by Chris Denson
So the thing is this: Everything we do, we do by faith. We drive down the street with music blaring and eating cheeseburgers, under the assumption – or faith – that we won’t get hit by a bus. When we launch a company or new product or new form of entertainment, we have an unyielding conviction – or faith – that it will sell like hot cakes. When we jump off a pile of rocks, into moving stream of water, some would argue it to be dangerous, while their counterparts have faith – that our faces won’t splatter in the rocky depths below (graphic, I know). I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.
Although we tend to look at ourselves as the vehicle that pushes wonderful things into the world, I like to think that we are always guided by some internal compass, or gut feeling or “faith.” And as ego-centric as Hollywood and the media industry can be, it’s great to find an individual who is both accomplished and humble. Meet Rebecca … don’t bother trying pronounce her multi-syllabic last name, without practice, you’ll have an aneurysm.
Rebecca’s the kind of person you go to with a quandary and the next thing you know, you’ve figured it out on your own and she hasn’t said a word. Sometimes being in her presence is just good enough. It’s truly a gift of inspiration. She’s an accomplished filmmaker, activist, film school director, wife, pastor, art enthusiast, mother and a person who truly lives her life with purpose. She and I first met when I was elected to the Mid City West Community Council‘s Arts and Recreation Committee. A week or two later, we sat down for coffee, and two hours after that coffee, I realized we needed to stop talking because I was late to work…. and we probably had another two hours in us!
The word inspiration, means to be “in spirit”. Whether it’s a movie, a book, a person, or work of art, when we’re inspired by something, it’s because deep within, we’re moved by the experience. I try each and every day to be inspired by things I encounter and the people I’m lucky enough to encounter.
Because sometimes you just have to jump in with your clothes on.
About Rebecca Ver Straten-McSparren:
Rebecca is the director of the L.A. Film Studies Center (LAFSC), an intensive film production program for college seniors who are finishing their degrees in film. She also teaches in the program. Rebecca recently moved from being the director of the City of the Angels Film Festival to the Board of Directors, and has participated as panelist, emcee, co-producer and head of panels over the last seven years. She is on the planning committee for Reel Spirituality, a think-tank for filmmakers and theologians sponsored by Fuller Theological Seminary. Rebecca speaks on film, culture and theological issues at Reel Spirituality, Act One (faculty) and at various conferences and colleges/universities. She was on the revision team for the book Reel Spirituality and has written, “Polanyi’s Personal Knowledge and Watching Movies,” in the book, Reframing Theology and Film: New Focus for an Emerging Discipline (Cultural Exegesis), edited by Robert K. Johnston for Baker Academics.
Elected to the Mid City WEST Community Council, Rebecca is chair of the Arts and Recreation Committee in the area where LAFSC is located, and directs a monthly art walk of over 40 galleries and museums.
Before coming to LAFSC, Rebecca was the principal and executive director of an urban school for low-income families, coming from a background leading urban non-profits and working with gang members, taggers and urban youth. She was also the pastor of Tribe of Los Angeles, a church ministering to artists, filmmakers and graduate students. As an ordained minister she has served in several churches and created an art gallery at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles with international, national and local artists, developed courses, writing groups and retreats for artists and filmmakers.
Genius Effect is very proud to know and work with such an accomplished individual. Lisa Jones Johnson is probably one of the smartest, skilled and well rounded people I can think of. She’s an award-winning author, a Harvard Law Graduate, an executive producer, an active community member, a general manager, an international entrepreneur, a wife, a mother, and probably 20 other things I have yet to discover. It’s great to be around someone you can constantly be inspired by and learn from. So pay close attention!!!
Lisa Jones Johnson
Biography
Lisa Jones Johnson has extensive experience in the media and entertainment industries. She is currently a partner in The Global Broadcasting Company, a media company that is launching cable television channels across Europe. Immediately prior to joining GBC, she was the Chief Executive Officer of Comedy Express Television, a broadband company targeted to young adult males that was acquired by industry heavyweight National Lampoon Inc in early 2008.
Prior to being named Chief Executive Officer of Comedy Express, Ms. Jones Johnson served as Executive Vice President of Development and Operations for Western International Syndication where she Executive Produced over 100 hours of television programming. was part of the management team that took Western private in a management leveraged buy out in 2000. The company had formerly been a division of Western Media and The Interpublic Group of companies. During her five years at Western, Ms. Jones Johnson oversaw development, creative strategy and operations, including Executive Producing over 100 episodes of television programming, which included a movie for the Sci Fi Network and 130 episodes of a game show for the Pax Television Network. While at Western Ms. Jones Johnson also worked extensively in the international television arena including structuring a co-production for development of a one hour dramatic series to be distributed by Western and leading French company TF-1.
Prior to joining Western, Ms. Jones Johnson was the acting Chief Operating Officer of Al Anwa, a privately held company which at that time was the largest owner of Ritz Carlton Hotels. The company’s portfolio of real estate includied the Ritz Carlton Hotels in New York, Houston, Aspen and Washington D.C, ,two boutique hotels in Marina Del Rey, California and a Marriott in Chicago. Ms. Jones Johnson was responsible for overseeing all operations at the hotels, including being the primary interface with the senior management of the properties. In addition, while in that position, she negotiated and successfully closed a deal with the Donald Trump Organization for the re-negotiation of the ground lease on the New York Ritz Carlton.
Ms. Jones Johnson’s experience in the entertainment and media industries, also includes her work as Broadcast Counsel at CBS in New York where she negotiated CBS’s billion dollar deal with Major League Baseball, one of the largest television rights deals at that time. Following her work at CBS, Ms. Jones Johnson was a screenwriter and independent producer for four years with projects at Paramount, Fox and Hemdale Communications.
Finally, Ms. Jones Johnson’s worked in the music industry where she Executive Produced Lionel Hampton’s last album for Motown Records featuring performances from a star studded roster of artists including, Stevie Wonder, Tito Puente, Grover Washington, Jr., Chaka Khan and many others. Based on the success of that album she became President and General Manager of Alibi records, an independent R&B label.
Ms. Jones Johnson began her career as a corporate lawyer in New York for the firm of Debevoise & Plimpton where she specialized in leveraged buy outs. Ms. Jones Johnson was an Adjunct Professor of Law at USC Law School for four years, teaching a course on drafting and negotiating entertainment contracts.
Ms. Jones Johnson is an honors graduate of Harvard University and the Harvard Law School and is bi-lingual in French and proficient in Portuguese having lived in Paris France and studied in Brazil on a Harvard Fellowship.
by Chris Denson
I first met Kerry when I was the Marketing Director at the New York Film Academy. At the time, I booked her as a guest speaker along with writer/director, Brian Herzlinger to talk to our students about real life in Hollywood and screened one of their recent projects, “My Date With Drew.” A few lunches, phone calls and now years later, Kerry (and Brian for that matter) has become one of my absolute favorite people in the enertainment industry. She’s smart, dynamic, has an incredible energy, and is great at what she does. With that said, we are proud to have Kerry David as part of the Genius Effect Advisory Board.
About Kerry David:
KERRY DAVID (Producer) has produced such hits as Agent Cody Banks and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London. She most recently produced the award winning Like Dandelion Dust, starring Mira Sorvino, Barry Pepper and Cole Hauser for 20th Century Fox. Dandelion was adapted from a New York Times best-selling novelist by Oscar nominated screenwriter Stephen J Rivele (Ali, Nixon). Dandelion was named Best of the Fest at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2009.
Her multiple award winning documentary; My Date with Drew was made with a budget of only $1,100 and had a worldwide, theatrical release, selling domestically for $650,000, and grossing over $8,000,000 worldwide. Drew won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival, against such films as Napoleon Dynamite, Garden State and Supersize Me. Drew also won the Best Feature Award at the New York Gen Art Film Festival, Best Documentary at the Vail Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Feature, the Gellar/Devonport Award for Best Feature and the Grand Jury Award for Best Feature at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival. Drew also received a “Special Mention” at the famed Locarno Film Festival; arguably the most prestigious documentary film festival today and was named the fourth most profitable movie of all time based on a budget to revenue comparison by an independent study.
In 2006 David produced Perfect Romance for Lifetime Television Network, written by Allison Burnett (Untraceable, Fame). Her next project partnered her with two of the top ten golfers in the world to produce Expert Insight: Short Game Golf with Jim Furyk & Fred Funk which won the 2007 Telly Award for Outstanding Instructional Content and Cinematic Excellence.
Before starting her own production company she spent three years working for, and traveling with, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman on such films as Portrait of a Lady, Peacemaker, Practical Magic, The Blue Room, Without Limits, Mission Impossible: 2 and as she refers to it her “13 months in film school with Stanley Kubrick” on Eyes Wide Shut. David also Co-produced the award winning, special edition DVD of The Usual Suspects: Roundup: Deposing the Usual Suspects.
Kerry David's social network for filmmakers
In 2001 David founded www.IndieProducer.net (iP), a social networking community that helps educate and support new and emerging filmmakers. With a current member base that reaches 60,000 filmmakers worldwide, iP provides information, resources, entertainment news, interviews, education, and offers an annual screenwriting and short film contest to its members. iP promotes networking opportunities that connect new & emerging filmmakers with established working professionals and rewards them at an Annual iP Awards Gala at the Writer s Guild Theatre in Beverly Hills, so far iP has honored such notable filmmakers as Jon Favreau, Bill Paxton, Andy Garcia and Michael Rapaport.
David has been a guest speaker, panelist, and moderator at film festivals and film summits all over the world. She speaks at colleges, schools and writing groups to encourage and support new and emerging filmmakers. She is a voting member of BAFTA (British Academy of Film & Television) and the PGA (Producers Guild of America) and a mentor for Step Up, a national network dedicated to strengthening community resources for women and girls.
