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2008 SPONSORS
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SPEAKERS
Writer/Producer/
Director/Author
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TODD KOMARNICKI
TODD KOMARNICKI is the president & founder of the production/management
company Guy Walks Into A Bar. Komarnicki and Guy partner Jon Berg
produced the Christmas blockbuster Elf, starring Will Ferrell and
directed by Jon Favreau and the July 11, ’08 20th Century Fox release of
Meet Dave, starring Eddie Murphy. Other films on the company’s slate
include Number One Girl with Chronicles of Narnia producer Mark Johnson.
Komarnicki is a prolific writer for film and television. In addition, he
is an accomplished novelist. He has written three novels, Free, famine
(in multiple translations to rave reviews) and war, to be published in
July of 2008.
Komarnicki’s screenplays include Perfect Stranger starring Bruce Willis
and Halle Berry, and an adaptation of the international bestseller The
Professor and the Madman for Paramount and ICON. He has sold pilots to
ABC, NBC, CBS, and USA, and he currently has a deal with 20th Century Fox
TV. This TV season Todd and his business partner are executive producing
the put pilot This Might Hurt for 20th Century Fox TV. In addition, Todd
is writing and exec. producing the hour-long drama, The Chateau, for ABC.
Resistance, starring Julia Ormond and Bill Paxton, which Komarnicki
adapted from an Anita Shreve novel, marked his feature-film directorial
debut and is currently available on DVD worldwide from Paramount and
Lion’s Gate Entertainment.
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President of The Barna Group |
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DAVID KINNAMAN
David Kinnaman is the President and Strategic Leader of The Barna Group. Since joining Barna in 1995, David has designed and analyzed nearly 500 projects for a variety of clients. As a spokesperson for the firm’s research, he is frequently quoted in major media outlets. He is also in demand as a speaker about ministry trends, today’s teenagers, the profile of young leaders, and generational changes. He is the author of the best-selling book, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity, and the Barna report, Ministry to Mosaics: Teens and the Supernatural. |
Robert Briner Impact Award |
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PHIL VISCHER
Phil Vischer made his first animated film when he was nine years old and by age fourteen was convinced he would be a filmmaker when he grew up.
After a brief stint in Bible College, Phil struck out on his own, looking for a way to integrate his faith with his filmmaking. This quest led him to a tomato and a cucumber. The year was 1991, and Phil was a newly married 25 year-old with no financial backing and no idea how his vegetables would ever see the light of day. Today, almost 50 million VeggieTales videos have been purchased and Phil’s faith-filled stories can be found in 1/3 of all American homes with young children. Although Phil’s original company, Big Idea Productions, collapsed in bankruptcy in 2003, Phil continues some involvement with VeggieTales new owner Big Idea, Inc. while actively developing new ways to integrate faith and storytelling through his new company, Jellyfish Labs. Phil captured the breathtaking rise and heartbreaking fall of Big Idea Productions in the book Me, Myself & Bob - recently published by Thomas Nelson. |
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ANITA RENFROE
Anita Renfroe tours nationally performing her unique brand of estrogen flavored comedy to sold out venues. Her infamous “Mom Song” sung to the “William Tell Overture” had YouTube millions laughing and led to featured comedienne spots on ABC's Good Morning America. Renfroe's talent has been embraced by top media outlets as Dr.Phil, CBS's The Early Show, Fox News Channel's Fox & Friends, XM Satellite Radio Network's, Oprah & Friends, and Inside Edition, among others. |
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He’s been called a “media guru” by Christianity Today magazine, and “rare” by former CNN journalist Paula Zahn. The author of “Branding Faith: Why Some Churches and Non-Profits Impact Culture and Others Don’t” is changing the way religion and culture interact – and the way churches, religious organizations, and other non-profits use the media to tell their story. From small non-profits to global organizations, Phil Cooke’s ideas and strategies are being used and valued around the world, and his blog at philcooke.com is bringing a new perspective to the discussion of media and faith. He is founder and CEO of Cooke Pictures - a media production and consulting company, and is a founding partner at TWC Films - a TV commercial company, which produced two commercials for this year's Super Bowl. |
Screenwriter/
Filmmaker/ Author |
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CRAIG DETWEILER
Craig Detweiler was the screenwriter for the Disney film, The Duke, and for the teen comedy, Extreme Days. He co-authored A Matrix Of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture and his next book, Into the Dark: Screening the Sacred in the Top Films of the 21st Century, is due to arrive in June. He currently is touring the country with his his latest documentary, Purple State of Mind. Craig is recognized as a cultural commentator and pop-cultural analyst, and is the co-director of the Reel Spirituality Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary. |
Chair, Biola Cinema and Media Arts Dept. |
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LISA SWAIN
Prior to her current position as Chair of the Cinema and Media Arts Department at Biola University, Lisa worked in the entertainment industry as a production supervisor on film projects ranging in budget from 15 million to 150 million. Her credits include the commercially successful movies Big Fish, Anger Management, America’s Sweethearts, Face-Off, Varsity Blues and Mars Attacks among others. She has worked with such notable producers as Richard Zanuck, Barrie Osborne, Bruce Cohen and David Permut and directors Tim Burton and Gore Verbinsky. Lisa plans to start her PhD in Cultural Studies next fall. |
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Arthur Anderson began his film career by opening a successful commercial production company where he served as Producer/Writer/Director of radio and television commercials. In 1977, Arthur began working on feature films in New York and Los Angeles and by 1980, became a member of the Directors Guild of America. He moved to Los Angeles and began working on numerous television shows and feature films as an assistant director. The New Lassie TV series was his first venue as a television Writer/Director. In 1996, he joined John Woo as his 1st Assistant Director on Face-Off and subsequently on Mission Impossible II. Since 2000, Arthur has also been Co-Producer and Action Writer on Windtalkers, Paycheck, and BMW Films' - The Hostage.
Arthur has also served as a 2nd Unit Director on several of the above films and on Woo’s Fox TV Pilot, Lost in Space. Arthur Co-Produced Mission Impossible III for Paramount Pictures, as well as Directing the East Coast 2nd Unit on the film. More recently, he Executive Produced and Directed a webisode series for GO TV Networks entitled Being Bailey. This fall, Arthur will make his feature film directorial debut on Without Fear, an action thriller, set in New Orleans, Louisiana. |
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WILL BIGHAM
Will Bigham is a producer/director currently working with a development deal at DreamWorks Studios. This past summer Will competed and won Fox reality show "On the Lot", created by Steven Spielberg. From the initial submission of 12,000 filmmakers, Will was selected as one of the top 50 directors to come to Hollywood and compete by writing and directing a new short film every week. The films were voted on by the public, and Will was the last man standing. Prior to the show, Will worked as an actor at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia with his wife, actress Catherine Gray. |
President of Vanguard Films |
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TERRY BOTWICK
Terry is currently President of Vanguard Films & Animation, where he oversees production of the CGI animated SPACE CHIMPS for Fox, and RIBBIT for MGM. He has arranged $120 million for the co-publishing of video games and spearheaded Vanguard’s expansion into the direct to video business with MGM. Prior to Vanguard, Terry was founder of Thunderpoint Partners, a co-finance and production company that arranged a co-finance and distribution partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, he was also President and Chief Operating Officer for Big Idea Productions where he oversaw the successful extension of the VeggieTales brand as well as Executive Producing and arranging the distribution of the feature film, JONAH, A VEGGIETALES MOVIE. Terry was Senior Vice President of Current Series Programming and Specials for CBS Entertainment where he oversaw all drama and comedy series on the network, all reality series development, including KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS with Bill Cosby and specials including THE GRAMMY AWARDS, THE TONY AWARDS, THE COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS. He was president of Hearst Entertainment, which produced 12-14 television movies per year and operated a worldwide distribution company, and Vice President of the Family Channel where he oversaw programming including partnerships with George Lucas (MANIAC MANSION), and helped grow the network into one of the leading networks in the cable industry. |
Director/ Producer/
Writer |
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CHUCK BOWMAN
A Hollywood veteran for more than 40 years, starting as a broadcast journalist reporting on Robert Kennedy’s assassination, Chuck went on to direct and produce over 200 hours. His credits include 15 Movies of the Week's, including the television series Baa Baa Blacksheep, The Pretender, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Martial Law, Jake and The Fat Man, In the Heat of the Night, T.J. Hooker, Love at First Bite, Alien Nation, MacGyver, The Incredible Hulk, A Team, Greatest American Hero, Murder She Wrote and more. Bowman has gone on to direct several feature horror films, and most recently has begun developing original digital programming for the Army. |
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MAT BROOME
Mat is the Founder/CCO of www.MyIPD.com, an Intellectual Property Management site. He has helped create multiple properties for Television, Film, Video Games and Comic and Graphic Novel Industries. Mat has worked on or developed Television for The Cartoon Networks Toonami, Sony's Everquest and Playstation 3, and Untold Legends: The Warriors Code for Sony's Playstation Portable. He has also created original Comic Books and Graphic Novels for Jim Lee's Wildstorm Comics and developed titles for DC Comics such as Batman: No Mans Land, Xmen/Wildcats, and The End League for Dark Horse comics. His recent projects include helping develop Kingdoms for Zondervan Kids, POD: Nexus for Youth Specialties Publishers, and upcoming projects with Sony Online Entertainment and Marvel Comics. In 2008, Mat will be launching MyIPD.com, an internet tool that will allow anyone to learn how to create original intellectual properties, copyright content legally online in a few hours, and sell or buy brands internationally in real time. Mat is currently Art and Visual Director for Sony as well as Creative Director for www.MyIPD.com. |
Founder/Creative Director of Prologue Films |
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KYLE COOPER
Kyle Cooper has directed and produced more than 150 film title sequences. Details magazine credited him with almost single-handedly revitalizing the main title sequence as an art form. He is the founder of two internationally recognized design and production companies, Prologue Films, launched in 2003, and Imaginary Forces in 1996. Prior to that he was creative director at R/Greenberg Associates in New York and then Los Angeles. Creativity magazine named Cooper one of the top 50 biggest and best thinkers and doers from the last 20 years of advertising and consumer culture. The New York Times Magazine called the title sequence he created for Se7en one of the most important design innovations of the 1990s. He holds the honorary title of Royal Designer for Industry from the Royal Society of Arts in London and is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale. |
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President of Paulist Group
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Frank Desiderio, C.S.P., is the President of Paulist Productions and a recipient of the HUMANITAS Prize, honoring excellence in film and television writing. Father Desiderio’s current credits include the ABC/Paramount movie Judas, which aired on ABC Television. He presently is working with Hallmark Hall of Fame on an upcoming movie of the week project and will be launching Paulist Production’s new webisode series, Tyler’s Ride, this spring. His latest documentary film, The Big Question, focuses on revenge, anger, forgiveness and justice, and premiered at the Sedona International Film Festival in 2008. His documentary projects include Visions of Mary and Joseph: The Silent Saint, for The History Channel, The Jesus Experience, and an A&E Investigative Report entitled Healing & Prayer: Power or Placebo. Fr. Desiderio has produced multiple documentary programs for The History Channel including The Apostle Paul and Judas. |
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Scott Dunlop, the principal of Dunlop Entertainment, is a producer and writer based in Orange County. Dunlop is series Creator and Executive Producer for Bravo’s hit docu-soap, The Real Housewives of Orange County. The series has spawned additional spin-offs including The Real Housewives of New York. Dunlop also produced the off-Broadway play, The Last Manhatten, is co-author of the Purple Cloud and is actively developing new alternative television series.
Scott started as a member of The Groundlings Theater, is a member of SAG, and has worked both above and below the line in a mix of film projects including The Last Starfighter and Flicks. The advertising division of the Dunlop Group has produced award winning television, radio, and print campaigns since 1992 for clients like LA Cellular (AT&T), and the agency is active in developing branded entertainment projects. |
Writer/
Producer/
Director |
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JASON EPPERSON
Jason is a writer/producer/director and 2nd place winner of Fox’s reality show “On the Lot”, created by Steven Spielberg. A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University in 2000, Jason previously worked at an NBC affiliate station and as a producer for Insight Media Advertising, and as a church media director before moving to LA where he is currently CEO of Eppic Films Inc. |
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CEO/Founder of Gravillis Inc.
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DeAnna Gravillis is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gravillis Inc., a graphic design firm that specializes in creating advertising print campaigns for the TV/film, music and gaming industries. Deanna began working at RCA Records, Def Jam Records and Uptown Records focusing on management, sales and marketing. Today with over 18 years of experience in the entertainment industry working closely with heads of marketing at several major film and television studios, DeAnna is using her marketing, entrepreneurial and sales skills for a client list that includes 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros., Fox Searchlight, A&E, FX, TNT/tbs, HBO and USA Network. |
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JORDAN HUDGENS
Jordan is the youngest CEO of a publicly traded company. Bridging the gap between technology and media, the vidShadow Network is an online video syndication portal that has partnered with some of the largest websites on the Internet. Jordan specializes in partnering premium content with the proper audience. He is called upon regularly as an expert witness in court cases discussing the convergence of traditional media and online broadcasting |
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Mark Joseph is a producer and the founder/CEO of MJM Entertainment Group, which develops, produces and markets films, music, TV programs, web content and books. Mark is also an award-winning record producer who has worked with many of today's top recording artists including Lauryn Hill, P.O.D., Andrae Crouch, ZZ Top, and others and produced the rock soundtrack for The Passion Of The Christ for which he received a GMA Music Award. His label, Bully Pulpit Records launches in summer 2008 in partnership with Nettwerk Music Group.
Mark’s books include The Rock & Roll Rebellion, Faith, God & Rock 'n' Roll, & Pop Goes Religion and he writes a regular column for Foxnews.com and The Huffington Post, and hosts the news channel BullyPulpitNews.com. Mark has worked in development and/or marketing on 18 films including The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, Ray, Holes, Expelled, I Am David and others and has co-produced two short films The Bridge and Cupid. He is currently producing three films: Monkey Trial, The Crusader and Sensei. |
V.P. Content Development for NewTek |
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REX OLSEN
At NewTek, Rex oversees strategic and tactical decisions and planning related to content for NewTek products. Olson has worked closely with NewTek for many years as independent producer for promotional video projects, special events and trade show presentations. Recently he has managed projects for virtual sets, video production, web design and marketing support. Prior to joining NewTek, Rex was owner and executive producer of Desktop Images, publisher of training DVD videos for 3D animation, motion graphics and digital video editing software such as NewTek LightWave 3D, Avid Media Composer Adobe After Effects and Photoshop. Olson is former owner of RAVE Video Production Facilities, a full service production company providing production services and equipment for commercials, television pilots, direct response programming, corporate and independent video production. Rex has a long history of experience in television production as producer, director and DP with roots in 24 track remote recording for television and radio broadcasting, live music production and studio recording. |
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Brand Strategist and Media Architect |
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BILLY PITTARD
Billy’s body of work spans over 200 TV network brand identities world wide with work that has ranged from world-class brand strategy, game-changing interface design, innovative digital platforms, award-winning graphic design and breakthrough digital animation. In 1986 he formed what would become Pittard Inc., with offices in LA, NY, London, Munich, and Hong Kong. Billy is the inventor of the ZOOOOS Interactive Video System that makes it possible to deliver highly interactive video programs on ordinary DVD players, DVRs and other digital platforms. For this achievement, Billy received the 2007 iParenting Media Award, and the 2007 Parent’s Choice Award. His work has received over 900 industry awards including five Emmy Awards, and his work on algebra’scool was recognized as the Best Instructional Program of 2004 by the Association of Educational Publishers, and the Best Educational Program of the last 25 years by the Telly Awards. |
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DAN RUPPLE
Producer/Writer Dan Rupple is a 35-year veteran of the entertainment industry, serving as producer, writer and performer in network television, digital media, radio, recording productions and live stage performances. Dan was a Supervising Producer for CBS Television (The Price Is Right, Late Show with David Letterman, The Emmys), founding member of the pioneering sketch comedy team Isaac Air Freight, radio host and producer of a morning comedy talk show, Honorary Chairman of the Christian Comedy Association, and an adjunct instructor in the film department of his alma mater, Biola University. Currently Dan is the CEO of Seriously Funny Entertainment, a comedy development company for digital media, film and television that has produced of over 100 comedy videos for the internet. Dan also oversees Padded Room Productions, a creative development and production company specializing in digital media and branded entertainment.
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Kurt launched his career at Carsey-Werner Television as a Production Executive where he oversaw all post-production for series and pilots from 2001-2004, most notably THAT ‘70s SHOW, 3rd ROCK FROM THE SUN, and the TRACY MORGAN SHOW. During his tenure, he also facilitated distribution cut-downs and delivery for over 20 series including THE COSBY SHOW and ROSANNE, and helped the company and series transition to HD. While at Carsey-Werner he also served as a producer on several television pilots and the UPN animated series GAME OVER.
In July of 2004, Kurt became a partner of Sodium Entertainment where he was a producer on the feature films BREAKING DAWN, LAST DISPATCH, and several television pilots. In 2006 he joined the Coattails Entertainment team on the independent film SPIRAL. He continues to produce films with the Coattails team while freelancing on a variety of projects including producing the series DRIVING FORCE and currently INTERVENTION for A&E Television Network. |
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JOHN SIDEROPOULOS
An entertainment industry branding and marketing veteran, John Sideropoulos founded 3 Ring Circus, an international award-winning agency that specializes in providing branding, design, and marketing solutions across all platforms. A partial client list includes: ABC, Showtime, HBO, FOX, CNN, Discovery Networks, DIRECTV, Sony, MGM, Target, and Best Buy. John has also enjoyed success as a filmmaker and executive producer of independent art-house feature films such as Dream With the Fishes, One, and Cherish.
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SCOTT A. SHUFORD
Scott A. Shuford is the CEO of FrontGate Media, serving companies as their “Gateway to the Christian Audience” through one of the largest families of Christian entertainment media in the world, and a Founding Partner at White Barn Group , a full service Branding, Advertising & Interactive agency whose portfolio includes work for IHOP, Toyota, and African Child Foundation. |
Assistant Director of the Writers Guild of America |
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CHUCK SLOCUM
Assistant executive director of the Writers Guild of America and chair of Act One’s board of directors, Chuck has worked in the entertainment industry for almost 20 years in a variety of financial and strategy positions. He has worked for Paramount Pictures in television finance, for NBC as a game show judge, and for ABC in audience research. He has an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Television/Radio from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. He is pursuing a Master’s in Theology and the Arts from Fuller Theological Seminary. |
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Internationally credited producer of television and film, Kay's credits include: Emmy nominated (Best Reality Program 2006, and 2007) The Dog Whisperer for the National Geographic Channel; Feature Film producer credits that include Shadow Dancing nominated for three Canadian Genies; and Nonfiction Documentary producer credits for Lady Out of A Lizzie, CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation). Kay was Show Runner on The Quiz Kids with Norman Lear for CBS, The New Quiz Kids, Global Television Network (Canada); creator and producer of the 11 yr. syndicated series Any Woman Can Fix It for CBC, and Eye Bet, CTV Network (Canada) and ABC (Detroit) 5 years series.
In addition, Kay created and produced the Next TV Conference 2005 and 2006 for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Kay was appointed vice chair of the Professional Development division of the Activities Committee for the Academy of the Television Arts and Sciences from 2003-2006. |
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DANIEL TEMPLE
Daniel Temple co-founded Sermonspice.com with his father George and his brother Adam in a spare bedroom in 2003. It was in response to the changing tide of the video industry that Sermonspice.com was created. Prior to this Daniel worked in the family video production business and as a church video guy. Daniel has also served as a youth pastor and a missionary to eastern Europe with Campus Crusade for Christ. |
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Steve Tompkins is a successful television writer who’s many credits include The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond, In Living Color, and the Bernie Mac Show, where during his tenure as show runner, he won the Humanitas Award for writing the episode Sweet Home Chicago and was nominated for an individual Emmy Award for outstanding writing in a comedy series for the episode Goodbye Dolly. During his career, Mr. Tompkins has received seven emmy nominations, and one emmy for his work on The Simpsons. He also co-created the animated series The PJ's starring Eddie Murphy, and wrote and produced the pilot for HBO's Entourage. Currently, he is the co-creator and Executive Producer of a new computer-animated series Fanboy, which will premiere on Nickelodeon in 2009. |
More Speakers To Be Announced |
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