The Storytellers

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Violet Mendoza

Director / Producer / Editor, Founder of Violet Pictures Inc.

Violet Mendoza is an award-winning filmmaker with more than 20 years of experience. Her production company, Violet Pictures Inc., creates films, television, and new media that use the power of storytelling to touch audiences. Violet believes everyone has a story to tell, and that becoming a great storyteller comes from being a strong listener. 

Her most recent feature project is directing and producing the documentary Montessori Rising, which explores how Montessori education is becoming a model for public and private school educators around the world as traditional educational methods fail. 
    
Studying editing under legendary editor Walter Murch (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now) prompted Violet to become an independent filmmaker. She wrote and produced her first feature film, No Boundaries, in 2009. The emotional drama tells the story of an illegal immigrant who falls in love with an Immigration (ICE) Agent (played by Mark McGraw, son of the late Tug McGraw). No Boundaries won awards and played to packed houses at film festivals including the Nashville Film Festival, Philadelphia CineFest, and the White Sands International Film Festival. 
    
Violet showcased her editing skills as a producer and editor of the 2012 documentary The Barrel of a Gun, directed by Tigre Hill. Chronicling Mumia Abu-Jamal’s controversial killing of a Philadelphia police officer and its aftermath, the film has been placed in the U.S. Library of Congress. Violet also recently produced and edited the horror thriller The Sickness, starring Brian O'Halloran (Clerks, Clerks II) and professional wrestler Katarina Leigh Waters.

Violet began her career in broadcasting and advertising. She completed the Film/Television Program at Franklin Pierce University and was awarded the Mass Communication Award for Excellence. Following graduation, she spent time in broadcasting at FOX29 Television, Telemundo62 and QVC Network. Violet then secured editing and writing opportunities with a national branding advertising agency, -160over90. As their sole editor and producer for Fortune 500 companies’ advertisements, her clients included Joseph Abboud, Guess Watches, GAP, Macy’s, Audi, and BMW. She also worked with Discovery Channel and Animal Planet programming as Nancy Glass Productions’ Senior On-line Editor/Producer. Violet understands how to work with actors and onscreen talent, thanks to her own 20 year membership in SAG and AFTRA. 

She has repeatedly won awards for her work, including Telly Awards, Addy Awards, and Communicator Awards, and was honored with the prestigious title of “Avid Master Editor”. Her short film, “Nameless,” was a finalist at the Tribeca Film Festival. 

When Violet is not creating or writing, she is traveling. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two children, and she considers Paraguay her other home. She is an alumna of the FBI Citizens’ Academy, which promotes community citizenship through a partnership between selected community leaders and the FBI. 


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Jake Willing

Director, Director of Photography

As an award-winning Director of Photography/Director with over 15 years’ experience, Jake has built his reputation working in both film and television. Jake is the president of EyeLight Pictures, Inc., a premiere production company located outside Philadelphia. The scope of his work includes independent films, documentaries, commercials, and reality television. His production expertise and talents include his camerawork, lighting and directing. Jake has been involved in the camerawork, and at times as the Director of Photography, for several independent films, including Cadence, Homeless, and Killer Instinct. His great talent for lighting has become a hallmark for high profile celebrities, including, but not limited to: Ben Affleck, Donovan McNabb, Mariah Carey, Snoop Doggy-Dog, The Roots, Allen Iverson, Nancy Glass, and Ron Jaworski.

Over the past few years, Jake has also been lensing pictures for PBS, Sundance Channel, MTV, ESPN, VH1, Lifetime, The History Channel, ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. He has operated the camera and directed the lighting for the following award-winning shows: Viva Labam, The Montel Williams Show, The Dating Story, Inside the NFL, Wife Swap, American Gangster, and Intervention.

Jake has been awarded many accolades and honors in the production community, including the Telly Award in 2004 and 2005, the Addy Award in 2006, and the Communicator Award in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. In 2009, Jake co-directed a feature film, No Boundaries, which has won many awards including: The Audience Choice Award at White Sands International Film Festival, Official Selection to Nashville Film Festival, Official Selection to the Philadelphia Film Festival, Award of Excellence at the Indie Fest, and a Golden Palm Award at the Mexico International Film Festival.


Brandon E. Brooks

Director, Producer, Screenwriter

Brandon E. Brooks has almost fifteen years of experience in front of and behind the camera. During this time, he’s scripted twenty feature, short film, and TV pilot screenplays. Brandon was an assistant director on feature film projects such as the independent drama, Look Hard, and produced the award-winning short drama Simply Untitled, which was directed by filmmaker/actor Robert X. Golphin (The Great Debaters). Brandon has also assisted in casting for films such as M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs (Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix), Killing Emmett Young (Tim Roth, Gabriel Byrne), and Miami Vice (Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx).

In late 2006, Brandon was the unit production manager for the third film in the “Unknown” trilogy, titled Gone, which starred supermodel-turned-actress Angie Everhart (Bordello of Blood). Next, he was an assistant director on the thriller, Aftermath, which starred Edward Furlong (Terminator 2) and Monica Keena (Freddy vs. Jason). Brandon produced a thriller out on DVD, The Quiet Ones, which stars up-and-coming actors Adam C. Edwards (TV’s Teen Wolf) and Brea Bee (Silver Linings Playbook), as well as veteran actors Courtney Gains (Stephen King's Children of the Corn), Bill Allen (Rad), and Reggie Bannister (Phantasm).

Brooks recently directed and produced an action horror thriller he scripted entitled Sickness, which stars Katarina Leigh Waters (Play James Play) and Brian O'Halloran (Clerks 1 & 2). He’s currently in post-production as a producer of an indie drama titled A Man Possessed, which stars pro-wrestling-legend–slash–actor Tom "Tommy Dreamer" Laughlin (Army of the Damned). Right now Brooks is in early pre-production as an actor and producer for an independent action horror feature titled Last Snow, which will be directed by it's screenwriter, Amel J. Figueroa.

Brooks also moonlights as an actor and professional stunt person along with directing, producing, and screenwriting.


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Devin Wachs

Producer, Screenwriter, Production Manager

An experienced media professional, Devin has expertise in media production, screenwriting, graphic design, public relations, and marketing. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College cum laude with a degree in History of Art and a minor in Film Studies. The production manager for Violet Pictures' feature No Boundaries, she has worked on music video, non-profit video, and television shoots.

Devin has nine years' experience promoting an art house movie theater, and she brings a keen understanding of the realities of film exhibition as well as marketing and promotional techniques to her work. In addition to her film production work, she provides graphic design, marketing, and communications services to a diverse slate of clients. For more information, visit www.DevinWachs.com.

 


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Drew Vernon

Cameraman

A sophomore Communications major at Cabrini College, Drew has interned for Violet Pictures since 2013. He provides audio engineering services and films music videos for a number of local musicians and manages his brother, rapper Trent Vernon. He is also the Production Package Supervisor and a Package Producer for LOQation News, Cabrini College's weekly news magazine, and plays forward on the men's soccer team. Vernon recently acted as a cameraman for the upcoming SaintSinner Entertainment horror thriller titled Sickness.

 

 

 


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R. Kevin Reilly

Animator, Storyboard Artist

R. Kevin Reilly is an animator and designer specializing in concept and storyboard art. Servicing corporate, film, television, game, and web clients is essential to the unique skill set Kevin offers every project. Alongside continued higher education, Kevin has over 10 years of design experience.

With experience collaborating with Fortune 500 companies, agencies, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts, Kevin knows how to listen to, understand, interpret and enrich your concepts and ideas while delivering a product quickly and efficiently.