Megan Seely - Writer - Director - Actor
Megan Seely is a writer/director/actress, currently in her final semester of her MFA in Film Production at USC. Through the numerous original works she has created for both the screen and stage, she has honed her ability to use dark comedy to reveal unspoken everyday truths.
She has worked closely with her heroes at Borderline Films (Sean Durkin, Antonio Campos, Josh Mond), interned for a summer in development at Indian Paintbrush (Wes Anderson’s company), and spent time as an assistant to an adult theatrical agent at AEF Talent Agency. Her first job ever on a film set was as a set dresser and actor in a feature directed by James Franco. Recently, she reunited with this creator when she was chosen as a member of a Writer’s Room led by James, in which she served as a core collaborator for a feature currently in post-production, starring Camilla Belle, Summer Phoenix, Dominic Rains, and James Franco.
Prior to USC, she studied film and theatre at Vanderbilt University, during which she had her play produced by professionals at Playhouse Nashville and spent a semester abroad at the University of Edinburgh (her second home). She is currently in post-production for her thesis, My Loyal Audience, a dark comedy which she is writing, directing, and starring in.
Mallorie B. Ortega - Producer
Mallorie B. Ortega is a director, production designer, and food lover. After earning her MFA in Film and TV Production from USC, she was awarded the Television Academy Foundation Directing Internship, shadowing Emmy-winning directors from shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live, NCIS, Grey's Anatomy, and Hairspray Live. Mallorie was selected to direct USC's prestigious Advanced Production Project in the fall of 2015 - a rom com musical called Mango Sticky Rice featuring original music and an all Asian-American cast.
Mallorie won awards for Mango Sticky Rice from the Asians on Film Festival 2016 including Best Ensemble, Best Comedy, and Best Director. She was nominated for Best Director, and Best Comedy at the First Look Film Festival 2016, and was awarded Best Production Design for the film Real Boy.
KELLY LUU - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Kelly Luu, originally from New Bedford, Massachusetts, moved to Los Angeles to pursue his Masters Degree in Film and Television Production at USC. He and his twin brother, Kevin Luu, are co-directors striving to engage audiences with themes involving coming of age, identity, and family conflicts. Their short films have been accepted to several film festivals including LA Shorts Fest and Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
This past year, Kevin and Kelly placed in the Top 200 for the 2014 Project Greenlight competition, with their short film submission called Stray. The two also co-directed a dramatic, sci-fi film Real Boy for USC's prestigious Advanced Production class, making this the first time in the history of the program that duo directors have ever been selected for the position. In their final semester at USC, they were selected by USC and James Franco to direct a feature film adaptation of his book "Actors Anonymous," which is lated to premiere in 2016.
JOEL marsh - Director of photography
A USC alum, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Joel Marsh is a cinematographer and director with a true passion for film. Having directed about 20 short films, and shot even more, Joel understands the marriage of story and visuals as well as anyone, giving him a unique perspective on cinematography. Joel strives to bring out the very best in every director he works with, adding his own style to each perspective and bringing each character to life on screen.
On an unrelated note, he used to be an improv comedian, his favorite is yellow, and he doesn't like tomatoes, but if they come on a sandwich, he'll be like, "ok, I'll just eat them."
MOLLIE WARTELLE - PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mollie Wartelle is an artist and production designer based in Los Angeles. She was born and raised in New Orleans. As a child, she spent most of every summer visiting her grandparents in rural Louisiana. In their house full of souvenirs and 1970s clothes, she became obsessed with the world of objects.
Mollie studied Film and French at Tulane University, graduating with a B.F.A. in 2014. She particularly enjoys the interplay of objects and textiles on memory and nostalgia. An avid believer in dreams, Mollie tries to access the cultural subconscious through visual codes and colors.
When she's not working, she's probably climbing a pile of rocks or watching the sunrise in the Cholla Cactus Garden.
SASHA FLAMM & LUKE HASKARD - EDITORS
Sasha Flamm and Luke Haskard are recent graduates of USC's School of Cinematic Arts, earning their Masters in Film and TV Production.
Sasha was an intern at the United States Forest Service office in Mt. Shasta, California in 2009 and 2010. Sasha completed her documentary thesis film at USC called Lonely as God, a portrait of the ecologically rich, socially complex region around Mt. Shasta and the gold mining culture within it. Sasha currently works for Bravo network’s Digital Media Department.
Luke Haskard was born in London and studied English Literature at the University of Leeds with a special focus on visual arts and spectatorship. Afterwards, he started making short films and music videos with actors at The Central School of Speech and Drama, rekindling his childhood passion of becoming a film director. He has written and directed six short films, as well as music videos for Glitches and Chuck Prophet. He edited the feature-length documentary Not Long Enough For Love, about an elderly Indian couple's 63-year relationship. A lifelong devotee of comedy, he sees laughter as the pressure valve of social tensions and a conduit for provocative thought. He aims to infuse his own comedies with elements of the artistic and literary background in which he was trained.
CHRIS MOROCCO - SOUND SUPERVISOR
Chris Morocco was born and raised in the Bay Area and began his journey to filmmaking at the young age of 8 years old. He would visit professional film and television sets that his father worked on, and would help film behind the scenes footage. When High School came around, Chris started to help his father with aerial displays such as the 4th of July firework shows, and the San Francisco tree lighting ceremony. He also began to create short film video projects for school assignments, and started to become familiar with recording audio in Pro Tools and producing music.
Chris went on to San Fransisco State to pursue AV Production, and obtained a BA in Radio & TV Production. While completing his undergraduate degree, Chris started his own multimedia company called Movements in Media. Shortly after starting the company, Chris co produced his first music video with his friend, Ryan Coogler, which then made him decided to focus Movements in Media on music video production because it fused his two passions, audio and video. After graduating from SF State and while still running Movements in Media, he also acted as the Technical Director, and Lighting Designer at El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theatre. Wanting to start working in film, Chris applied to USC and was accepted, coming full circle back to his two passions, audio and video.Chris has spent the last three years dedicating his education and work to sound for film, specifically as a production sound mixer and a rerecording mixer. Chris will be graduating with his MFA in the spring of 2016.
JACQUES BRAUTBAR - COMPOSER
Sundance Institute fellow and ASCAP scholarship recipient, Jacques Brautbar, combines traditional orchestral colors with the palates of electronic and etherial sonic art.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jacques began his professional music career at the age of fifteen as a founder, guitar player, arranger and songwriter for Sony recording artist Phantomplanet. While with Phantomplanet, Jacques collaborated on the band's three singles, "Lonely Day," "Big Brat," and the theme song to the hit show The O.C., "California." After a decade with the band, Jacques signed with Sony/Atv publishing and produced hundreds of songs spanning pop, hip-hop, and rock genres. It was during this time that he recognized a desire within to write music for visual story telling.
Jacques has since dedicated himself to the pursuit of creating music for Film, Television and Interactive Media. His immersion in both popular and classical aspects of music gives Jacques the distinct position to see composition from a perspective not often viewed by traditional classical musicians.
LINDA PHILLIPS PALO, C.S.A. & PAUL palo - CASTING BY
Linda Phillips Palo C.S.A. (MA) is a casting director who won the Artios, the highest casting honor for her work casting Sophia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides (James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Harnett).
She has also worked as the casting director for Francis Ford Coppola on his films The Rainmaker (Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Jon Voight) and Jack (Robin Williams, Diane Lane, Jennifer Lopez, Bill Cosby, Fran Drescher) George Lucas on Radioland Murders (Brian Benben, Ned Beatty, George Burns, Christopher Lloyd) Phil Joanou on Heaven's Prisoners (Alec Baldwin, Teri Hatcher, Kelly Lynch), Dwight Yoakan on South of Heaven West of Hell (Vince Vaugh, Billy Bob Thorton, Bridget Fonda, Peter Fonda) and Eduardo Sánchez on Seventh Moon (Amy Smart). Some of her other films include The Secret Garden, Wind, Jeepers Creepers II, and The Young Black Stallion for IMAX/Disney. Most recently moving into Independent films.
Paul Palo has joined his wife Linda for the past few years as a partner working on several adgy independent films. Most recently as Associate production and Casting Directors on Happiness Runs, bringing back Rutger Hauer for his second film with Phillips Palo team. Paul has an extensive production background and was nominated for an Emmy for Aids the Global Explosion as well as four Telly awards for his documentary work in Iraq, South Africa, and domestically.
Linda and Paul are proud to work with the talented directors and producers of the future.