DIRECTOR / PRODUCER / WRITER
Nicole Groton is a writer and director living in Los Angeles. A graduate of Florida State University’s Film School, one of her most prestigious accomplishments is her feature documentary THE MELTING FAMILY (2015), which she produced, directed, and edited. Working on a bare bones budget with minimal crew, Groton spent over five years compiling archive footage and interviews. The film made its world premiere at DOC NYC. She has written and directed two short narrative films, one of which made its premiere at the LA Femme Film Festival. Most recently, Groton has finished post-production for her narrative feature film debut DARKNESS IN TENEMENT 45, a psychological thriller that she wrote, directed, and produced.
Nicole Groton has also been recognized for her screenwriting. She was a quarterfinalist at Storypros Screenplay Contest and the Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest as well as a semifinalist at the Creative World Awards. She won Best Feature Screenplay at the Orlando Film Festival and Second Place for Best Comedy Screenplay at the LA Screenplay Contest.
PRODUCERS
Simone Lapidus is a producer, writer, and editor in Los Angeles. She started her career working for Academy Award-winning producer Ed Saxon (Silence of the Lambs) before working for United Front Design and FLEX Creative Inc. where she specialized in writing and producing TV promos and web series for major studios like Fox and Disney. Lapidus also produces independent projects including co-producing the feature documentary The Melting Family, which made its world premiere at DOC NYC. Additionally, she has had various experience with television networks such as DreamworksTV, AwesomenessTV, College Humor, and Comedy Central.
Crystal Collins is a versatile producer and director working in Los Angeles. She graduated cum laude from the prestigious Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts before beginning her career. In pursuing her passion for storytelling, she has produced short films and features, as well as directed web series and commercials. Collins has worked with companies such as Disney XD, Red Bull Media House, ESA Foundation, and numerous independent artists. Most recently, she has produced and directed two seasons of the series "Away from Keyboard," now streaming on Red Bull TV.
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Carissa Dorson is a cinematographer originally from Silver Spring, Maryland. She learned her craft at Florida State University's College of Motion Picture Arts. Carissa is now immersed in the comedy community in Los Angeles, and shoots features, short films, commercials, and music videos. Carissa most enjoys using the camera to tell real, character-driven and relatable stories. She also works as a fine art photographer, with an interest in portraiture. Her photo series, Funny People. Serious Photos, was featured in L.A. Weekly. When Carissa is not filming or taking photos, she loves playing Ultimate Frisbee and seeing improv shows at UCB.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Caitlin Nicole Williams is a Los Angeles-based Production Designer. Her career began working under the mentorship of Art Director's Guild Award-Winning Production Designer Gary Kordan (Workaholics, Key & Peele) as an Art Department Coordinator. As a designer in her own right, she has completed features, TV series, pilots, commercials, short films, and web shorts. She has worked with a variety of production companies including TV Land, TBS, Red Hour Films, Funny or Die, YouTubeRED, DreamWorksTV, CollegeHumor, and ESPN. Multiple projects she has worked on have screened in competition at TIFF and SXSW, among other film festivals.
EDITOR
Rebeca Marques is an editor who was born in São Paulo, Brazil two minutes before her fraternal twin sister. She developed a love for film and television at a young age and moved to the U.S. after high school to pursue that passion. She enrolled in film school at Florida State University and it was there that she began to focus her attention on post-production and further developed her skills as an editor. After graduating from FSU in 2010, she moved to Los Angeles and has worked on projects for companies such as Disney, Fox, Dreamworks TV, Fathom Events, Netflix, LA Rams, and Red Bull.
COMPOSER
Logan Rees is a Los Angeles based writer and composer from New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been writing music for over 14 years, with over 10 years' experience composing for film. He has scored numerous short films, webseries, comedy sketches, animations, and more. He utilizes a wide variety of live recordings and digital workspaces to achieve the perfect sound to suit a particular project's unique needs. His work has been featured in Film Independent's Composer Showcase, New Orleans Film Festival, DC Independent Film Festival, and more.
COSTUME DESIGNER
Laura Cristina Ortiz is a Puerto Rican Costume Designer based in Los Angeles. She has designed for feature films, short films, music videos, commercials and new media. From uniforms for an outpost on the edge of Space to turn of the century Chinese fashion, her portfolio boasts diverse projects and production companies. At an early age, Laura fell in love with the art of storytelling through fabric, color, and texture. Her initial interest in costuming started when she discovered the work of Costume Designers Colleen Atwood and Trisha Biggar and the fantastical worlds of Tim Burton, Brian Froud and Mary Blair. Her education has been widely eclectic, ranging from her degree earned at the Fashion Institute of Technology to interning for Tony Award winning Costume Designer Martin Pakledinaz, to dressing classic, beloved characters at the Disneyland Resort. This extensive training prepared her for both the creative necessities of design and the physical implementation of the art.
CASTING DIRECTOR
Amanda Richards is a New Jersey native, Emerson College graduate and casting fanatic. She currently works as the casting manager at Sony Pictures Television where she has worked on several television shows including “Electric Dreams” for Amazon and “Preacher” for AMC. She has also worked on many independent projects including “Amateurs” (pilot presentation), “The Road Between” (short film), “Quirky Female Protagonist” (webseries) and “Southern Dish” (webseries). Amanda is a graduate of Emerson College where she studied marketing and theater.