Film & TV, The Creative Process: Acting, Directing, Writing, Cinematography, Producers, Composers, Costume Design, Talk Art & Creativity

Michael Maren is a journalist, filmmaker and former aid worker. He’s written scripts for HBO, Sony Pictures, and many independent producers. His film, A Short History of Decay was a funny and moving examination of a writer Bryan Greenberg visiting his ailing parents, played by Linda Lavin and Harris Yulin. His forthcoming film is an adaptation of Chris Belden’s novel Shriver. It’s a comedy set at a writers conference and stars Michael Shannon, Kate Hudson, Don Johnson, and Zach Braff. Maren has taught screenwriting at Wesleyan University, Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, Taos Summer Writers’ Workshop, and co-directs the Sirenland Writers Conference. He created the film screening/discussion series Under the Influence: Writers on Film.

· michaelmaren.com

· www.creativeprocess.info

“I always find it an ironic thing to think about the fact that Fred Rogers was colour-blind. He could barely tell a blue from a grey. I was young and to him I was a child and I certainly played the role of a child and he played the role of parent… He was profoundly patient.”

Dr. François Clemmons is perhaps best known as Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’s Officer Clemmons. He made history as the first African American actor to have a recurring role on a children’s television program. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College, a MFA from Carnegie Mellon University, and an honorary degree from Middlebury College. In 1973, he won a Grammy Award for a recording of Porgy and Bess; in 1986, he founded and directed the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble; and from 1997 until his retirement in 2013, Clemmons was the Alexander Twilight Artist in Residence and director of the Martin Luther King Spiritual Choir at Middlebury College in Vermont, where he currently resides.

· https://francoisclemmons.net
· www.creativeprocess.info

Dr. François Clemmons is perhaps best known as Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’s Officer Clemmons. He made history as the first African American actor to have a recurring role on a children’s television program. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College, a MFA from Carnegie Mellon University, and an honorary degree from Middlebury College. In 1973, he won a Grammy Award for a recording of Porgy and Bess; in 1986, he founded and directed the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble; and from 1997 until his retirement in 2013, Clemmons was the Alexander Twilight Artist in Residence and director of the Martin Luther King Spiritual Choir at Middlebury College in Vermont, where he currently resides.

· https://francoisclemmons.net
· www.creativeprocess.info

Martin Ruhe is the internationally-acclaimed German cinematographer behind the Netflix film The Midnight Sky directed by and starring George Clooney. Previously, Ruhe worked on Catch-22, also directed by Clooney, as well as the critically acclaimed Counterpart, Run All Night with Liam Neeson, and the British Independent film award winner Control. Ruhe photographed the dark spy thriller Page Eight for BBC Films, directed by David Hare. The film earned him an American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture/Miniseries Television Award for his work on the film.

Working closely with director Anton Corbijn, Ruhe photographed The American. Starring Clooney as an aging assassin on an assignment to create a specialized weapon, Ruhe’s meticulously arranged shots helped to build the tone of The American, while reviews applauded the film’s beauty. Ruhe lensed Harry Brown, a Michael Caine-starring vigilante thriller which premiered at 2009’s Toronto International Film Festival. His photography on Harry Brown received critical acclaim; Joe Leydon of Variety saying, “The moody lensing by Martin Ruhe vividly conveys the no-hope squalor of a contemporary urban wasteland.” Combining the best cultural influences from the U.S. and Europe, Ruhe is fluent in English, German and Spanish. He loves stills photography and travel.
· www.ruhe.net

· www.creativeprocess.info

Martin Ruhe is the internationally-acclaimed German cinematographer behind the Netflix film The Midnight Sky directed by and starring George Clooney. Previously, Ruhe worked on Catch-22, also directed by Clooney, as well as the critically acclaimed Counterpart, Run All Night with Liam Neeson, and the British Independent film award winner Control. Ruhe photographed the dark spy thriller Page Eight for BBC Films, directed by David Hare. The film earned him an American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture/Miniseries Television Award for his work on the film.

Working closely with director Anton Corbijn, Ruhe photographed The American. Starring Clooney as an aging assassin on an assignment to create a specialized weapon, Ruhe’s meticulously arranged shots helped to build the tone of The American, while reviews applauded the film’s beauty. Ruhe lensed Harry Brown, a Michael Caine-starring vigilante thriller which premiered at 2009’s Toronto International Film Festival. His photography on Harry Brown received critical acclaim; Joe Leydon of Variety saying, “The moody lensing by Martin Ruhe vividly conveys the no-hope squalor of a contemporary urban wasteland.” Combining the best cultural influences from the U.S. and Europe, Ruhe is fluent in English, German and Spanish. He loves stills photography and travel.
· www.ruhe.net

· www.creativeprocess.info

It is difficult to make generalizations about Neil Gaiman’s books. His contributions to practically every literary genre have earned him a place in the Dictionary of Literary Biography as one of the top ten living post-modern writers. His work has been honored with many awards internationally, including the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. His books and stories have also been honored with 4 Hugos, 2 Nebulas, 1 World Fantasy Award, 4 Bram Stoker Awards, 6 Locus Awards, 2 British SF Awards, 1 British Fantasy Award, 3 Geffens, 1 International Horror Guild Award and 2 Mythopoeic Awards.

www.creativeprocess.info

It is difficult to make generalizations about Neil Gaiman’s books. His contributions to practically every literary genre have earned him a place in the Dictionary of Literary Biography as one of the top ten living post-modern writers. His work has been honored with many awards internationally, including the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. His books and stories have also been honored with 4 Hugos, 2 Nebulas, 1 World Fantasy Award, 4 Bram Stoker Awards, 6 Locus Awards, 2 British SF Awards, 1 British Fantasy Award, 3 Geffens, 1 International Horror Guild Award and 2 Mythopoeic Awards.

www.creativeprocess.info

Salvador Perez’s work is very diverse. He has designed for many TV series including Castle, Moonlight, Veronica Mars and 6 Seasons of The Mindy Project where he was nominated for an Emmy for costume design. Salvador has also worked on movies such as Pitch Perfect 1, 2 and 3, Think Like a Man 1 and 2, Men of Honor and Drumline. Born and raised in Central California, Perez moved to Los Angeles to attend The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising to pursue a career in fashion design. Once other Costume Designers discovered his costume manufacturing talents, he began running the costume workrooms and assisting on films like Titanic, The Flintstones, and Barb Wire. Outside of film and TV, Salvador designed and developed the “Movie Legends Line” for the J. Peterman Catalogue, he designed a line of Jewelry for Bauble Bar, and designed a signature line of colorful coats for GILT.COM. He is currently the elected president of the Costume Designers Guild.
· www.salvadorperezdesign.com
· www.creativeprocess.info

Salvador Perez’s work is very diverse. He has designed for many TV series including Castle, Moonlight, Veronica Mars and 6 Seasons of The Mindy Project where he was nominated for an Emmy for costume design. Salvador has also worked on movies such as Pitch Perfect 1, 2 and 3, Think Like a Man 1 and 2, Men of Honor and Drumline. Born and raised in Central California, Perez moved to Los Angeles to attend The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising to pursue a career in fashion design. Once other Costume Designers discovered his costume manufacturing talents, he began running the costume workrooms and assisting on films like Titanic, The Flintstones, and Barb Wire. Outside of film and TV, Salvador designed and developed the “Movie Legends Line” for the J. Peterman Catalogue, he designed a line of Jewelry for Bauble Bar, and designed a signature line of colorful coats for GILT.COM. He is currently the elected president of the Costume Designers Guild. www.salvadorperezdesign.com · www.creativeprocess.info

Matthew Libatique is an Oscar-nominated cinematographer best known for his work with director Darren Aronofsky on Pi, Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, and other films. He received his second Academy Award nomination for Bradley Cooper's directorial debut A Star Is Born, and has worked with Spike Lee, Joel Schumacher, and Jon Favreau. Known for bringing an edgy elegance and psychological tension to films, his unique visual style can also be seen in Tigerland, Phone Booth, Iron Man 1 & 2, and Venom.

· www.creativeprocess.info