hollywood east

DOCUMENTARY NEWS

Melva Akens

COSTUME DESIGNERI'D GO BACK Producer, costume designer, set decorator, even music coordinator, Melva has done it all over the course of the past 35 years. Though originally from Southern California, she didn't really get her start in the business until she moved to...

Art David

VISUAL FX SUPERVISOR SHOT GR22 Another stop on our tour through Atlanta was a visit with Visual Effects Society Luminary, Art David! Another Hollywood East guy who spent part of his early career with The Post Group when they had a facility on the Disney-MGM Studios...

Gentry Akens

Did you know Gentry Akens was a layout artist on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe? It’s true. Fat Albert too. There’s a fascinating story about how he got his job at Hanna Barbera, but we’re here to talk about Hollywood East!

Kim Dawson

Acclaimed producer Kim Dawon sat down with us to discuss the creation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films, his time at The New Mickey Mouse Club, as well as many other projects he continues to shepherd.

Rich West

From his first spaceship models in his garage to his first job building props for Clarissa Explains it All, Rich has honed his skills as a prop master. Rich was also a prop maker on the All-New Mickey Mouse Club, Adventures in Wonderland, Gullah Gullah Island, and From the Earth to the Moon, along with many others, and was last seen as an Art Director on Universal’s new Epic Universe theme park.

Paul Meena

Another Big Get! Finally hooked us a big fish from Universal Studios. Paul Meena is the former Vice President and General Manager of the Universal Studios Florida Production Group, but he earned his stripes the hard way.

James Ponti

Are you (or your kids) fans of the City Spies series??  Did you know that he got his start writing for many of the TV shows that were shot here in Orlando?

Rizza Germonto-Baker

Rizza is a local gal (well, by way of Hawaii), having graduated from Dr. Phillips High School, University of Florida, and Full Sail University, where she earned a degree in Film & Television Production.

Aaron Blaise

Aaron Blaise

Aaron Blaise, co-director of Walt Disney Animation’s “Brother Bear” took time to sit and discuss with us his brilliant career.

Bob Allen

Bob Allen was practically born into the Disney family – the Disney corporate family anyway. His father, also named Bob Allen, is a bona fide Disney Legend, so it was only natural that the younger Allen would find his way to the company eventually.

Bob Allen

Bob Allen

Bob Allen was practically born into the Disney family – the Disney corporate family anyway. His father, also named Bob Allen, is a bona fide Disney Legend, so it was only natural that the younger Allen would find his way to the company eventually.

David Morton

David Morton

What a great lesson we got in the history of Florida film from media scholar and film historian David Morton, PhD. David is an instructor at the University of Central Florida, Seminole State College, Stetson University, and Rollins College!

Rob Hill

Rob Hill

Production continues on “Hollywood East” with audio designer Rob Hill, formerly of Disney.

Matt Garbera

Matt Garbera

Matt Garbera, former Disney Project Manger for Walt Disney Animation Studios, gracefully agreed to sit before our cameras and allow us to pick his brain.

DRW Films Created

DRW Films Created

DRW Films, LLC has been created to produce a new documentary about the Orlando film industry during the heyday of the late eighties to the early 2000’s.