-E's death, his final album, "Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton" was released.
According to his son Lil Eazy-E, Eazy-E was worth an estimated US$50 million at the time of his death.
Musical influences and style.
Allmusic cites Eazy-E's influences as Ice-T, Redd Foxx, King Tee, Bootsy Collins, Run–D.M.C., Richard Pryor, Egyptian Lover, Schoolly D, Too $hort, Prince, the Sugarhill Gang and George Clinton. In the documentary "The Life and Timez of Eric Wright", Eazy-E mentions collaborating with many of his influences.
When reviewing "Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton", Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted "... Eazy-E sounds revitalized, but the music simply isn't imaginative. Instead of pushing forward and creating a distinctive style, it treads over familiar gangsta territory, complete with bottomless bass, whining synthesizers, and meaningless boasts." When reviewing "Eazy-Duz-It", Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic said, "In terms of production, Dr. Dre and Yella meld together P-Funk, Def Jam-style hip-hop and the leftover electro sounds of mid-'80s Los Angeles, creating a dense, funky, and thoroughly unique style of their own." Birchmeier described Eazy-E's style as "dense, unique and funky", and said that it sounded "absolutely revolutionary in 1988".
Several members of N.W.A wrote lyrics for "Eazy-Duz-It": Ice Cube, The D.O.C. and MC Ren. The EP "" features a song written by Naughty By Nature. The track "Merry Muthaphuckkin' Xmas" features Menajahtwa, Buckwheat, and Atban Klann as guest vocalists, and "Neighborhood Sniper" features Kokane as a guest vocalist. "It's On (<del>Dr. Dre</del>) 187um Killa" features several guest vocalists, including Gangsta Dresta, B.G. Knocc Out. Kokane, Cold 187um, Rhythum D, and Dirty Red. "Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton" featured several guest vocalists, including B.G. Knocc Out, Gangsta Dresta, Sylk-E. Fyne, Dirty Red, Menajahtwa, Roger Troutman and ex-N.W.A members MC Ren and DJ Yella.
Legacy.
Eazy-E has been called the "godfather of gangsta rap". MTV's Reid Shaheem said that Eazy was a "rap-pioneer", and he is sometimes cited by critics as a legend. Steve Huey of AllMusic said that he was "one of the most controversial figures in gangsta rap". Since his 1995 death, many book and video biographies have been produced, including 2002's "The Day Eazy-E Died" and "Dead and Gone".
When Eazy was diagnosed with AIDS, many magazines like "Jet", "Vibe", "Billboard", "The Crisis", and "Newsweek" covered the story and released information on the topic. All of his studio albums and EPs charted on the "Billboard" 200, and many of his singles—"Eazy-Duz-It", "We Want Eazy", "Real Muthaphuckkin G's, and "Just tah Let U Know"—also charted in the U.S.
In 2012 an Eazy-E documentary was released by Ruthless Propaganda, called "Ruthless Memories". The documentary featured interviews from Jerry Heller, MC Ren and B.G. Knocc Out.
In the 2015 film "Straight Outta Compton", Eazy-E is played by Jason Mitchell and the film is dedicated in his memory.
Eazy-E was then portrayed by Omari Wallace in the 2016 film "". The film portrays Eazy-E sympathetically as having been a friend to Michel'le, in one scene warning her to get out of the house because he fears that a drunken Dr. Dre is returning home to beat her.


Raphaela Neihausen

Raphaela Neihausen (born August 14, 1976) is an American filmmaker and producer.
Biography.
Neihausen was born in 1976. Neihausen is Jewish. Together with husband Thom Powers, she founded DOC NYC, America's largest documentary festival. Her documentaries "Miss Gulag" (2007), "Joe's Violin" (2016) earned her critical acclaim including an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject at 89th Academy Awards, with director Kahane Cooperman.
She has been a resident of Montclair, New Jersey.


Gary Auerbach

Gary Auerbach is an American television and film writer, director and producer.
Auerbach graduated from Livingston High School and then the University of Delaware, where he earned a degree in Economics. His first job in entertainment was as a film editor at EMC a trailer house in New York City. He then began to work at MTV where he produced several shows, including Jon Stewart’s “You Wrote You Watch It”, the live “Hangin with MTV”, the Peabody award winning “Decade."
In 1995 he moved to Los Angeles where he executive produced MTV’s dating show “Singled Out” starring Chris Hardwick and Jenny McCarthy.
In 1996 he wrote and directed the feature film “Just Your Luck” for propaganda films that starred Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Virginia Madsen and Ernie Hudson.
In 1997 Auerbach founded “Mindless Entertainment” with then partner Marc Cronin. Mindless’ initial production slate included “the X Show” and “the New Movie Show with Chris Gore.”
In 2002 Auerbach founded “Go Go Luckey Entertainment” with his wife Julie Auerbach. The company broke out to mainstream success with “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County,” which created a completely new genre of reality television; “Jockeys,” Brad Meltzer’s “Decoded” and “Paranormal State,” among others.
Auerbach left Go Go Luckey in 2013 to oversee Wilshire Studios for NBCUniversal. There he oversaw productions of “The Soup”, “Fashion Police”, “Baggage on the Run”, and “Live from the Red Carpet.”
Go Go Luckey was sold to Eclipse Television in 2015.
In 2015 Auerbach began producing under a new banner, “Auerbach Entertainment,” that has a first look deal with Gail Berman’s “The Jackal Group.” Under Auerbach Entertainment he has a documentary for Oxygen, “King of Diamonds,” as well as several other projects in development.


Sid Ganis

Sidney (Sid) Ganis (born January 8, 1940) is an American motion picture executive and producer who has produced such films as "Big Daddy", "", "Mr. Deeds", "The Master of Disguise" and "Akeelah and the Bee, Bang: The Bert Berns Story and Olympia."
On August 23, 2005, Ganis was elected President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, serving a total of four consecutive one–year terms.
Prior to these roles, Ganis participated in a multitude of organizations including: serving on the board of directors at Marvel Entertainment for ten years until its sale to Disney in 2009, Center Theater Group from 1989–1995, Direct Sports Network (formerly DeskSite) as well as on the Boards of Film Independent, SF FILM, the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (Bay Area), and various film festivals and film organizations around the country. He currently serves as vice president of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Early life.
Ganis was born in Brooklyn, New York. He is of Greek Jewish descent, from the city of Ioannina, in north central Greece.
Career.
Ganis was exposed to the world of entertainment when he worked as an office boy for theatrical publicists Lee Solters and Harvey Sabinson. This led him to a film career in marketing and publicity at several studios, including 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Seven Arts and Warner Bros. He eventually joined Lucasfilm, where he served as Senior Vice President for several years. There he was responsible for marketing ', ' and the first two installments of the "Indiana Jones" trilogy.
In 1986, Ganis joined Paramount Pictures and eventually would become president of the Motion Picture Group, where he helped launch "Top Gun" and "Fatal Attraction". As president, he oversaw the development and production of the worldwide hit "Ghost", and bought the underlying rights to "Forrest Gump", which would go on to become one of Paramount's biggest hits—both financially and critically—of all time.
After leaving Paramount in 1990, Ganis became president of marketing and distribution at Columbia Pictures. He was eventually made vice chairman of the studio. In 1996, he stepped down to produce via his independent production company, Out of the Blue... Entertainment. Under this company, Ganis co-executive produced ABC's "Pan Am" (2011–12) along with his wife, Nancy Hult Ganis, a fellow film and TV producer who developed and executive produced the series.
Ganis has been working extensively in China with the Chinese government on various film projects. He is co-founder and Chairman of Jiaflix Enterprises, a US company with a long-term exclusive arrangement with the China Movie Channel and the website 1905, both under SAPPRFT (SARFT). He was an Honorary Chairman of Wuxi Studios, located near Shanghai. Notably, Jiaflix was an important part of the record-breaking success of "" in China for Paramount Pictures, surpassing the previous box office record of "Avatar". Currently he is producing the feature film SHADOW SONG with partners at The H Collective Holdings in Los Angeles. Shadow Song is based on the short film A Children's Song which he produced in 2015.


Donna Langley

Dame Donna Langley-Shamshiri (born 1968) is a British movie executive who is Chairwoman of Universal Pictures. She was profiled in "Variety"s "Power of Women" issue in 2014.
Career.
Langley began her career as a production executive at New Line Cinema. In 2001, she became senior VP of production at Universal Pictures.
In her time at Universal, Langley has overseen such film franchises as Fast & the Furious as well as Despicable Me and the Bourne movies. Her work also includes overseeing the global specialty division, Focus Features, as well as DreamWorks Animation, acquired by Universal in 2016.
Throughout her career, she has supported mentorship opportunities for women. Langley helped launch The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Film Mentorship program. She also serves as an ambassador and board member for the nonprofit Vital Voices.
Langley was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to film and entertainment.
Personal life.
Langley is married with two children, and lives in Los Angeles with her family.


Buddy Buie

Perry Carlton "Buddy" Buie (January 23, 1941 – July 18, 2015) was an American songwriter, producer, and publisher. He is most commonly associated with Roy Orbison, the Classics IV and the Atlanta Rhythm Section.
Career.
Buie was born in Marianna, Florida, and raised in Dothan, Alabama. He later moved to New York City, and eventually Atlanta, Georgia, where he spent most of his career. However, nearly all the songs written by Buie and his co-writers were conceived in Abbeville,Alabama on Thomas Mill Creek where Buie had a small fishing trailer (Eufaula is only a 3-hour drive from Atlanta and a 1-hour drive from Dothan, making it a convenient location).
He was best known as a prolific songwriter, with 340 songs registered in the BMI catalog. His first success came in 1964, when Tommy Roe took "Party Girl", which Buie co-wrote with Billy Gilmore, into the "Billboard" Hot 100. In 1967 he started working with the group Classics IV, writing with the group's guitarist James Cobb to add lyrics to Mike Sharpe's instrumental "Spooky". Subsequent songs co-written with Cobb included Sandy Posey's "I Take It Back", and the Classics IV hits "Stormy", "Traces", "Everyday with You Girl", and "What am I Crying For?"
While his initial success with the Classics IV established his career, the Atlanta Rhythm Section in the 1970s perhaps best defines his success and artistry as a songwriter and producer. Buie helped gather an ensemble of musicians that were a seminal part of the Southern Rock genre. Atlanta Rhythm Section. like their fellow Georgians the Allman Brothers Band, became well-known for their live performances, with lengthy solos and artistry that transformed their concerts into jam sessions. In 1978, they had a career highlight when played a concert at the White House for President Jimmy Carter on his son's birthday. Under Buie's leadership, the Rhythm Section had huge regional appeal in the late 1970s and made regular appearances in the Nationwide Top 40. Some of the key elements that distinguished ARS from their counterparts include Buie's production and songwriting.
In 1978, Buie and marketing executive Arnie Geller founded the Buie/Gellar Organization, a recording management company, and BGO Records in Doraville, Georgia. Buie's later work includes "Rock Bottom" for Wynonna Judd and "Mr. Midnight" for Garth Brooks. Notable artists who have covered his songs include Gloria Estefan ("Traces"), Travis Tritt ("Back Up Against the Wall" and "Homesick"), David Sanborn ("Spooky"), and Santana ("Stormy"). In 2006, John Legend used "Stormy" as the backing track on the single "Save Room", earning Buie a writer's credit. Buie's music has also been used in films, most notably "Lost in Translation" ("So into You") and "Just like Heaven" ("Spooky"). "So Into You" was also featured in a commercial for Texas Pete hot sauce.
In 2003, Buie left Atlanta and retired to Eufaula, Alabama, just miles from the birthplace of the songs that built his career. In 2010, the Oscar-winning film "The Fighter" featured "So Into You" by the Atlanta Rhythm Section on its soundtrack. Buie was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1984, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1997.
On July 18, 2015, Buie died at a hospital in Dothan, Alabama, after suffering a heart attack.


Glenn Berggoetz

Glenn Berggoetz is an American director, writer and actor. He is known for directing several low-budget films, including "The Worst Movie Ever!", a film which had the lowest grossing opening weekend in history. His other films include "To Die is Hard", "Midget Zombie Takeover", "Auto Shop of Horrors", "Evil Intent", and "The Ghosts of Johnson Woods".
Background.
Berggoetz was born on October 29, 1976 just outside Atlantic City, New Jersey, raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, graduated from Concordia Lutheran High School, and received his master's degree at California State University, Dominguez Hills. In the mid-1990s, he began to write screenplays and, by 2006, had completed eight scripts. Unable to get his screenplays read by studios, and acting upon a suggestion, he decided to produce and direct his own films. His first effort was completed in 2006 when he finished filming the short "Bad Movies, Good Showers and Civil Engineers." By the end of 2007, he had completed two additional shorts and two feature-length films. To date, three of his features have screened on Canadian television, six have received limited theatrical releases, and all nine of his feature films have distribution deals in place. Berggoetz's film "The Worst Movie EVER!" was selected by independent film critic Terra King as one of the ten best independent feature films of 2011. In 2013, Berggoetz premiered "Midget Zombie Takeover" in Winchester, Virginia. After that, "Midget Zombie Takeover" screened in many theaters across the United States and England.
In the spring of 2014 Paste (magazine) released its list of the 100 greatest B movies in cinema history. Berggoetz's 2010 feature film "To Die is Hard" came in as the 16th best B movie of all time on the list. Berggoetz's 2016 film "The Ghosts of Johnson Woods" that stars Joe Bob Briggs was selected by Gross Movie Reviews as one of the ten best films of that year.
In 2016, film critic Jim Vorel published a lengthy article about Berggoetz in which he said, "Glenn Berggoetz is a uniquely compelling individual - there's no one else like him," and, "The movie business would be unbearably drab without Berggoetz."
Berggoetz currently lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is a professor who teaches film classes at Indiana Institute of Technology. Berggoetz's second novel "Waiting for Evening to Come" was released in 2019 by Solstice Publishing.