SiLA Faculty

Jon Katzman (Executive Director of Semester in LA Program)

Hired in August 2004, Jon Katzman is currently Executive Director of the Semester in LA Program. He began his career working for Channel 10 in Australia, and then moved back to the States where he was admitted into the NBC associates training program reporting to chairman Brandon Tartikoff. While at NBC, Katzman assisted Tartikoff with the development of shows such as Shannon’s Deal, Saved by the Bell, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Jon also served as Director of Comedy Development and Director of Current Programming at Warner Brothers, where they produced shows such as "ER", "Friends", and "Full House". Jon also served as Senior Vice President of Television at Regency Television, a divison of Fox, where they produced "Malcolm in the Middle", "Roswell", and "Bernie Mac". Most recently Jon executive produced television programs for Discovery and VH1 as well as an award winning movie for FX starring Jamie Foxx. 

Mr. Katzman has also served as adjunct faculty for the Semester in L.A. (SiLA) program, where he started the Semester in L.A. (SiLA) sit-com program and also teaches in the film and journalism departments. He has served as a consultant to the Broad Foundation on Education as well as on the Board of InsideOUT Writers. Mr. Katzman received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History of Ideas from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from The Anderson School at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Van Spurgeon (Screenwriting)
After winning a screenplay competition at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, Van Spurgeon moved west to embark on a career in entertainment. Since then, he has worked in film and television with directors Jeremiah Chechik, Roland Joffe and Vondi Curtis Hall. His film credits include GOODBYE LOVER with Patricia Arquette and REDEMPTION starring Jamie Foxx. He is currently producing a film for Beacon Pictures in Santa Monica, California.  Previous guests include Bruce Cohen (American Beauty), Zack Penn (X-Men), and Rudy Langlais (Hurricane).

Craig Gore (Producing & Adaptation)
Craig was raised on an island off the coast of North Carolina, and spent three years studying English at Cape Fear College. He then moved to Chicago and transferred to Columbia, where he received a degree in Fiction Writing in 2000. After graduating he moved to Los Angeles and read scripts for Film Artists Associates, while working as a research assistant for Oscar-winning Screenwriter and novelist, William Kelley. Craig then took a job as Office Manager for Columbia’s Semester in L.A. (SiLA) program at CBS. He has a writing partner (another Columbia alum), a literary manager, and is currently optioning books and adapting them to pitch for TV/Film projects. Craig is the lead instructor for the Producing class, as well as the specialized Adaptation session, which focuses on optioning the rights to books, comics and life stories. Craig is repped by managers Ensemble Entertainment and ICM. Previous guests include Vance Van Petten (Executive Director - Producers Guild of America), Steve Saeta (Producer - Spiderman, The Island, The Kingdom) and Aline Brosh McKenna (Writer/Producer - Devil Wears Prada, 27 Dresses). 

David Isaacs (Television Comedy)
David Isaacs has worked as a TV and Screen Writer and Producer for over 35 years. He has been credited as a co-producer or creative consultant on MASH, Cheers, Wings, and Frasier and Mad Men, in addition to co-creating and executive producing the series Mary and Almost Perfect for CBS. Isaacs has won three Writers Guild of America awards and one Emmy. His screen credits include the script for the film, Volunteers starring Tom Hanks and John Candy. Currently serving as Adjunct Professor of Screenwriting in the Cinematic Arts School of USC, Isaacs resides in Pacific Palisades, Ca.

Charles Holland (Television Drama)
A member of the California Bar, Holland was an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles, rising to Vice President of Business Affairs at 20th Century Fox Films in which he negotiated motion picture deals for writers, directors and actors and advised senior management on strategic planning and finance. Holland left Fox to begin a career as a screenwriter. He has written and/or produced over 250 hours of television, including such series as "New York Undercover," "Murder One," "Millennium," "Profiler,’ “Soul Food: The Series,” “JAG,” “Playmakers and Painkiller Jane.” He has been nominated for an Environmental Media Award and received an NAACP Image award. A lifelong lover of comics, Holland developed Marvel’s “Black Panther” and little known graphic novel Superboxers. He also packaged, produced and wrote the comic book limited series “Dark Crossings” and “Butcher Knight” which was published by Top Cow Studios. To date, they have sold over 150,000 copies. A strong believer in public service, Holland is a former Army Officer and served the WGAw for seven years as a Board Member then Officer. In addition, Holland has been an enthusiastic educator -- a Teaching Fellow at Harvard College, an Adjunct Professor at Chicago’s famed Colombia College and a Visiting Assistant Professor in UCLA’s Television Department. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Holland is a graduate of Harvard Law School. He also possesses a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Illinois.

Jack Gilbert (Television Comedy and Television Drama)
Raised as an Air Force Brat, Jack's education is a unique mix of a B.A. in English from Ohio U, a Certificate of Screenwriting from UCLA Extension, and an M.A. in theology from Fuller Seminary. He began working in the Industry as story analyst for the William Morris Agency and NBC, and consulting on projects such as Batman Forever and The Addams Family. He spent ten years helping run the Warner Bros. Writers Workshop, the industry’s most prestigious television writing program, whose graduates include My Name is Earl's creator Greg Garcia. As well as being an Adjunct Professor for Columbia College with Semester in L.A., on the CBS lot, Jack has taught screenwriting outside the States from Canada to Jordan and is an Adjunct at several Southern California universities.

Matt Kierscht (Music Producing)
Matt Kierscht has worked as Music Supervisor/Manager for many popular television programs including America’s Next Top Model (UPN), The Fugitive (CBS), The West Wing (NBC), The Drew Carey Show (ABC) and Last Comic Standing (NBC). He recently completed work on the feature film Bonneville starring Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Joan Allen and Tom Skerritt.  Prior to creating his own music supervision company, he was Manager of Music at Warner Bros. Television.  There he was responsible for supervising all areas of music on multiple television series, specials and long-form programming.  During his tenure, he received an award for Outstanding Achievement and Performance.  He has also held positions at Columbia/Tri-Star, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Merv Griffin Enterprises and Warner Bros. Records. He has worked with several famous musical artists, including Roger Daltrey, DMX, Missy Elliott, Biz Markie, David Crosby, Eric Benet, Busta Rhymes, Beth Hart, Dave Koz and Macy Gray.  As Executive Producer for Dreamworks, he had an album that went to #3 on Billboard’s Top Soundtracks Chart.  He has also been awarded with the RIAA Nettwerk America/Capitol Records reward for 500,000 copies sold of Coldplay’s Parachutes.  He has lectured at the USC School of Music, Columbia College, California Copyright Conference, Association of Independent Music Publishers

Frankie Blue (Music Producing)
Frankie Blue Sposato is a film/television composer with a remarkable musical background… The product of an Italian American family, he grew up in a small town in Long Island, New York. Frankie was inadvertently prepared for life as a composer by his school orchestra teacher. It was she who recognized his perfect pitch early on, and switched his instrument (first being the accordion!) every year until he had learned to play them all. He continued his musical education through middle school and onto college, balancing classical with guitar and rock and roll bands all along the way. He attended Berklee College of music where he studied with Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Michael Gibbs and many other great composers. Frankie Blue moved to California and formed a new wave/rockabilly band called “The Automatic.” The band recorded and released an album for Miles Copeland’s IRS records. In addition, he also wrote and produced with R&B legends, Brian and Eddie Holland (Holland Dozier Holland). Sony Records signed him to a writer/producer deal and he went on to work with Patti Labelle, Earth Wind and Fire, Martika, Phillip Bailey and many other recording artists. But it was alternative rock that Frankie felt a true connection. He wrote and played with Animal Logic (Stewart Copeland, Stanley Clarke), and ventured into the world of remixing and programming for artists/bands such as Tricky, Garbage, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers (Dave Navarro and Chad Smith). He also wrote and produced for other artists such as Angela McClusky (Wild Colonials), Lili Hayden and The Supreme Beings of Leisure. His transition into film composing came when he was introduced to director JF Lawton at Columbia Tri-Star Pictures, who hired him on V.I.P, starring Pamela Anderson for Sony. Since then he has scored over 150 episodes of television, 12 movies, a musical and several web series. Recently he orchestrated Oliver Stone’s “W”, working with composer Paul Cantelon. Frankie has continued writing and producing for artists and bands, while pursuing his career in film and television composing.

Jeff Wadlow (Directing) 
After completing a successful theatrical run and receiving strong marks from both Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, director Jeff Wadlow’s most recent film, the action/drama Never Back Down, starring two-time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou, beat out big-budget competition that included The Bourne Ultimatum and Spiderman 3 to win “Best Fight” at the MTV Movie Awards. A graduate of Dartmouth College and the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television, Jeff was awarded a USC Associates Endowment Scholarship for academic achievement and was selected as one of ten finalists nationwide for the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker’s Award. During his last year of film school, he conceived and directed The Tower of Babble (uncredited narration by Kevin Spacey), which was chosen for a Stark Special Projects grant. The short film went on to receive acclaim as an official selection at over thirty international and domestic film festivals, garnering more than two dozen awards. After graduation, Jeff was honored with the George Méliès Award for Innovation sponsored by Kodak, made a special presentation of his short films for the opening night gala of the Virginia Film Festival, and was featured at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s “Young Directors Night.”  He also took the top prize for the inaugural Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival – a million-dollar production grant to make his first feature film. The movie, Cry_Wolf, garnered a wide release by Universal Pictures genre division, ultimately making more than ten times its initial budget at the box office and receiving positive notice from multiple publications, including the LA Times and the New York Post. Jeff’s other writing and directing credits include the Chrysler-branded Manual Labor, the presentation piece Living the Lie starring Topher Grace, and the animated Catching Kringle featuring the voices of Danny DeVito and Larry King.  As a screenwriter, he has sold multiple pitches and scripts and is currently developing several studio films with an eye to direct. Recently he donated his time to the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance, conceiving and directing a national PSA campaign staring Vanessa Williams. For the sixth year in a row this Fall, Jeff will serve as Creative Director and mentor for The Adrenaline Film Project, a program he founded to help aspiring filmmakers of all ages conceive, produce, and screen a short film in a nationally recognized festival in just 72 hours.

   
Maria Lorenzana (Costume Design)
At an early age, Maria Lorenzana became interested in fashion as an art form. Growing up surrounded by musicians, painters, writers and textile makers, it was a natural step for her. After exploring different career choices, Maria returned to her original love. She attended Columbia College Chicago, where she earned a Bachelors of Fine Art – Fashion Design. Shortly thereafter she moved to Los Angeles where she has been working as a Costume Designer for films such as the award winning Waterborne; soon to be released Remarkable Power!; and the recently completed Dear Me: A Blogger's Tale among others. Costumer credits include Gary Fleder's The Express, Edward James Olmos' Walkout, the popular Entourage, and many more films and television shows.

Craig Stuart Garfinkle (Music Composition)
Craig Stuart Garfinkle’s  journey to music composer began early when at the age of seven he was so frustrated by his piano lessons that he began making up his own melodies. By the time he started high school, piano had taken a back seat to guitar as his main instrument, but his desire had been cemented and continued on in college. Garfinkle has composed for hundreds of network television projects, TV movies, film trailers, and video games.  He was also part of the composing team (headed by Stephen James Taylor) for Disney's Raw Toonage, and the sole composer for the KAET/PBS production Visions of Arizona. Both programs received Emmy nominations for outstanding original score. He also completed the track for Dane Cook's latest comedy DVD.  Currently he is creating music for the NBC series, The Office as well as numerous other notable programs.

Andrew Hill  (Music Composition)
Andrew Hill is the music supervisor/consultant for Andy Hill Film + Music in Los Angeles, California. His clients include Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount Classics, Jim Henson Co., TNT, Fox Animation, and NBC. Mr. Hill supervised the music for Paramount’s My First Mister, Disney’sAnnie, and Warner Brothers’ Message in a Bottle. Prior to this, he was vice president of music production for Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, where he oversaw worldwide recording projects for Beauty and the Beast, Sister Act, and The Lion King. He was also operations manager for The Reel Thing of California post-production house, and production manager of the Film & Video Department of Columbia College. Mr. Hill was a Grammy Award recipient in 2000, and his first novel, Enoch’s Portal, was published in 2001.

Nina Zacuto (Journalism)
Nina Zacuto covered news in Los Angeles and thoughout the world for 31 years. In 2007, she retired from NBC News after 25 years as a producer in the network’s Burbank bureau. Among her many assignments at NBC News, she was Coordinating Producer for network coverage of the 1988 Olympics is Seoul and Calgary, the 20th Anniversary of Earth Day, the arrest and trial of the Unabomber, the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart, and the arrest and trial of Michael Jackson. She produced numerous stories on a variety of subjects from domestic violence and immigration to hurricanes and fires. She began covering technology in the early 1990’s and continued to cover that beat throughout the popularization of the Internet and evolution of digital media and communications. Ms. Zacuto’s broadcast news career began in 1976 at KHJ Channel 9 News, and she worked as an assignment editor and producer at KNXT (now KCBS), both Los Angeles stations. She served on the board of the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California. As a member of the Bench, Bar, Media Committee, she helped to get cameras into courtrooms in California. Ms. Zacuto graduated from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. She is currently a Board member of Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS). Now a freelance photographer in Los Angeles, Ms Zacuto is working on a multimedia documentary about a homeless family shelter.

Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn (Journalism)
Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn is a freelance journalist specializing in entertainment, lifestyle and culture. A former radio broadcaster and television news writer for the then Los Angeles UPN news affiliate (Channel 13), she was most recently a television columnist for the Associated Press, entertainment and media critic for Tribune Media’s BlackVoices.com (now owned by AOL) and has contributed to the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Variety, Essence, Vibe, InStyle and other U.S. and Canadian publications. Currently, her work appears regularly in Multichannel News, TV Guide, and emmy®, the official magazine of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She has been recognized by the National Association of Black Journalists for outstanding coverage of the African American community and is currently serving on the board of the Television Critics Association (www.tvcritics.org). She is also an active member of the Journalism and Women Symposium (www.jaws.org), where she has served as board member and Southern California membership chairperson. In 2008, she earned a Master of Professional Writing degree in Fiction from the University of Southern California and is completing her first novel. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Loyola Marymount University. Littlejohn is a native of Los Angeles.

Andrew Wallenstein(Journalism)
Andrew Wallenstein is the deputy editor at The Hollywood Reporter in Los Angeles, where he covers digital media and television. He is also a critic for NPR's nationally syndicated radio program "Day to Day" and former host of the TV Guide Channel series "Square Off." In addition, he has contributed to The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Business Week. He has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Susan Wrenn (Marketing)
Susan Wrenn has spent the past twenty years in the strategic marketing of film, television and music, most of it as Senior Vice President and Media Director for Paramount Pictures.  Setting media strategies for Titanic, Braveheart, Runaway Bride, Forrest Gump, Save The Last Dance, Jackass: The Movie and many others, she was responsible for the planning and execution of over $300 million a year in media activity, as well as the associated integrated marketing efforts.  In addition to developing and executing both the broad upfront negotiating strategies as well as the individual film strategies for all releases, Susan was also responsible for pitching and bringing the NBA finals into motion picture marketing (Mission Impossible).  Sitting on the Viacom Marketing Council for many years, she conducted Viacom’s first cross-company audit of media assets.  Susan has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for thirteen years.  She is currently co-owner of Target Approach, a consulting firm addressing strategic sales and marketing challenges and opportunities.
 

John Heinsen (Marketing)
John Heinsen brings 17 years of entertainment industry experience to the mobile space. He is currently Principal at Bunnygraph Entertainment, Inc., a multi-platform digital content development and consultancy company formed in 2008. Bunnygraph creates comedy and music series formats for television, interactive/web platforms and mobile, providing both branded digital programming and integrated marketing solutions through enhanced user experiences. Previously, John served for two years as Manager of Primetime Programming at the FOX Broadcasting Company and has worked in the Television Packaging and New Media/Branded Entertainment Divisions of International Creative Management (ICM). He began his career in 1992 as a producer at KVOA in Tucson, AZ. John serves as Co-Chair of the Mobile Committee for the Producers Guild of America (PGA), New Media Council and has been an Adjunct Professor at California State University Los Angeles. Additionally, he is Contributing Producer to Viva Lundin Productions and the interactive platform company sevenEcho, LLC. Originally from Chicago, John received his MFA in 1996 while a Producing Fellow at the American Film Institute (CAFTS) and in 1994 received a BFA from the School of Media Arts at the University of Arizona. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Lisa and their three children.

Bob Levin (Marketing)
In 2003, Robert Levin retired from MGM Studios, Inc. where he served as President,Worldwide Theatrical Marketing and Distribution. At MGM/UA, Mr. Levin directed the campaigns for successful releases such as “Legally Blonde”, “Jeepers Creepers” and the Academy Award winning foreign language film, “No Man’s Land”. Prior to joining MGM Studios, Inc., he served for 5 years as the President of Worldwide Marketing for Sony Pictures Entertainment and prior to that he served 11 years as the President of Worldwide Marketing for the Walt Disney Studios. Mr. Levin has vast global entertainment marketing experience as well as a reputation for marketing innovation and success across a broad range of genres. Robert is clearly one of the most respected and accomplished Marketing Executives that has served in the Industry and is widely acclaimed as having created the marketing campaigns for many of the top theatrical blockbusters of all time. He is a leading mentor of marketing talent with the ranks of current senior Studio Marketing Executives filled with those who previously worked for him in various positions. At Sony Pictures Entertainment, Bob not only oversaw all worldwide marketing activities, he was additionally responsible for the Company’s Merchandising and Licensing Division. Films marketed under his leadership include: “Men In Black”, “Air Force One”, “Charlie’s Angels”, “Jerry Maguire”, “Big Daddy”, “Stuart Little”, “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “As Good As It Gets”. At the Walt Disney Studios, he led the marketing campaigns for films including: “The Lion King”, ”Pretty Woman”, “Three Men and a Baby”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin”. In the early “90’s, he pioneered the Studio’s usage of the internet, the shift in licensing focus from standard characters to theatrical film programs and launched the era of third party promotions with a historic relationship with McDonalds. In addition, he led the creation of the Studio’s worldwide marketing organization, Buena Vista International and oversaw the marketing for Disney’s entry onto Broadway with the production of “Beauty and the Beast”. Prior to joining Disney in 1985, he held senior executive positions at both DDB/Needham and McCann-Erickson advertising agencies. Bob teaches motion picture marketing at the graduate level at USC ; serves as the Board Chair for one of Los Angeles’ leading pre-k-8 Independent Schools; chaired the ARF Entertainment Research Conference and is the recipient of numerous US and International marketing awards, including the American Marketing Association’s EFFIE, several Clio’s and countless Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards. A native of Chicago, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Communications from the University of Illinois.

John DeCuir (Production Design)
John DeCuir, Jr. has designed feature films, films for television and themed attractions in Italy, Spain, France, England, Ireland, Japan, Canada, and throughout the United States. Mr.DeCuir has worked extensively throughout the themed attraction and exhibition industries. He began his design studies at the age of 14 by apprenticing in the 20th Century Fox Art Department working on films which included the KING & I and SOUTH PACIFIC. He completed a five-year architectural program at the University of Southern California and two years of graduate work at the Institute of Building Research and Technology. As a college student, he continued his apprenticeship in Rome working on the films: CLEOPATRA, AGONY & THE ECSTACY, TAMING OF THE SHREW & DR. FAUSTUS. After his educational studies, he graduated from USCG Officer Candidate School. During Vietnam he served as a Deck Officer in the Pacific and later served as Admirals Aide and Assistant to the Chief Of Staff of the Eleventh Coast Guard District. He concluded his military service by producing & directing in the Coast Guard Motion Picture Branch – Washington DC. Upon leaving the Coast Guard, he joined Disney and spent several years as a designer-illustrator working on attractions which included THE HALL OF PRESIDENTS, THE CONTEMPORARY and POLYNIESIAN HOTELS, SPACE MOUNTAIN and MISSION TO MARS. John left Disney in the early 70’s and was offered the position of Director of Design for the SIX FLAGS organization. There he supervised the design and project development efforts of SIX FLAGS OVER TEXAS, GEORGIA & MID AMERICA. His work with SIX FLAGS included planning efforts in the acquisition of ASTROWORLD and a proposed PARIS PARK. In 1974, John was asked to return to DISNEY and take up master planning work on WORLD SHOWCASE-EPCOT, specifically on the key attraction SPACE SHIP EARTH. Completing this assignment he returned to film art direction where he was art director on the film GHOSBUSTERS. He became a film Production Designer in 1985 designing such films as TOP GUN and SISTER ACT II. Intermingled with his film design efforts John continued to assist DISNEY in their film-attraction needs which included JIM HENSON’S 3-D MUPPET MOVIE, ALIEN ENCOUNTER & EPCOT’S ENERGY PAVILION. In the 90’s John’s master planning and architectural skills were called back into play by the MITSUBISHI organization who commissioned him to head up a six million dollar conceptual development program to design a themed water park for implementation in Japan. Another significant commission came from SPRINT who asked him to provide interior design concepts for a leading edge communication center. John is currently completing his book on DESIGN FOR FILM and working on the design of a traveling exhibition, THE ARCHITECTURE OF ILLUSION. He is also a member of the ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES, Art Director's Branch, working with its committe on the proposed HOLLYWOOD MUSEUM. John is a Senior Lecturer at the American Film Institute and has lectured in the USC & UCLA film design programs. He is currently serving on the Board of the Art Director's Guild and acts as its Chairman for Education & Training.

Brad Mott (Theater)
Brad Mott has a B.S.S., Theater from Northwestern University. He is an actor and a teacher, who recently relocated to the East Coast, where he made his NJ theatrical debut, in Centenary Stage Company’s production of A Laughing Matter. For the past 30 years, Bradley has worked at most of the Theatres in Chicago and around the Midwest. Recent appearances include A Christmas Carol at The Goodman Theatre, Doctor’s Dilemma at Writers’ Theatre, The Moliere Comedies at The Shubert Theatre, My Fair Lady for The Court Theatre, A Year with Frog and Toad for the Chicago’s Children Theatre, Slavs and Huck Finn at Steppenwolf Theatre, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and The Goodbye Girl at Drury Lane Oakbrook, and A Flea in Her Ear and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. He has worked at Peninsula Players in Door County, Wisconsin for 5 seasons, as well as at Notre Dame’s Summer Shakespeare, American Players Theatre, Madison Repertory, New American Theatre, Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival, Theatre 6470 (in LA), and at The Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival as the Duke in Measure for Measure and as Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1. Audiences will remember his appearances in the films, The Accidental Tourist, and Stranger than Fiction, Aspen Extreme and many appearances on Television, including “ER”, “A Different World”, and “Roseanne”. In addition to his acting work, Bradley has been associated with Columbia College Chicago as an Artist in Residence for over 25 years, teaching Acting and Voice and is the facilitator of the Columbia College’s Semester in LA Acting Program, as well as teaching for The National High School Institute at Northwestern University and The Chicago Latin School. He is happily married to The Rev. Susan Osborne-Mott, Assistant Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Asbury Park, NJ and the proud father of Andrew and Emily, who still live in Chicago.