CREATIVE TEAM

WRITER/DIRECTOR

Mary Novak began her creative career as a poet. She has an MFA in Film Writing & Directing from Columbia College. Her short films “Highlights” and “Taco Mary” have been in numerous festivals and won awards, including Best Family Short, Best Art Direction for “Highlights” and Best Screenplay, Audience Award, Festival Director’s Choice for “Taco Mary”. Mary is looking forward to releasing the short film “Cut Out” soon.

PRODUCER

Laurie Little, founder of the production company Luminist Films, produces and directs documentaries, short narratives and music videos and freelances as a camera operator, art director, colorist and photographer. Laurie co-produced and art directed “Highlights” and “Taco Mary” with writer/director Mary Novak and is looking forward to the release of Cut Out.  Laurie will also release her newest documentary “Variations” in 2013. Her award winning films have screened in numerous festivals both locally and internationally. Little holds an MFA in Film and Video from Columbia College Chicago where she is an adjunct professor. For further details visit Luminist Films at www.LuministFilms.com.

EDITOR

Melissa Lawrenz is a freelance film editor with an MFA in Film & Video Production and a background in theatre and television news production. She has edited shows for the History and Discovery channels and works on independent narrative films and documentaries. Her work has screened at film festivals around the world and on PBS. www.melissalawrenz.com

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Christian Hins works professionally as a gaffer and grip (Last Rites of Joe May, Nate & Margaret, At Any Price, I Heart Shakey) and has been Director of Photography for numerous shorts, including “Frames”, “Moha“, “Sadland”, “A Suspicious Tomorrow”, and “Cut Out”.

MUSIC COMPOSERS

Duane Buford is no stranger to the music business, having spent more than 10 years as a composer, pianist and programmer. Prior to starting his production company Process Inc., he spent several years as a freelance composer working at different music houses in Chicago on commercials for agencies like Leo Burnett and Draft. Duane is a skilled and qualified composer who received his music education at the Chicago Conservatory of Music and his University studies at Northeastern Illinois University. Drawing on many years experience as a performer, with the multi platinum band Ministry, Duane now focuses mainly on composing for television film and video games. He was nominated for a Grammy award for the song ‘Bad Blood’ recorded by Ministry and awarded a certified platinum record for the recording “Bad Blood” featured on the soundtrack for the motion picture The Matrix.

Brad Althouse is a pianist, teacher, sound artist, audio engineer and composer for film, television and other srtistic mediums. His music ranges genres from classical piano to industrial sound-scapes. Brad began his musical training early, rigorously studying classical piano at four years of age. He cut his teeth both as an audio engineer and performer in the Philadelphia rock scene, recording local groups and his own music projects out of his basement studio. A proficient percussionist, guitarist, classical thereminist and analogu synth enthusiast, Brad continues his classical Piano study at Greenville College undrr the direction ofis a pianist, teacher, sound artist, audio engineer and composer for film, television, and other artistic mediums. His music ranges genres from classical piano to industrial sound-scapes.

Brad began his musical training early, rigorously studying classical piano at four years of age.  He cut his teeth both as an audio engineer and performer in the Philadelphia rock scene, recording local groups and his own music projects out of his basement studio.  A proficient percussionist, guitarist, classical thereminist and analog synth enthusiast, Brad continued his classical piano study at Greenville College under the direction of Dr. Yeeseon Kwon, while also studying studio engine.eering and music composition. From there he completed his Masters in Music Composition for the Screen at Columbia College under the tutelage of Andy Hill and Hummie Mann.

To date Brad has contributed to numerous film, visual, and multi-media projects.  Most recently he has scored and contributed music to Ivy League
film’s “Mythos,” a science fiction mini-series filmed in New York. Brad plays lead guitar, synth and writes music for the Industrial pop-rock
trio, “Ava Vice.”  As a pianist, Brad performs both solo and with ensemble groups. He is an active adjudicator, and teaches piano and composition with
Allegro Music in Parkridge, IL, as well as the North Shore Music Institute in Northfield, IL.