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Orange County native Michelle Madigan is a Producer for Dateline NBC. She has had experience in both local news and morning television, but she’s found a home and a career in long-form journalism.
Michelle started at NBC News as a production associate with The Today Show in New York in 2003. She ran scripts to the anchors, assisted with the rundown of the show, and learned from the show’s talented producing team – surviving the round-the-clock hours with lots of coffee. After a year with The Today Show, she moved over to Dateline NBC, the network’s primetime newsmagazine, as an assistant producer.
Tina is a voiceover professional based in Orange County, California. She grew up in the Chicago area and always knew she wanted some form of show business to be a part of her life. Her mother had been a singer with a big band and music was playing in her home all the time. Tina began singing around the house when she was 2 years old and began performing in talent shows and in school plays whenever she could. Tina attended North Park University in Chicago and earned a BA in English. After graduation, she worked in Chicago for about a decade, mostly singing and playing guitar in local hotels and lounges. One of the highlights for this Chicago native was being able to perform the National Anthem at Comiskey Park, at a Chicago White Sox home game.
A pioneer in video on the web, Troy Witt has been producing video of all kinds since the mid-90s when the Internet was just beginning. Now, Troy and his team produce video - both live and on-demand - for everyone from trade journals, to big pharma, to automotive and education. While you may not know their name, Take One Productions, you have seen their work. Their job is to let client's names be known; and, often as a sub-contractor, brought in to remain in the shadows.
Clarissa Burt has done it all. Entrepreneur, TV/Video producer, public speaker, author, writer, inventor, award-winning actress and entertainer. By the age of 19, Clarissa was signed by the Wilhelmina modeling agency in Manhattan. Then, off to Paris and Milan she quickly began appearing on over 250 magazine covers such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan, as well as on most of the major runway shows in Milan, Paris, New York, and Japan. This led to work for cosmetic houses Revlon, Dior, and Clarita, Helena Rubenstein and her selection as the worldwide “Face” for Orlane Cosmetics.
Editor's Note: SOCALshowbiz generally writes about the directors, actors, gaffers, and producers where we look at those who help make the magic happen behind the scenes. This article is focused on a well respected consultant whose expertise is on the business side of the business.
Marty Shindler has worked in and around the entertainment industry for over thirty years, but there has been a continual thread of a relationship with Lucasfilm that you will see unfold that played a key role early in his career.
Editor’s Note: A number of people have told me that I do a pretty good job of interviewing other people so I should interview myself as well. Here goes.
The entertainment industry is the second career for this Brooklyn, NY native after a quarter century in sales and management in the computer graphics industry. For the past decade Art has produced special events, shorts, commercials, documentaries, and is deeply involved in local arts issues.
As a young boy, he was home schooled for a few years when he was unable to walk from ages 7-9. After his recovery he studied engineering at City College of New York (Harlem campus) and eventually earned a degree in Accounting & Finance from Pace University (downtown Manhattan.) After a stab at law school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, attaining the rank of sergeant. Art started his business career doing computer programming and then selling accounting systems in Manhattan for five years before beginning 25 years in the computer graphics industry, principally selling and managing sales forces before moving into corporate management. He eventually began building and fixing businesses with assignments that took him to Florida, Georgia, San Francisco, England, and Australia.