Category Archives: Copywriting

Synack Solution Explainer Video Script & Video

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I wrote this script while working at RocketWheel Productions.The script and video were finalized and delivered to the client in July, 2017.

Cyber attacks dominate the news and the boardroom.

Attackers are savvy and persistent. To defeat them, you have to be even smarter.
Do your cyber defenses measure up?

They will. With Synack.

Synack’s crowd sourced penetration testing platform reinvents how enterprises and government agencies think about security.

How do we do that?

We pair the world’s best hackers with the most advanced scanning technology to find critical security issues that other solutions simply cannot detect.

The Synack Red Team consists of the top security researchers in the world who think like adversaries but are highly vetted and act as allies.

Synack’s proprietary scanning technology, Hydra, constantly scans all of your assets, and alerts the Red Team of any attack surface changes or suspected vulnerabilities.

All testing activity is routed through our secure gateway, Launch Point, enabling real-time monitoring and auditability.

The Synack Mission Ops team analyzes and prioritizes all vulnerability submissions so all security intelligence passed to your teams is realistic and immediately actionable. And we help your team verify that patches have been applied.

These four pillars make up the Synack solution and empower you to face security issues head on.

Synack’s web-based client portal provides real-time visibility into testing activities, intelligence from the Synack Red Team, and detailed reports on when, what, and how your assets were tested.

Why do customers choose Synack?

Efficiency.

An assessment can begin within 24 hours. With the world’s best hackers on your side, you’ll find and fix critical security issues faster and more effectively. And you can easily scale your testing programs as needed.

Visibility.

Synack provides a dynamic client portal with on-demand insights instead of just static reports.

Results.

Synack reduces business risk and increases resilience to attack. A realistic view of your security weaknesses ensures you can be proactive, not reactive.  

Discover.

Prioritize.

Remediate.

Adapt.

Let Synack show you the better offensive approach to security.

Trimming the Fat From Your Explainer Video Script

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THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE ROCKETWHEEL PRODUCTIONS BLOG ON JANUARY 11, 2017.

Trimming the fat. We do it to meat, we do it do our diets and organizations and governments try to do it to their budgets.

When it comes to explainer videos, we need to trim the excess fat from scripts. This isn’t just because of our shrinking attention spans. That’s a factor, but we should want our scripts to be lean and mean because it makes for better videos.

My friend, screenwriter and screenwriting instructor, Madeline DiMaggio, always tells her students that when writing for television, every word needs to count and must move the story forward. If it’s true in television, it’s even more so in explainer videos.

In an earlier blog post, I mentioned the importance of crafting an outline before writing that first script draft. The outline provides a helpful structure as you write the first draft.

In the first draft, you’re not concerned with trimming the fat. In fact, we often write the first draft fatter and then the fat trimming happens in the subsequent drafts. Even these fatter first drafts still tend to be leaner than they would be if we didn’t have an outline as our guide.

Now we can work with the client on trimming. First, we just cut out extraneous words by finding a simpler, more efficient way of saying the same thing with fewer words. This is the wordsmithing phase. We’re not making wholesale revisions that change the meaning of the narration at this point.

Depending upon how close the script is to the target length, the client may decide they like the flow and agree to keep the longer length, or we start making tougher decisions about what bits of narration have to go.

This can be a difficult exercise when there are a lot of stakeholders on the client side who all have their favorite features or benefits they want in the video. This is often when the client works internally on revisions to gain consensus. When we get the script back, we review and if necessary clean up via wordsmithing or suggest additional, more substantial edits.

Once the script is as lean as it can be, the storyboarding process starts. Sometimes minor script changes arise as the visual elements come together, but the fat trimming is complete. Now the magic of bringing a client’s story to life can really begin.

Blackbaud OmniPoint Explainer Video Script & Video

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I wrote this script while working at RocketWheel Productions. The script and video were finalized and delivered to the client in June, 2016.

Every constituent in your database, every attendee at your annual gala, every casual constituent for your cause has the potential to be so much more.

Like Marc here.

Marc could be your next monthly constituent, major giver, or chairman of the board, if you just had a solution that helped you know him as a person, customize his communications, and understand what resonates with him. 

Designed for nonprofits with built-in best practices from for-profit companies, OmniPoint Enterprise Marketing Suite is an integrated set of really, reeeally smart marketing tools.

And not just any really smart marketing tools, but the exact tools needed to tackle the unique challenges faced by marketers at non-profit organizations today.

Challenges like data quality assurance and data integration across multiple channels…

…campaign segmentation…

…message personalization and timely marketing automation…

…and visual insight into campaign performance.

With this single, comprehensive solution, you can significantly strengthen your marketing efforts. Because OmniPoint brings together data from across your organization, you can see your constituents as people, not pieces.

Suddenly, Marc is more than just another name in your housefile.

He’s a constituent who’s given annually on “Giving Tuesday” for the last three years.

He’s a fundraiser who ran a marathon to raise money for your cause.

He’s a passionate supporter who prefers to get personalized updates from you over email, not snail mail. 

OmniPoint gives you a more complete picture of who Marc is, so you can create and send customized messages that matter to him, when and how he wants to receive them.

Because when you know Marc on a “first-name basis” instead of a [FirstName] basis, you’ll bring in more dollars and support for your cause. Know more about your marketing campaigns. Know your constituents better. Know how to boost your results. With OmniPoint.

Like Sands Through the Hourglass…There Goes My Attention Span

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THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE ROCKETWHEEL PRODUCTIONS BLOG ON APRIL 26, 2016.

I always tell people that I have the patience of a gnat on crack. I fully admit that patience is not one of my virtues. My impatience got me thinking about my attention span and how it seems to have declined as I’ve gotten older.

Do you remember those reading comprehension tests from school? I used to do really well on them but now, I don’t retain information the way I used to. Is this just the product of aging or is societal change a factor?

I came across an article that says that our attention spans have shortened since the year 2000 from 12 seconds to 8 seconds. We’ve been passed up by the goldfish. Our friendly bowl dwellers come in with an attention span of 9 seconds. Wow.

The article goes on to discuss technology’s role in the decline. So many devices are competing for our immediate attention and our brains have to constantly keep up, and we’re struggling. On a positive note, we’ve become better at multi-tasking!

Here at RocketWheel, we see the desire for “shorter, faster” when people come to us wanting to make videos. Just a few years ago, running times for explainer videos could be three minutes or longer. That is rarely the case now. The “sweetspot” for telling an effective story and keeping someone’s attention is now no longer than 90 seconds. That’s around 210-225 words.

We’re getting more and more inquiries for 30-60 second videos and we have produced videos in that range. The shorter the video, the more precise the message has to be. There’s no time to thoroughly discuss a bunch of features or dive into a problem/solution cycle.

Not every message is suitable for this kind of treatment. But with the popularity of apps like Twitter and its 140 characters and Periscope and Snapchat with their “Mission Impossible” self-destruct set-up, we better get used to consuming and producing shorter, crisper content.

After all, in a couple years we may be vying with the fruit fly and their 3-second attention span.

Junk the Jargon?

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THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE ROCKETWHEEL PRODUCTIONS BLOG ON NOVEMBER 4, 2015.

One of the main responsibilities I have here at RocketWheel is writing scripts for the videos we produce. I work very closely with the client and our animation team to refine and communicate the client’s vision.

Every industry has it’s own special jargon. This isn’t a bad thing per se because jargon can be an effective way to communicate with people in the same industry. Where jargon gets problematic is when it’s overused to the point where it loses any real meaning or influence.

Two articles, written three years apart, have made me examine my use of jargon and I hope it does the same thing for you.

Ann Handley, one of the foremost thinkers on digital marketing, reminds us in this post that context is everything. We need to know if we’re using certain words to show we understand our client’s world or if it’s just easier to not look for a better word or phrase.

Forbes published a list of the “most annoying, pretentious and useless business jargon” back in 2012 and the list is still relevant today. I was dismayed to see many words I’ve used in scripts, or clients have pushed for in scripts, on this list, including, “Scalable”, “Best Practice”, “Leverage”, “Drill Down” and “Empower”.

It’s not that these words are invalid; they are just overused to the point of becoming irrelevant. Running close behind these words are two phrases that I’m hearing and seeing much too often: “Paradigm Shifting” and “Disruptive Technology”.

Aside from overuse, the main reason that these phrases bother me so much is that they seem to ooze hubris. All clients love their products or services, as they should, but a little perspective is needed. For the most part, a client’s product or service isn’t solving global conflicts or curing a disease.

So, do we have to junk the jargon completely? I doubt that is realistic or completely necessary. But what we can do is promise ourselves that we’ll start being more conscious of the words we use and why. This self-reflection can only make our business and personal communications more truthful and powerful. And who doesn’t need more of that?

Helm CONNECT Explainer Video Script & Video

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I wrote this script when I worked at RocketWheel Productions. The script and video were finalized and delivered to the client in February, 2015.

Managing maintenance can sometimes feel like navigating through rough waters.

Do you have enough information to stay ahead of maintenance and keep your boats up and running with certainty?

Are you worried about staying compliant as regulators and customers demand more and more reporting?

Sure you could use software to help solve these problems, but it’s often hard for your people to use and just gets in the way of them doing their job.

Can’t someone make this easy?

Someone did.

Introducing Helm CONNECT. Your easy-to-use maintenance and compliance solution designed specifically for workboat crews and engineers.

It’s web-based so you can use it onshore and on your vessels but your data is always secure and accessible even if you lose your internet connection.

Through configurable templates and checklists, you can build a standardized maintenance program for all your vessels.

And all of this information is recorded in a single place for easy reporting across your fleet.

Helm CONNECT’s simple, yet comprehensive system enables you to be more efficient so you can be proactive, not reactive.

Streamline how you manage workboat maintenance and compliance with Helm CONNECT.

College of Marin Drama Department “Comedy of Errors” Press Release

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College of Marin Drama Department Presents The Comedy of Errors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 7, 2015

KENTFIELD, CA – The College of Marin (COM) Drama Department presents William Shakespeare’s hilarious farce, The Comedy of Errors as the final fundraising production celebrating the department’s 50-year anniversary. This entertaining and accessible work was the first play ever presented at the College in 1964. Directed by COM’s own, James Dunn, The Comedy of Errors is full of chase sequences, mistaken identities, ridiculous brawls and so much more.

“When I think of The Comedy of Errors, I can’t help but appreciate the historical clinic on comedy that is pressed within its pages,” said College of Marin’s Chair of Drama, Lisa Morse. “You can see the humor of Plautus, stock characters of Commedia dell’arte, and the contemporary sit-com all rolled into one production.”

CALENDAR INFORMATION:

WHAT:
The Comedy of Errors, Final Fundraising Event for the College of Marin Drama Department

WHO:
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by James Dunn

WHEN:
March 5*, 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 – 7:30 p.m.
March 15** and 22 – 2 p.m.

WHERE:
James Dunn Theatre, Performing Arts Building
Kentfield Campus
(Corner of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Laurel Avenue, Kentfield)

ADMISSION:
Non-subscription single ticket prices: $20 general, $15 seniors, $10 students/COM employees and alumni

*Pay-what-you-will preview
**Talkback with the director
Proceeds to benefit the College of Marin Drama Department

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY:

James Dunn: Students have studied with Jim Dunn since he founded the College of Marin Drama Department in 1964. Jim taught full time for 30 years, and continues to teach on a part-time basis.  He served as Chair of the Drama Department until 1994, directing more than 250 plays.  Among his most notable is a 1971 Wild West production of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, which was performed at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.  To the delight of students and audiences alike, Jim continues to teach Shakespeare and direct spring productions. 

During his tenure at the College, Jim received several honors, most notably, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critic’s Circle SFBATCC Awards for Directing, the Los Angeles Dramalogue Award for Directing, and the San Francisco Dramalogue Award for Directing.  He was also nominated for the Hayward Award for Excellence in Teaching and received an Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Marin County from the Marin County Cultural Society.  He also received a Milly Award for Achievement in Theatre Arts from the City of Mill Valley, California.  Jim was honored to receive the 2012 Heroes of Marin Lifetime Achievement Award granted by the Pacific Sun and the Lifetime Achievement Directing Award from the SFBATCC. In 2012 the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the dedication of the College of Marin’s – James Dunn Theatre in recognition of his commitment and achievement.

Outside of the College, Dunn was the artistic director of the Marin County Mountain Play for 30 years.  He has also worked as a visiting director at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, Denver Center for the Arts in Colorado, the Julliard School in New York, the Marin Shakespeare Festival, and the Marin Theatre Company.

ABOUT COM DRAMA DEPARTMENT:

College of Marin Drama productions have entertained audiences for 50 years while providing students opportunities to study with professional instructors. Support of this production and others enables the Department to continue the mission of educating students and enriching the community.

Fundraising money from last year allowed the COM Drama Department to finish this year’s season of shows but without a budget increase, the Department must rely on public support more than ever going forward.

College of Marin Drama Department Retrospective Exhibition Press Release

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College of Marin Drama Department Presents Retrospective Gallery Exhibition Fundraiser Commemorating 50 Years of Performances

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2015

KENTFIELD, CA – As a fundraiser for the College of Marin (COM) Drama Department, a retrospective gallery exhibition celebrating 50 years of performances will be open to the public.

This exhibition is a true multimedia event featuring almost 3,000 photographs, a collection of hundreds of reviews and programs, audio clips featuring directors, actors and set designers, and video clips of past performances.

Former students and faculty can travel back in time and find themselves as they walk through the gallery and celebrate their contributions to the department’s history. Current students and faculty can learn about the legacy they are carrying on.

“The idea for the 50 year retrospective was born out of the desire to reflect on the accomplishments of the students, faculty, and program as we hit this landmark Golden Anniversary,” said College of Marin’s Chair of Drama, Lisa Morse. “This gallery show celebrates the alumni who have participated over the years and the current students who are continuing a tradition of excellence that has become the hallmark of this program. It is a celebration about THEM. Without the students and their hard work and dedication, we would not have a program”

 CALENDAR INFORMATION:

WHAT:
Retrospective Exhibition, Special Fundraiser for the College of Marin Drama Department

WHEN:
March 6 – March 22
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE:
Fine Arts Gallery
Performing Arts Building, Kentfield Campus
835 College Avenue
Kentfield, CA 94904 

ADMISSION:
Admission is free, but contributions are appreciated. Historical photographs will be available for purchase and all proceeds will benefit the COM Drama Department.

EXHIBITION TEAM BIOGRAPHIES:

James Dunn: Students have studied with Jim Dunn since he founded the College of Marin Drama Department in 1964. Jim taught full time for 30 years, and continues to teach on a part-time basis.  He served as Chair of the Drama Department until 1994, directing more than 250 plays.  Among his most notable is a 1971 Wild West production of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, which was performed at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.  To the delight of students and audiences alike, Jim continues to teach Shakespeare and direct spring productions.

During his tenure at the College, Jim received several honors, most notably, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critic’s Circle (SFBATCC) Awards for Directing, the Los Angeles Dramalogue Award for Directing, and the San Francisco Dramalogue Award for Directing.  He was also nominated for the Hayward Award for Excellence in Teaching and received an Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Marin County from the Marin County Cultural Society.  He also received a Milly Award for Achievement in Theatre Arts from the City of Mill Valley, California. Jim was honored to receive the 2012 Heroes of Marin Lifetime Achievement Award granted by the Pacific Sun and the Lifetime Achievement Directing Award from the SFBATCC. In 2012 the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the dedication of the College of Marin’s – James Dunn Theatre in recognition of his commitment and achievement.

Outside of the College, Dunn was the artistic director of the Marin County Mountain Play for 30 years.  He has also worked as a visiting director at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, Denver Center for the Arts in Colorado, the Julliard School in New York, the Marin Shakespeare Festival, and the Marin Theatre Company.

Ron Krempetz: Ron has been the scenic designer for over 200 productions at the College of Marin since 1970. He is currently an Adjunct Instructor of Drama teaching Stage Craft and Scenic Design.

With a B.A. and M.A. from San Jose State University, Ron began his teaching career at Boise State University in 1968 and returned to the Bay Area two years later. In addition to his work at COM, Ron has created sets for many professional, educational and amateur theatre companies including: The Mountain Play, San Francisco Ballet, Marin Theatre Company, Porchlight Theatre Company, Ross Valley Players, Napa Valley Community College and numerous independent theatre productions. Outside of theatre, Ron has created theatrical environments for both retail and tradeshow clients throughout the United States and around the world, and has earned awards for both industrial and theatre projects.

Ron is responsible for combing through and organizing the department’s massive catalogue of photographs, programs, reviews, posters and videos for this exhibition.

Patricia Polen: Patricia Polen has designed over 100 shows for both professional and academic theater in her 39 years as a costume designer, receiving several SFBATCC Awards along the way. In addition to her design work, she teaches Production Stagecraft, Production Preparation for Costume and Hair, Production Crew, Stage Makeup: Theory and Practice, and Introduction to Theatre. She also works as a make-up artist for the San Francisco Opera and is the Wig and Make-up Designer/Supervisor for the Portland Opera. She has a growing interest in the design and construction of puppets and hopes to share that interest in future productions.

David White: David White has been the technical director at COM since 1986. In the five years between his high school graduation and employment at the College, David worked in the Bay Area professional theatre world, learning new techniques and honing his stagecraft. In his many years at COM, David has built, lit, and sometimes even costumed, well over 100 shows. During his summer vacations, David works for a design-build firm constructing displays for the California State Fair. He has received numerous awards for these displays, including “Best of Show”.

ABOUT COM DRAMA DEPARTMENT:
College of Marin Drama productions have entertained audiences for 50 years while providing students opportunities to study with professional instructors. Support of this production and others enables the Department to continue the mission of educating students and enriching the community.

Fundraising money from last year allowed the COM Drama Department to finish this year’s season of shows but without a budget increase, the Department must rely on public support more than ever going forward.

College of Marin Drama Department “Love Letters” Fundraiser Press Release

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College of Marin Drama Department Presents Special Valentine’s Fundraiser Performance of Love Letters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 6, 2015

KENTFIELD, CA – As a celebration of Valentine’s Day weekend and as a fundraiser for the College of Marin (COM) Drama Department, a limited engagement of A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters will be performed, starring James Dunn and Anne Ripley. Directed by Robert Wilson, Love Letters is a universal love story that speaks to the lost art of the written word.

“Love Letters does what we’re told a good play should – it holds a mirror up to nature,” said Director Robert Wilson. “The audience becomes involved through the humor, embarrassments, conflicts, confessions and touching love revealed through a lifetime of correspondence between a complicated, but most appealing, couple. Because it touches everyone, it has endured and becomes fresh with each re-telling.”

CALENDAR INFORMATION:

WHAT:
Love Letters, Special Fundraiser for the College of Marin Drama Department

WHO:
Written by A.R. Gurney
Directed by Robert Wilson
Starring James Dunn and Anne Ripley

WHEN:
February 13* (Preview), 7:30 p.m.
February 14**, 7:30 p.m.
February 15**, 2 p.m.

WHERE:
Studio Theatre, Performing Arts Building
Kentfield Campus
(Corner of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Laurel Avenue, Kentfield)

ADMISSION:
*Suggested donation: $10
**Suggested donation: $25
Proceeds to benefit the College of Marin Drama Department

TICKETS:
Please contact Kim Foulger, 415.485.9555 or kim.foulger@marin.edu to reserve your seats.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES:

Robert Wilson (Director): Robert Wilson’s theatre experience began at the College of Marin 30 years ago, as a backstage go-fer, and subsequently as a student actor in such shows as Death of a Salesman, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, Our Town, and most recently, in Detective Story.

Bob was stage manager for a number of COM productions. He attended drama department classes as a part-time student for a number of years and then moved on to full-time involvement in local Bay Area theatres with Marin Opera, Marin Civic Light Opera, Altarena Playhouse, The Masquers, The Mountain Play, and Ross Valley Players. 

His experience includes performing, stage management, directing, and theatre administration.  At RVP, he has directed 19 productions, and initially directed James Dunn and Anne Ripley in Love Letters in 1994.  He has received San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle (SFBATCC) awards as both an actor and a director.  

James Dunn (Andrew Makepeace Ladd III): Students have studied with Jim Dunn since he founded the College of Marin Drama Department in 1964. Jim taught full time for 30 years, and continues to teach on a part-time basis.  He served as Chair of the Drama Department until 1994, directing more than 250 plays.  Among his most notable is a 1971 Wild West production of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, which was performed at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.  To the delight of students and audiences alike, Jim continues to teach Shakespeare and direct spring productions. 

During his tenure at the College, Jim received several honors, most notably, several SFBATCC Awards for Directing, the Los Angeles Dramalogue Award for Directing, and the San Francisco Dramalogue Award for Directing.  He was also nominated for the Hayward Award for Excellence in Teaching and received an Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Marin County from the Marin County Cultural Society.  He also received a Milly Award for Achievement in Theatre Arts from the City of Mill Valley, California.  Jim was honored to receive the 2012 Heroes of Marin Lifetime Achievement Award granted by the Pacific Sun and the Lifetime Achievement Directing Award from the SFBATCC. In 2012 the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the dedication of the College of Marin’s – James Dunn Theatre in recognition of his commitment and achievement.

Outside of the College, Dunn was the artistic director of the Marin County Mountain Play for 30 years.  He has also worked as a visiting director at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, Denver Center for the Arts in Colorado, the Julliard School in New York, the Marin Shakespeare Festival, and the Marin Theatre Company.

Anne Ripley: (Melissa Gardner): Anne’s most recent role was at Ross Valley Players, as Lady Dalrymple in Persuasion.  Other roles at RVP include Mrs. Graves in Enchanted April (nominated by SFBATCC for best principal), Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy, Ethel Thayer in On Golden Pond, and Mrs. Warren in Mrs. Warren’s Profession. 

She also played Mrs. Sowerberry in Oliver!, Mrs. Higgins in My Fair Lady (nominated for an SFBATCC award) for the Mountain Play Association, Fräulein Schneider in Cabaret, and Mrs. Farragut in Detective Story at the College of Marin. 

One of her favorite roles is Melissa in Love Letters, which she has had the privilege of performing with James Dunn, both at RVP and in nine benefit performances for various charity organizations.  She is thrilled to be asked to do it again with Jim for this special engagement. 

ABOUT COM DRAMA DEPARTMENT:

College of Marin Performing Arts productions have entertained audiences for 50 years while providing students opportunities to study with professional instructors. In order to maintain and grow our performing arts programming, we are completing capital improvements to our performing arts facilities. These improvements require special gifts for technology and equipment upgrades. This limited engagement of Love Letters will help us achieve these goals.

“The Rain Shadow” Press Release

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Bay Area Filmmakers to Develop NEW SERIES starring Homicide Hunter Star, Carl Marino 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 7, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Carl Marino, star of the hit Investigation Discovery Channel series, Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, has announced he’ll be starring in and co-producing, a new one-hour drama, The Rain Shadow, in early 2015. Homicide Hunter, which was just picked up by Investigation Discovery for a fifth season, is currently broadcast in over 100 countries. The Rain Shadow tells the story of an outnumbered, and outgunned, small town sheriff (Marino), who is forced to turn to murder in order to stop a sinister element that has infiltrated his town. The series is being partly funded through Indiegogo.

Playing a sheriff comes naturally to Marino since he was a Deputy Sheriff in upstate New York for 17 years. Soon after relocating to San Jose, CA, he made his film debut in the independent film, Sedona’s Rule (2010). Almost immediately after, he was cast in the NBC show, Trauma (2009) that was filming in San Francisco. Since then, Marino has worked on, and been featured in, numerous feature films, network and cable television shows.Marino’s costar, Gretta Sosine, also resides in the Bay Area. Like Marino, Sosine appeared in Trauma, and has worked on Moneyball (2011), starring Brad Pitt, HBO’s Hemingway and Gelhorn (2012) starring Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen and various other projects.

Members of the production company also have Bay Area roots.  Director Trevor Adrian was born in Santa Cruz and studied with four-time Oscar winner, Mark Berger, at UC Berkeley. His short, The Stick Men, played at the Cannes Short Film Corner.

Producer Madeline DiMaggio moved to the Monterey Peninsula to raise her daughter and remained there for eighteen years while commuting to Los Angeles to work as a television writer.  DiMaggio worked as a contract writer for Paramount Studios in Pilot Development. She has written over 45 hours of produced prime time sitcoms, one-hour dramas, TV movies and features. While at Honest Engine films, she co-produced numerous independent features and documentaries, including Surviving Eden, starring Peter Dinklage and Jane Lynch. Currently, her cable movie, Profile for Murder, is running on the Lifetime Movie Network.

Technical Advisor Avram Walden was born in Santa Rosa and raised in Palo Alto and Mountain View. He studied computer science at Foothill College and is an IT specialist and freelance graphic and web designer.

Marketing and Social Media Coordinator Kelly Reiterman is a fourth-generation San Franciscan. She earned her B.A. in Radio-Television at San Francisco State University and has been working in marketing and social media since 2009.

For more information on the Indiegogo campaign, visit: http://igg.me/at/rstv.

Media Contact:
Trevor Adrian
Fellow Traveler Films
Email