The Production Team
Michael Bay
Producer/Director
A graduate of Wesleyan University, Michael Bay spent his 20s working on advertisements and music videos. His first projects after film school were in the music video business. He created music videos for Tina Turner, Meat Loaf, Lionel Richie, Wilson Phillips, Donny Osmond and Divinyls. His work won him recognition and a number of MTV award nominations. He also filmed advertisements for Nike, Reebok, Coca-Cola, Budweiser and Miller Lite. He won the Grand Prix Clio for Commercial of the Year for his “Got Milk/Aaron Burr” commercial. At Cannes, he has won the Gold Lion for The Best Beer campaign for Miller Lite, as well as the Silver for “Got Milk”. In 1995, Bay was honored by the Directors Guild of America as Commercial Director of the Year. That same year, he also directed his first feature film, Bad Boys (1995), starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, which grossed more than $160 million, worldwide. His follow-up film, The Rock (1996), starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage, was also hugely successful, making Bay the director du jour.
Bret Granato
Editor
Bret Granato is an editor and actor, known for:
Editor: America Divided (2016), O.J.: Made in America (2016), It Happened Here (2014), 30 for 30 (2014), The Woman in the Dress (2013), How’s Your News?: Election 2012 (2012), Cartoon College (2012), 6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park (2011), Over 90 & Loving It (2011), The Misunderstood Epidemic: Depression (2010), Let Me Die Quietly (2009), Following Dreams (2009), Anyone and Everyone (2007), The Republic of Baseball: The Dominican Giants of the American Game (2006)
Actor: In the Dark (2005), Karla Faye Tucker: Forevermore (2004), Colour Blind (2002), Easier Said (1999)
Editorial Department: Time to Choose (2015), The Seven Five (2014), Cartoon College (2012)
Carol Bachyrita
Voice Over Talent
As one of LA’s top voice actresses, Carol Bach-y-Rita records nationally and internationally for countless commercials, promo campaigns, television series, movies, games, documentaries, web campaigns and animation. Her fluency in 5 languages, (English, Spanish, French, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese,) also puts her in high demand for Feature Film and Television ADR and character work.
Carlton Cuse
SCRIPT WRITER/SHOW RUNNER
Born in Mexico City, Carlton Cuse grew up in Boston and Orange County, California. He attended Harvard University, graduating with a degree in American History. He started his career in feature films working first as a development executive then formed a partnership with feature writer, Jeffrey Boam. Working with Boam, Cuse helped develop the films Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3 and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
In television, Cuse began his writing career on the Michael Mann series “Crime Story.” He co-created and executive produced the critically acclaimed Fox series “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.” He created and executive produced all six seasons of “Nash Bridges.” He also created and executive produced the CBS series “Martial Law” starring Arsenio Hall and Sammo Hung Kam-Bo.
As of 2007, Cuse writes and is one of the show runners/executive producers of “Lost”, and has won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Producers Guild Award, and a Writers Guild Award for his work on the show.
John Ridley
Producer
John Ridley is the author of seven published novels, the most recent, What Fire Cannot Burn from Warner Books and The Drift from Knopf. His first novel, Stray Dogs, was made into the feature film U Turn (1997) directed by Oliver Stone and starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, and Nick Nolte. Additionally, Ridley wrote the screenplays for the films Undercover Brother (2002) and Cold Around the Heart (1997) and wrote the story for Three Kings (1999).
He is a playwright as well and in 2005 produced the world premiere of his first play, Ten Thousand Years. Ridley is also a commentator for National Public Radio and a regular contributor to California Connected (2002), an award-winning, news magazine which airs throughout California on 12 Public Television stations. He was the host of Movie Club with John Ridley (2004) on AMC, a unique movie review program with a panel of critics.
Ridley also wrote, directed, and produced the popular TV show, Barbershop (2005) formerly on Showtime.
Rodrigo Blaas
Graphics/Animation
Rodrigo Blaas is a producer and director, known for WALL·E (2008), Up (2009) and Finding Nemo (2003).
Robert T. Barnhart
Lighting Director
Robert T. Barnhart is known for his work on The 86th Annual Academy Awards (2014), So You Think You Can Dance (2005) and The 87th Annual Academy Awards (2015).
Julius Ramsay
Editor
Williams has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1990s, including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X, boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, football coach Herman Boone, poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson, and drug kingpin Frank Lucas. He has been a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and was a frequent collaborator of the late director Tony Scott.
Williams has received two Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor.
Ed Bianchi
Producer
Ed Bianchi was born on April 24, 1942. He is a director and producer, known for Deadwood (2004), Boardwalk Empire (2010) and The Killing (2011).
James Aiden
Voice Over Talent
James Aidan was born on October 27, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Peter’s Price (2005), Touch (2015) and Shut-Eye (2003).
James Aidan works extensively as a voice over actor. His voice has been heard in national commercial campaigns for Hyundai Automobiles, Kelloggs, Nintendo, Coca Cola and Suzuki, among many others.
