Rex Sikes' Movie Beat

Todd Robinson, PT 3, director/producer is an Academy Award finalist, Emmy-winning, Independent Spirit Award-nominated filmmaker whose new movie Phantom stars Ed Harris and David Duchovny. His next feature is The Last Full Measure, with Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Robert Duvall, Andy Garcia, Laurence Fishburne and others. John Watson, Pen Densham and Trilogy Entertainment will produce. He wrote and directed Lonely Hearts, starring John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Salma Hayek, Jared Leto and Laura Dern. He wrote and produced White Squall starring Jeff Bridges directed by Ridley Scott, The Four Diamonds, directed by Peter Werner, and Mermaid, helmed by Peter Masterson. Todd scripted That Others May Live for Wolfgang Peterson and was a contributing writer on Bad Boys II, directed by Michael Bay. He worked on Lewis and Clark, that will be Pietro Scalia’s directing debut and is attached to direct Bloody Jack from the novel of the same name, starring Anna Sophia Robb. Other projects are Quest for Scion

Edmond G. Coisson (director)  is founder of the Naperville Independent Film Festival (NIFF). NIFF is now qualifying to be one of the 64 festivals recognized by the Academy Awards.  After stepping away from directing for the past several years to create NIFF, he is excited to get back into the directing chair and create a thrilling movie ride that keeps you guessing.  Edmond’s production company, Our Path Productions, was created in 1994 to develop a series of character driven films. Precious Mettle is the first of these  and is a story about second chances and the personal journey we must all walk in life. Edmond was born in Torre Pellice, Italy, and became fascinated by a TV drama at the age of 7. He went to the only theater in town, every Sunday after noon. Sometimes, watching the same film for weeks. As a teen, he had a few parts in local theater, where he was involved in summer plays. He wrote his first screenplay at age 17. He traveled all over Europe, working as a waiter, welder, carpenter, plasterer, a

Jim McKairnes, producer, is a 23-year veteran of the television industry, 15 at CBS. He is a producer and television consultant, an adjunct college-instructor/guest-lecturer and author. His work as an entertainment-magazine editor and freelance writer out of college took him to Los Angeles in 1989 to pursue a dream of working in the TV-executive ranks as a network programmer. He met producer Norman Lear soon after his arrival which led to McKairnes being hired at CBS Studio by then-CBS-President Jeff Sagansky. At CBS, McKairnes divided his responsibilities between the Current Programming and Scheduling departments. He became fulltime in Scheduling and was part of the team that took the network from worst in the 1990s to first in the 2000s under the leadership of CBS President Leslie Moonves. He contributed to and involved himself in all areas of CBS: He created and produced the on-air prime-time series called “CBS Moments,” he was instrumental in the development of several made-for-TV movies and network speci

Peter Marshall, Pt 25, The Director's Series - The nuts & bolts of directing film and television with Peter Marshall. Peter has had a 35-year career and has worked as a PA, dolly grip, electrician, assistant cameraman, commercial production manager, first assistant director, TV series creative consultant, television producer and director. He has worked on industrial films, documentaries; television commercials, music videos; Emmy Award nominated TV series and features. Peter has directed over 30 TV episodes and written, directed or produced over 50 hours of documentary educational programs. His works have won, or been nominated for 14 International awards. He's worked for directors such as Zack Snyder, John Woo, Ed Wick, Phillip Noyce, John Balham, Roger Adam, Anne Wheeler, Bobby Roth & Kim Manners. He has worked with actors including Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Kathy Bates, Adam Sandler and Peter O'Toole. Other credits inclurde scores of television seri

Jim Wynorski, director, producer writer is a veteran in the Hollywood exploitation field, who is responsible for over 180 varied motion pictures in a myriad of genres. Wynorski left a successful commercial business in NYC moved to L A in 1980 and soon found himself in the company of his childhood idol Roger Corman. He was  soon hired by the renowned Corman to cut "coming attractions" for the company's action and horror films. Not too long after that Corman offered him his first of many writing/directing assignments. The first picture he wrote and directed was Chopping Mall and the rest was history. From that point on he directed an average of three to five films a year, even more as a producer/writer. He is responsible for a steady stream of exploitation flicks during the 80s like Big Bad Mama II with Angie Dickinson, Not Of This Earth with Traci Lords and The Return Of The Swamp Thing with Heather Locklear. In the 90s, Jim continued with flicks like Hard Bounty starring Kelly LeBrock, Point Of Seduction: Bod

Randy Miller, PT 2, is an award winning film composer, arranger, conductor. Having collaborated with exceptionally talented filmmakers and artists such as: Oliver Stone, Robert Towne, Anothony Hopkins, Zhang Yimou, Robert Dornhelm, Paula Wagner, Tom Cruise, Kitaro, Michael Franti, and BT. Miller has created a career that features acoustic, orchestral music that is emotional, richly thematic, sophisticated as well as dynamic in scope. He feels his strongest assets are, “to capture the drama and heart of what a director is trying to communicate” and to “compose a score that adds texture, color and dimension, with just the right amount of emotion.” Mr. Miller has worked with all the major studios including, Warner Brothers, Disney, Universal, Paramount and Sony, as well as numerous independent filmmakers. Composing and conducting assignments have led to work in many cities around the world including: London, Bratislava, New York, Munich, Prague, Moscow, Dublin, Miami, Seattle and Los Angeles. Miller maintains re

Sam Christensen, (PT 6) Image Expert, began his 35-year career as a concert promoter then worked as the company manager of the longest running musical of all time, THE FANTASTICKS. Later Sam served as a executive assistant to renowned playwright/screenwriter/director Arthur Laurents. CBS and MTM Productions brought Sam to Hollywood as an independent casting director. Among his many TV and feature film casting credits was the most popular small screen series of all time, M*A*S*H. Sam was the first person to ever be accorded front title billing on a major Hollywood release for his casting work on the MGM film, "Coma".  Pictures like "The Champ" and "The Clash Of The Titans" followed.  Sam continued to cast Broadway tours, television series and pilots and acclaimed mini-series, like the Emmy-winning "Jonestown, The Guyana Tragedy".  He retired from active casting in 1982 to become a personal manager and guided the careers of many important actors, including Rita Wilson, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Patricia Elliott an

Catherine Elhoffer (PT 2) Costume Designer, began her with the short films, “The Maiden and the Princess” and “Quiet”, both of which have received numerous awards for their message and design. She expanded her portfolio to include feature films, webseries, commercials, music videos, personal design commissions, and some light theater work. She  worked  as a costume designer with Lenore Andriel, Michael Biehn, James Russo, Michael Spears, & Eddie Spears in Yellow Rock; with Dean Cain, Erika Eleliak, Michael Gross, & Kristen Renton in Meant to Be; with  David A.R. White, Ray Wise, Brian Bosworth, & Steve Borden in Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End; and with Bill Oberst Jr. in both The Princess and the Pony and Children of Sorrow. She works as a  freelance designer, moving from project to project. The internet is where some of the most interesting movements in television viewership is shifting, and her work here has been some of her most exciting.  Mac Miller’s music video for Missed Calls ha

Mark Stolaroff (PT ) is an indiet producer & a founding partner of Antic Pictures, an LA-based production company producing a slate of low budget, high quality digital features. Stolaroff produced Pig, the 4th feature from award-winning writer/director Henry Barrial (Some Body). With Ron Judkins, Stolaroff produced Barrial's 3rd feature, True Love, developed in the 2003 Sundance Screenwriters Lab. He also co-produced the 2005 feature documentary Paper Chasers, & was Associate Producer of The Trouble With Men & Women (2006). Stolaroff was formerly a principal of Next Wave Films, a company of The Independent Film Channel that provided finishing funds to exceptional, low budget films; & through its production arm Agenda 2000, financed & executive produced digital features. Included in Next Wave's 13 films are Christopher Nolan's (The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Memento,) first feature, Following; Joe Carnahan's (Narc, Smokin' Aces) first feature, Blood, Guts, Bullets, & Octane; Amir Bar L

Peter Marshall, Pt 24, The Director's Series - The nuts & bolts of directing film and television with Peter Marshall. Peter has had a 35-year career and has worked as a PA, dolly grip, electrician, assistant cameraman, commercial production manager, first assistant director, TV series creative consultant, television producer and director. He has worked on industrial films, documentaries; television commercials, music videos; Emmy Award nominated TV series and features. Peter has directed over 30 TV episodes and written, directed or produced over 50 hours of documentary educational programs. His works have won, or been nominated for 14 International awards. He's worked for directors such as Zack Snyder, John Woo, Ed Wick, Phillip Noyce, John Balham, Roger Adam, Anne Wheeler, Bobby Roth & Kim Manners. He has worked with actors including Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Kathy Bates, Adam Sandler and Peter O'Toole. Other credits inclurde scores of television seri

Catherine Elhoffer, Costume Designer, began her with short films, most notably “The Maiden and the Princess” and “Quiet”, both of which have received numerous awards for their message and design. She expanded her portfolio to include feature films, webseries, commercials, music videos, personal design commissions, and some light theater work. She  worked  as a costume designer with Lenore Andriel, Michael Biehn, James Russo, Michael Spears, & Eddie Spears in Yellow Rock; with Dean Cain, Erika Eleliak, Michael Gross, & Kristen Renton in Meant to Be; with  David A.R. White, Ray Wise, Brian Bosworth, & Steve Borden in Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End; and with Bill Oberst Jr. in both The Princess and the Pony and Children of Sorrow. She works as a  freelance designer, moving from project to project. The internet is where some of the most interesting movements in television viewership is shifting, and her work here has been some of her most exciting.  Mac Miller’s music video for Missed Calls

Doug Richardson PT 2 screenwriter credits include “Die Hard 2,” “Bad Boys,” “Money Train,” and “Hostage.” He also co-produced “Welcome to Mooseport.” Doug has also authored three novels, “Dark Horse,” “True Believers,” and his latest, “The Safety Expert.” He was born in Arcadia, California. The son of a career politician, Doug grew up outside Sacramento and inside the state Capitol. He used to talk his way into then-Governor Ronald Reagan's office, just to get a handful of jellybeans. Doug left Northern California for Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California's School of Cinema. For as long as he could remember, Doug had wanted to be a movie director. But in pursuing his goal he discovered how movies are really made: in the writing. After finishing college, he signed a two-year contract with Warner Brothers. In 1989 he garnered national attention when his spec screenplay was the first in Hollywood to sell for a million dollars. Doug's first feature film, the sequel to “Die Hard: Die Harder,”

Julian Adams,  produced and co-stars in Phantom starring Ed Harris, David Duchovny and William Fichtner, written and directed by Todd Robinson of Lonely Hearts, and writer and co-producer of Ridley Scott’s White Squall. The producing team includes John Watson and Pen Densham Back Draft, Blown Away, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Phantom is the first wide theatrical release for Julian and Solar Filmworks, the South Carolina based production company, founded by Julian and his father Weston Adams.  Julian and Weston wrote and produced the maiden project for Solar Filmworks, The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams THINKFilm 2007. The Last Confederate won 10 Film Festivals Awards, including a Best Actor Award for Julian, and seven Producing Awards for father and son. The film is in release worldwide. Julian is currently partnered with Robinson. Robinson and Adams developed the story for Phantom, which is based on true events during the Cold War. Ed Harris plays the haunted Captain of a Soviet submarine

Lance Kawas, PT 2, director, has a passion for writing screenplays and directing. Lance spent the last ten years writing 30 screenplays which earned him 19 national screenplay competition awards and opened the door for him to direct indie films. His first horror feature Silent Scream gave him a taste of the reality of indie film and was picked up by Lions Gate Films. His second was based on a true story. It is the mob film Street Boss. It was picked up by Maverick. His third, a children’s movie called The Deported was picked up by Green Apple. Lance is in post on his forth film the drama/action Restitution due out later this year. Lance has directed actors such as, Tom Arnold, Mena Suvari, C Thomas Howell, William Sadler, Talia Shire, Michael Rappaport, Paul Rodriguez, Vincent Pastore, Carmen Argenziano, and Nick Turturro to name a few. He also has two best feature film awards and one nomination for best director. Currently, Lance is in development on several projects and looking for partners who love film an

Todd Robinson, PT 2, director/producer is an Academy Award finalist, Emmy-winning, Independent Spirit Award-nominated filmmaker whose new movie Phantom stars Ed Harris and David Duchovny. His next feature is The Last Full Measure, with Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Robert Duvall, Andy Garcia, Laurence Fishburne and others. John Watson, Pen Densham and Trilogy Entertainment will produce. He wrote and directed Lonely Hearts, starring John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Salma Hayek, Jared Leto and Laura Dern. He wrote and produced White Squall starring Jeff Bridges directed by Ridley Scott, The Four Diamonds, directed by Peter Werner, and Mermaid, helmed by Peter Masterson. Todd scripted That Others May Live for Wolfgang Peterson and was a contributing writer on Bad Boys II, directed by Michael Bay. He worked on Lewis and Clark, that will be Pietro Scalia’s directing debut and is attached to direct Bloody Jack from the novel of the same name, starring Anna Sophia Robb. Other projects are Quest for Scion

Peter Marshall Pt 23 The Director's Series - The nuts & bolts of directing film and television with Peter Marshall. Peter has had a 35-year career and has worked as a PA, dolly grip, electrician, assistant cameraman, commercial production manager, first assistant director, TV series creative consultant, television producer and director. He has worked on industrial films, documentaries; television commercials, music videos; Emmy Award nominated TV series and features. Peter has directed over 30 TV episodes and written, directed or produced over 50 hours of documentary educational programs. His works have won, or been nominated for 14 International awards. He's worked for directors such as Zack Snyder, John Woo, Ed Wick, Phillip Noyce, John Balham, Roger Adam, Anne Wheeler, Bobby Roth & Kim Manners. He has worked with actors including Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Kathy Bates, Adam Sandler and Peter O'Toole. Other credits inclurde scores of television series

Sam Christensen, (PT 6) Image Expert, began his 35-year career as a concert promoter then worked as the company manager of the longest running musical of all time, THE FANTASTICKS. Later Sam served as a executive assistant to renowned playwright/screenwriter/director Arthur Laurents. CBS and MTM Productions brought Sam to Hollywood as an independent casting director. Among his many TV and feature film casting credits was the most popular small screen series of all time, M*A*S*H. Sam was the first person to ever be accorded front title billing on a major Hollywood release for his casting work on the MGM film, "Coma".  Pictures like "The Champ" and "The Clash Of The Titans" followed.  Sam continued to cast Broadway tours, television series and pilots and acclaimed mini-series, like the Emmy-winning "Jonestown, The Guyana Tragedy".  He retired from active casting in 1982 to become a personal manager and guided the careers of many important actors, including Rita Wilson, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Patricia Elliott an

Todd Robinson, director/producer is an Academy Award finalist, Emmy-winning, Independent Spirit Award-nominated filmmaker whose new movie Phantom stars Ed Harris and David Duchovny. His next feature is The Last Full Measure, with Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Robert Duvall, Andy Garcia, Laurence Fishburne and others. John Watson, Pen Densham and Trilogy Entertainment will produce. He wrote and directed Lonely Hearts, starring John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Salma Hayek, Jared Leto and Laura Dern. He wrote and produced White Squall starring Jeff Bridges directed by Ridley Scott, The Four Diamonds, directed by Peter Werner, and Mermaid, helmed by Peter Masterson. Todd scripted That Others May Live for Wolfgang Peterson and was a contributing writer on Bad Boys II, directed by Michael Bay. He worked on Lewis and Clark, that will be Pietro Scalia’s directing debut and is attached to direct Bloody Jack from the novel of the same name, starring Anna Sophia Robb. Other projects are Quest for Scion, for

Pen Densham, PT 2, Producer, Writer, Author, Director, Founder, co-chairman of Trilogy Entertainment Group  new movie is PHANTOM starring Ed Harris, David Duchovny, WIlliiam Fitchner.  Pen and John Watson,  founded Trilogy Entertainment Group and worked as creative consultants on films ROCKY II, and FOOTLOOSE.  In 1988 Pen directed Trilogy's first major studio feature, THE KISS, for Tri-Star.  In 1990, Densham and Watson wrote and produced ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES for Morgan Creek and Warner Brothers. The film became one of Warners’ largest grossing movies ever. They produced BACKDRAFT directed by Ron Howard. Pen wrote and directed  MOLL FLANDERS for MGM and Spelling Entertainment, starring Morgan Freeman & Robin Wright-Penn. Pen wrote and directed HOUDINI, for TV, which starred Johnathon Schaech, Mark Ruffalo and Emile Hirsch. Pen has been active as a Producer on every feature film that Trilogy produced, including:  BLOWN AWAY, TANK GIRL, LARGER THAN LIFE, THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS. JUST BUR

Peter Marshall Pt 22 The Director's Series - The nuts & bolts of directing film and television with Peter Marshall. Peter has had a 35-year career and has worked as a PA, dolly grip, electrician, assistant cameraman, commercial production manager, first assistant director, TV series creative consultant, television producer and director. He has worked on industrial films, documentaries; television commercials, music videos; Emmy Award nominated TV series and features. Peter has directed over 30 TV episodes and written, directed or produced over 50 hours of documentary educational programs. His works have won, or been nominated for 14 International awards. He's worked for directors such as Zack Snyder, John Woo, Ed Wick, Phillip Noyce, John Balham, Roger Adam, Anne Wheeler, Bobby Roth & Kim Manners. He has worked with actors including Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Kathy Bates, Adam Sandler and Peter O'Toole. Other credits inclurde scores of television series