Rex Sikes' Movie Beat

Bob Hercules is an award-winning producer/director and co-owner of Media Process Group—a Chicago-based production company. Hercules received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Michigan University’s School of Communication in 1979 and his Master of Arts degree in Film from the University of Michigan in 1983. Hercules’ work has been seen widely on PBS, the Discovery Channel, IFC, The Learning Channel and through television syndication nationwide.

Peter Tolan Pt 3 is the man behind the successful FX series “Rescue Me” starring Denis Leary. He began his career writing for sitcoms “Carol & Company” & “Wish You Were Here”. He wrote & co-produced the first six episodes of Tim Allen’s “Home Improvement” & then moved to the hit series “Murphy Brown”, starring Candice Bergen. He worked the series for 3 seasons which resulted in a shared Emmy award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1992 as co-producer. Also in 1992 he began writing for Gray Shandling’s “The Larry Sanders Show” on HBO. As the co-executive producer of the series he received 3 CableACE Awards for Comedy Series and he got an Emmy for co-writing with Shandling the series finale episode "Flip".He wrote for the series “Ellen”, “Buddies” & he created the sitcoms “The George Wendt Show” & “Style and Substance”. With comedian Denis Leary Tolan co-created the ABC satiric comedy “The Job”, which also starred Leary as a tough NYPD detective. Though it was cancelled after two seasons it was heralded by the critics. He wrote the hit film “Analyze This” directed by Harold Ramis, starring Robert Deniro & Billy Crystal. He also wrote the sequel “Analyze That”, “My Fellow Americans” starred Jack Lemon, James Garner & Dan Akroyd,“ Bedazzled” starred Brendan Fraser & Elizabeth Hurely,“America’s Sweethearts” starred Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, John Cusak, Catherine Zeta-Jones, “Guess Who” starred Bernie Mac & Ashton Kutcher, “Just Like Heaven” starred Reese Witherspoon & Mark Ruffalo. In 2008 Peter made his directorial debut with the semi-autobiographical film “Finding Amanda” which starred Matthew Broderick & Brittany Snow. He co-created “Rescue Me” with show star Denis Leary which debuted in 2004. This series has been well received by both critics and audiences, & both Peter & Denis have received Emmy nominations. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast & crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, & more at http://www.rexsikes.com

Daniel Noe is a screenwriter, indie film maker, and producer.

Noe started writing in 1990, under the trained hand of Esther Glazer. Esther had worked at CBS Studios with the writers block. Since, he has written following the wisdom of Lew Hunter, Professor Emeritus of UCLA’s prestigious Screenwriting 434 graduate class, through his book, and following The Colony, online, which he hosts in Superior, Nebraska.

Since 1989, he has worked within the film industry, spending the majority of my experience within the Independent world of film. His on set, below the line experience covers set design/ construction, grip/ electric/ rigging, sound boom operator, props, production management and AD unit. Noe has worked in L.A., Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta.

Daniel's film experience above the line is very young. Up to 2008 most of his producing work has been with SAG ultra-low budget pictures and below.

In 2008 he decide to produce one of his own properties, “Puzzle Vision”.

Currently it is packaged with talent, director, DP, and a distribution contract, and they are aggressively seeking funding. They intend is to lens in L.A.

To note on the current status of “Puzzle Vision”, Kevin Sorbo is on board as a lead and an Executive Producer. They are also in a co-producing relationship.

“The absence of limitations is the enemy of art”- Orson Wells

Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast & crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, & more at http://www.rexsikes.com

Ted Hope is recognized, by The Hollywood Reporter and other publications, as one of the most influential and powerful people in Independent Film. Hope is currently in pre-production on SUPER, written and to be directed by James Gunn, and starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and Liv Tyler. He recently completed Greg Mottola’s ADVENTURELAND -r eleased on April 3, 2009.

Mark Stolaroff is an indie producer & a founding partner of Antic Pictures, an LA-based production company producing a slate of low budget, high quality digital features. Stolaroff produced Pig, the 4th feature from award-winning writer/director Henry Barrial (Some Body). With Ron Judkins, Stolaroff produced Barrial's 3rd feature, True Love, developed in the 2003 Sundance Screenwriters Lab & recently played the festival circuit. He also co-produced the 2005 feature documentary Paper Chasers, & was Associate Producer of The Trouble With Men & Women (2006). Stolaroff was formerly a principal of Next Wave Films, a company of The Independent Film Channel that provided finishing funds to exceptional, low budget films; & through its production arm Agenda 2000, financed & executive produced digital features. Included in Next Wave's 13 films are Christopher Nolan's (The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Memento,) first feature, Following; Joe Carnahan's (Narc, Smokin' Aces) first feature, Blood, Guts, Bullets, & Octane; Amir Bar Lev's (My Kid Could Paint That) first feature Fighter; the Academy Award-nominated documentary Sound & Fury; & the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning documentary Southern Comfort. He was Associate Producer on a number of Next Wave projects, including Some Body & Manic, two digital features at 2001 Sundance Film Festival, & the award-winning theatrical documentary Keep The River On Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale. Next Wave took 7 films to Sundance and 5 to Toronto; 9 were released theatrically in the U.S. & 2 premiered on HBO; 9 were shot digitally & 6 of those were transferred to film. Stolaroff lectures on low budget & digital filmmaking. He serves on the advisory board of Filmmakers Alliance. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at http://www.rexsikes.com