DIRECTOR / SCREENWRITER / PRODUCER – Micheal McAlexander
Micheal McAlexander is a university professor, feature film director and screenwriter. He has worked in entertainment-related positions for over twenty years including U.S. segment producer on several TV series for Japan’s NTV Network, writer/editor for feature electronic press kits, and managed a heavy metal band. His feature film directorial debut, A LESSON OF LOVE, can now be seen on Amazon Prime Video.
McAlexander earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. While at USC, he was awarded a Paramount Screenwriting Fellowship and won a CINE Golden Eagle award for his cinematography and editing work on the short film SPORTSTERS.
After graduation McAlexander worked at the USC Entertainment Technology Center as Director of Outreach Services responsible for communication and project development between technology and entertainment companies such as Nortel, Paramount Pictures, TRW and Lucasfilm. He was also a research investigator on the Integrated Studio Model (a research project sponsored by Apple Computers and Lucasfilm) and the HollyNet Project (a high-speed demonstration network for use by the entertainment industry). Additionally, McAlexander produced and directed a live, televised, multi-city technology demonstration via the HollyNet network viewed by over 100 top Hollywood executives.
Later, McAlexander became Director of Special Projects at ASI Entertainment, a leading TV audience testing company, where he was involved in research projects with such companies as CBS, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, and Seagate Technologies. After ASI, McAlexander became Vice President of Strategic Alliances for a small L.A.-based Internet start-up company overseeing new business development for internet/entertainment technologies.
McAlexander’s romantic comedy screenplay HONEYBEE was optioned by Paramount Pictures, his sci-fi/action screenplay FINAL DAWN was a semi-finalist in the prestigious Nicholl Screenplay Fellowship competition sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, his screenplay SPACE RACE won Best of Festival at the BEA Festival of Media Arts, and his most recent script LOCKDOWN was awarded UFVA’s Best of Conference for screenwriting.
Discovering a love for teaching, McAlexander taught as an adjunct professor then as a full professor in the Entertainment Studies program at California State University, Fullerton. He has also taught as a visiting professor for over fourteen years at the Institute for International Studies at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok (the largest public university in Thailand) and for two summers in Florence, Italy, as part of the CSUF COMM Study Abroad program.
For more information about Professor McAlexander, including CV and portfolio samples, please go to www.michealmcalexander.com.
PRODUCER – Brad Waisbren
Brad Waisbren graduated from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television with a BA in Film in 1978 after winning the Jim Morrison Award for best student film. During his college years, he worked as a cinematographer producing “second unit” segments for “The Donny and Marie Show” and “The Cher Special”. Upon graduation, Brad went to work for the prestigious Creative Artists Agency. Soon thereafter, Brad was hired by Cheech and Chong to work in production and project development for C&C Brown Productions, headquartered at Universal Studios. As Vice-President of Creative Affairs, Brad was involved in three feature films and numerous development deals at Universal Studios, Columbia Studios and Avco-Embassy Pictures. In 1980, Brad became President of Joint Venture Productions, an association between Cheech & Chong and Avco-Embassy.
In 1983, Brad started Brad Waisbren Enterprises, a film/TV development, production, and personal management company. He established himself as a personal manager with his first client, James Wilder. During the last 20 years, BWE has produced, developed, and packaged hundreds of hours of reality television for the domestic and foreign markets as well as booking celebrities for various film projects and live events in the U.S. and abroad. Past talent associations in development, production, live performance, commercials and industrials include John Candy, Ron Howard, Phil Hartman, Pee Wee Herman (Paul Reubens), Dolly Parton, Perry Como, Ruth Gordon, Lily Tomlin, Gene Hackman, Roger Moore, Olivia Newton- John, Mickey Rourke, Christopher Reeve, George Carlin, William Conrad, Ernest Borgnine, Dick Clark, Joe DiMaggio, Cher, Mohammad Ali, Linda Blair, Margot Kidder, Valerie Perrine, Nastassja Kinski, Gladys Knight, Willie Aames, Dick Van Patten, Phyllis Diller, Pete Rose, Ed Begley Jr., and many others.
Brad holds the distinction of being the youngest member ever admitted to the PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – Chris Warren
Christopher Lee Warren is a third-generation filmmaker who is continuing a stellar family tradition that has accumulatively garnered two Academy Awards (1961: The Time Machine; 1992: Terminator 2), two Emmy awards, a British Academy Award and two Saturn awards. Having grown up on Hollywood film stages, early on Christopher was inspired to become a Director of Photography, and now a Director. His 23-year-long career encompasses a vast roster of credits that include such films as Terminator 1 and 2, Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula, The Abyss, Hellboy and The Punisher, among many others (a complete listing may be viewed at www.IMDB.com). Christopher’s acuity in the visual world of film is equally reflected in his conscientious regard for the future of his son’s world. To further that effort, Christopher is currently involved with a children’s show that promotes healthy life-enhancing values and environmental awareness. Christopher has three shows he is directing with his production company, his family Documentary “Generation FX”(feature film), a TV show “BRETHE” (in development with Dick Clark Prod) and a children’s show, “Daddy and Me”.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER – Conrad Maust
Conrad Maust works as the Director of the Performing Arts Center at Frostburg State University. His responsibilities include Designing, Teaching, and some of the Technical Direction, for some of the twelve productions the Division mounts each year. He manages the PAC’s many events and performing spaces and has served as the scenic designer for productions here at FSU including: Godspell, Of Mice and Men, Into the Woods, Machinal, Urinetown, The Lesson, Bald Soprano, The Laramie Project, Breath Boom, and All My Sons, as well as Christmas Carol and Metamorphosis (co-designs). Conrad moved back to his home town from Philadelphia, there he spent five years there working for Walnut Street Theater, where he served as a Prop Shop Manager, Technical Director, and/or Set Designer. He has also worked with American Players Theater, Utah Shakespearean Festival, The Arden, Plays and Players, Pittsburg CLO, Maine State Music Theater, Drury House Theater in England, Coconut Grove Theater, and many others. His formal training in Design for the Theatre occurred at West Virginia and Penn State Universities.
CASTING DIRECTOR – Kara Sullivan
Kara Sullivan has been a casting director since 2003 and is the proud owner of Kara Sullivan Casting a casting company located in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital. Kara’s company casts features, shorts, webisodes and commercials. Over these last six years she has worked on a variety of projects ranging from web series for Comedy Time such as Inappropriate Boss, LA Waiter, The Ultimate Wingman, Juicy T: Pimp in Training and recently did a webisode starring Florence Henderson called That’s Revolting. She has worked on a number of commercials such as Kelloggs, Hallmark, Boniva and Ballpark Franks starring Larry Joe Campbell from According to Jim. Kara’s credits also include films such as Freaky Faron, an HBO Latino Film Festival pick Abuelo and a 2008 Cannes Film Festival pick Exact Bus Fare starring Kevin Gage from Papparazi and she currently has other features such as The NewYear and Diary of a Madmen in pre production. Find out more about Kara at www.karasullivancasting.com
PRODUCTION OFFICE COORDINATOR – Connie Capaccione
Mrs. Capacchione is the Administrative Assistant for the Department of Mass Communication. She has been with the Department since 2000 and lives in Flintstone, MD with her husband, Rev. Glenn Capacchione, two daughters, Samantha and Sarah and grandson Lennon. They have a farm where they used to grow vegetables and their “claim to fame” is that they helped organized and create the Mt. Fresh Producers Association which offers our area 3 local Farmer’s Markets. Connie also works for the Master’s in Counseling Psychology program at Frostburg State University. Connie and her husband lived in Damascus, Maryland before moving to Flintstone in 1989 where she worked for the Indian Health Service, Department of Health & Human Services.
STILL PHOTOGRAPHER – John Lombardi
John Lombardi holds a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has been a university professor of mass communication since 1998. For the last ten years he has taught at Frostburg State University. During his years at Frostburg State University and other universities Dr. Lombardi has taught classes in audio production, video production, news writing, theory, research, law, and other subjects. Currently, Dr. Lombardi serves as the Chair of the Department of Mass communication. He lives in Cumberland with his wife of nearly nine years, Melanie. Dr. Lombardi has been an avid photographer for many years.