Creative Team

J.R. Griffin
Production & Operations

J.R. Griffin is a publishing and digital media executive with over a decade of new media and web content development, programming and management experience.

Recently, J.R. created and ran the New Media Programming division of NBCUniversal for the E!, Style and G4 networks, which provided all video content for each of the networks’ sites and mobile applications, as well as a profitable multimillion-dollar video syndication businesses, including the signature Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the Grammys coverage.

As the Director of New Media Programming, J.R. participated in three major website redesigns and network rebrands, and the launch of E!’s sister network the Style network’s MyStyle website. He developed a proprietary content management system which allowed for scalable video syndication from the E!, Style and G4 networks to partners as broad as YouTube, Hulu, iTunes, Verizon and more.

J.R. served as the executive editorial of the International Documentary Association’s website documentary.org during its transition from print to online magazine. He is an active member at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Interactive Media Peer Group.

Caitlin Starowicz
Producer & Director

Caitlin has extensive experience in writing for film and television, having written for the Toronto International Film Festival for six years as well as writing scripts for the Food Network, the Discovery Channel and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Her work has been published in CineAction, Cinema Scope and Camera Stylo.

As a director, she has made several award-winning films for screen and television, including Savage Love, which was honored by Women in Film and Television in 2010, and the documentary Polar Opposites which was recently broadcast on the Documentary Channel.

Caitlin earned her BA and MA in Film Theory at the University of Toronto, before earning an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California, where she was honored with the Harold Lloyd fellowship for achievement in directing.

Todd Schulkin
Management, Advertising & Project Adviser

Schulkin Management specializes in writers and directors who work across a variety of media, in strategic career development and in guiding both the business and creative aspects of clients’ careers.

Todd manages the career of Anne Willan, James Beard award-winning author and founder of the renowned La Varenne Cooking School. As part of his role as Anne’s manager, he oversees the programs, marketing and operations of La Varenne.

Previously a literary agent representing writers and independent filmmakers at Innovative Artists Talent & Literary Agency, Todd discovered writer-director Christopher Nolan and set-up the film MEMENTO with Newmarket Films. He also discovered screenwriter Brent Hanley and set-up his original script, FRAILTY, starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Bill Paxton for Lionsgate Films.

In addition to his experience as an agent, Todd is a seasoned marketing executive, having worked for leading international marketing communications conglomerate, WPP Group, holding a variety of advertising, public relations and marketing posts. Most recently, he led the Entertainment Practice at Millward Brown, an advertising and branding research consultancy.

He holds a BA from Brown University and earned an MBA with honors from London Business School.

Debbie Zeitman
Editor, Photographer & Writer

A close creative collaborator and critical part of the team, Debbie has worked with the principals of Gerber Rigler for many years on various projects for TV and indie releases, and has documented assorted events as a photographer. She joined forces with Gerber Rigler to shape the web series, “Sex and the Austen Girl,” and has been with them ever since, now fully immersed in the “Every Body Walk!” web campaign as editor of its video shorts and upcoming documentary.

Debbie has worn many hats over her career in the entertainment/media industry. She worked as a freelance sports photographer for the Associated Press before moving into the film business, with early editorial credits on features such as Dead Poets Society and RoboCop2. After many years of bouncing between feature films and feature documentaries, Debbie took time away to pursue a writing career. She now juggles editing, photography, and writing.

Her photography can be viewed at www.deezeephotography.com.

Silvia Ryder
Editorial & Research

Silvia Ryder holds a BA from the University of Vienna in Psychology. She started out as a Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Editor for Weiner Magazine in Vienna, Austria and then worked as a producer/writer for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, producing a series of youth-targeted fashion and lifestyle segments.

She later worked as a wardrobe stylist and shoot coordinator on photo, video, television and advertising productions for one of Los Angeles’ most prestigious talent agencies with clients in the fashion, entertainment and music industries. Clients included Dreamworks Records, Warner Bros., Reebok, Ray Ban, Rolling Stone, Interview, French Elle, Vanity Fair, People, Guess, Nike, IBM, Mitsubishi and Miller Lite.

Silvia Ryder has experience working as part of professional creative teams and as an independent contractor in the areas of research, budgeting, promotion, image consulting, management and photo production.

Arlene Nelson
Director & Cinematographer

Arlene is an award winning director/producer and cinematographer. She holds degrees in philosophy and fine art photography and is one of but a few female union Directors of Photography.

She was the first female cinematographer to shoot a major motion picture for Castle Rock Entertainment/Warner Brothers, serving as director of photography on Christopher Guest’s film, A Might Wind for Castle Rock/Warner Bros. Nelson made her directorial debut with the HBO documentary trilogy: Naked States, Naked World and Positively Naked, with the final installment shortlisted for Academy Award consideration and taking home the Hugo Award for Excellence in Television for the Arts & Humanities.

Well versed in commercial, narrative and documentary film production, Nelson has worked on projects ranging from short films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials.

Adam Greenfield
Brands & Partnerships

A native Angeleno, Adam Greenfield holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan and an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. Adam has more than 14 years experience as a fundraiser, grant writer, and corporate relations professional. Prior to starting his own consulting firm, the Do Good Consulting Group, Adam was Senior Director with Capital Strategies, one of the leading political and non profit fundraising consultancies in California (clients included Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Maria Shriver's A Woman's Nation, among many others).

He was the Director of Corporate Relations at Global Green USA, a leading national environmental non-profit, and has also held positions in the Corporate Communications department of Roll International, as well as Human Rights Watch. He lives in Hancock Park with his wife, Ellen, and their two daughters, Harper and Sasha.

Joel Mayne
Strategic Planning

Beginning his career in New York, Joel has spent 19 years developing award-winning communication solutions for such global advertising agencies as Grey Advertising, Saatchi & Saatchi, Wieden & Kennedy, MediaCom, Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners and Horizon Media. Clients have included such noted brands as Panasonic, Mitsubishi Motors, Proctor & Gamble, Glaxo, Song Airlines, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Vivendi Games, ESPN and Nike to name a few.

Joel instills a balance of strategic direction, creative insight, and ROI to help clients achieve their marketing goals. During his career, Joel has been recognized by Mediaweek’s “Plan of the Year” awards in 1999, 2002 and 2004. In addition, Joel was recently acknowledged by Brandweek, winning the Creative Media Award for Brand Integration.

Joel remains active in the LA Advertising community as a member of Think LA, Media Professionals Worldwide, Mobile Marketing Association, Social Media Marketing, Those in Media and the eMarketing Association.