Lots of schools call them teachers or instructors. We call them Mentors.
A mentor is someone who believes in you. Who sees your potential. Who thinks you’ve got a future within your grasp. And who then wants to show you the path…to help you find your own way.
IAFT mentors do not just teach…they inspire.
To learn how to make exceptional works of art through film that speak to your audiences, you need to learn from the best – seasoned industry professionals from around the globe who know the ropes and have dedicated themselves to showing you how to get where you want to go.
Our mentors are chosen carefully with an eye to their experience in the industry, instructional skills, and – most importantly – the ability to nurture you the student in your creative and technical aspirations.
We also routinely enlist top lecturers from abroad to give you unique, practical insights into the world of filmmaking – ensuring you have nothing but the best faculty on hand to show you the way forward.
IAFT mentors are there to show you how to create your own path. Ready to take the first step? Contact us today to begin.
Jeff Bacon
Jeff Bacon grew up and attended college in Nebraska before moving to Los Angeles where he studied screenwriting at UCLA. While working day jobs at movie studios such as MGM and New Line Cinema, Jeff wrote and directed several short films, including Birth of a Salesman (1999), My Life is a Movie (2002), and Distorted (2006). Jeff turned to teaching in 2007, serving as screenwriting mentor, senior mentor, and Program Director for Filmmaking at IAFT in Cebu, through 2010. He directed all episodes of a comedy web series he wrote and created with Joe Davidson. He and his wife Cindy have a daughter, Liana, born in 2012. Jeff currently resides in Los Angeles and teaches producing.
Frederick Bailey
Frederick Bailey made his debut as a feature director with SHOGUN COP, a fantasy adventure unveiled at the Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival. A total of 23 of his screenplays have been turned into movies. He’s worked extensively with producers as diverse as Roger Corman and Bob Rafelson. His screen acting credits include supporting roles in nearly 20 films, as well as a recurring role on NBC’s Days of Our Lives. Plus he’s directed over a hundred stage plays in theatres all across the U.S. Recently, he wrote, directed and on-screen hosted two 45-minute educational documentaries for IAFT: DIRECTING and SCREENWRITING. He’s taught acting,directing, and screenwriting in Japan and the Philippines. You can find him listed on IMDb.com with fairly accurate information: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0047264/
David Michael Barrett
David Michael Barrett has an extensive background in writing and producing reality television, including the internationally syndicated Shop the World series and numerous shows on HGTV, including What’s With That House?, Over Your Head, Man Land, and several network specials. He’s the screenwriter and executive producer of the award-winning indie comedy, BAD ACTRESS, which premiered at the Miami International Film Festival, then screened in festivals worldwide before selling to Strand Releasing. David’s contemporary screwball comedy, SUCH GOOD PEOPLE, is scheduled to go into production this spring. After graduating from the CSU Northridge film program, David’s career began at Warner Bros. and Spelling Entertainment. He teaches Non-Scripted Television.
Jarin Blaschke
D.P. Jarin Blaschke has multiple feature films and shorts to his credit, along with music videos, national commercials, and branded work with high profile clients. He was chosen as one of only four cinematographers in the U.S. to collaborate at the 2008 Sundance Director’s Lab, and he’s photographed numerous films selected for Sundance as well as dozens of other landmark festivals, including Berlin, SXSW, Toronto, and New York. His work has been distributed by Lionsgate. A web series he recently shot was nominated for an Emmy award.
Steven Boe
Steven Boe began his career in front of the camera working as an actor on several features and television series including Wild Bill, The 60’s, L.A. Law, Baywatch Nights, and most notably as Cam Cutler in the Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion. He is the co-founder and President of Imaginal Cells FilmWorks, a production and post-production company in Los Angeles. In addition to working with film studios and network television, Steven has independently produced and directed several award-winning films, including the dark comedy UGLY ON THE INSIDE (currently being developed as a television series), and the animated documentary MYTHIC JOURNEYS, featuring the voices of Tim Curry and Mark Hamill. Boe has been a guest speaker and panelist at multiple film festivals, schools, conferences and organizations. He’s a member of Film Independent; the International Documentary Association; SAG; AEA; the Joseph Campbell Foundation, and on the board of directors for The Brittany Foundation (a non-profit group dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of abandoned dogs). Steven teaches Cinematography, Producing, PSA, and Locations.
David Brown
After cutting trailers and promos for the Starz block of channels and winning many awards, David progressed to teaching editing at the Colorado Film School. When he moved to the Los Angeles area, he started putting together promos for the array of Disney/ABC Channels. He now continues his teaching career at IAFT with his Editing course.
Doug Dearth
Doug Dearth directed and produced the award-winning documentary, 9000 NEEDLES, and has produced documentaries for the critically acclaimed Vanguard Documentary Series on Current TV. He’s served in various positions from Music Coordinator to Associate Producer and Second Unit Director on multiple films for John Cusack’s New Crime Productions, including GROSSE POINTE BLANK and HIGH FIDELITY. He’s also worked as an actor with noted directors Stephen Frears, Bruce Beresford, Clint Eastwood and Harold Ramis. Doug directed and produced the feature film UNDERDOGS, filmed on location in Canton, Ohio. Upcoming, he’s slated to direct the feature film THREE DOG NIGHT, on which he’s also co-writer. Doug’s production company, One In A Row Films, is based in Santa Monica. He teaches Documentary production.
Rich Hyatt
Armed with an MFA in Film & Video from the California Institute of the Arts, Rich Hyatt has broadcast editing credits on multiple episodes of A&E Biography, including one (Sylvester Stallone) that won a 2005 Cine Golden Eagle. He’s also handled editing projects for SPEEDtv and Outdoor Life Network. Rich teaches editing and cinematography courses. Rich mentors in Cinematography, Editing, and Class Film.
Russell P. Marleau
Originally from the Bay Area of California, Russell Marleau spent his formative years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He attended San Jose State University where he received a BA in Film & Television. Since moving to Los Angeles in 1989, Marleau has worked as screenwriter, producer and director. He’s done many animated television series, including The Adventures of Hyperman, Life With Louie, The Proud Family, and The Grimm Kids. Expanding into live-action television, Marleau was show runner for The New Adventures of A.R.K.: Animal Rescue Kids and consulted on Bone Chillers. In the realm of feature films, Marleau wrote and produced 3-Way and made his directorial debut with the coming-of-age teen comedy, The Curiosity of Chance, a multiple festival award-winner. He’s since written numerous work-for-hire screenplays for various studios. Russ teaches Screenwriting and Producing.
Angela Martinez
Angela Martinez has been in love with post-production for the last 11 years. She’s Final Cut Pro certified and has worked as an editor or graphic artist at some of the most interesting post houses and production companies in L.A., including Magic Elevator, Steakhaus Productions, Red Mango Studios, Pixel Dust Productions, Main Street Pictures and Umanistic Features. Her various projects have included promos, independents, mock commercials, and an animatic, all of which were very heavy in After Effects and Cinema 4D. She knows how to tell a story and how to meet a deadline. She’s got a BA in Cinema & TV Arts from Cal State Northridge, with an emphasis in editing, and studied at Video Symphony in Burbank. Angela teaches Advanced Editing.
Jeff Rack
Jeff is an Art Director for films and commercials, as well as a theatrical Set Designer. He’s worked at Disney on CON-AIR, FLUBBER, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, KUNDUN, and as a lead model-maker on ARMAGEDDON. He was also a sculptor on Tim Burton’s remake of PLANET OF THE APES. He was the Art Director on the cult film, CYXORK VII, as well as THE SCI-FI BOYS, a documentary on Ray Bradbury, Ray Harryhausen and Forrest J. Ackerman. As for ride-show vehicles, Jeff was involved in the Back to the Future Ride for Universal Studios, Disney’s Flying Wing for the Indiana Jones stunt show, Earthquake cars for Universal Studios, and a documentary film on the development and construction of a proprietary aircraft for Lockheed. He teaches Production Design.
Joe Romersa
Joe teaches sound . He brings over 25 years of experience in the sound recording and post-production industry. Joe says, “Sound is my life.” In high school he won a College Competition Award in Electronic Futuristic Music using Musique Concrete, a technique used to manipulate sounds. He’s also worked with legends of the music industry and recorded a Grammy-winner. He has untold years of experience in sound engineering, working in some of the largest professional studios in Los Angeles, recording everything from simple, single microphone sessions, to full band and orchestra, location recording and mixing. He’s created sound design in many Anime titles, including Ghost In The Shell and Street Fighter II, and games (Resident Evil 5). He’s very experienced in Foley, ADR and voice direction and taught engineering at the American Recording Institute. He has used Pro Tools since its inception and knows Logic and Digital Performer as well. As a songwriter, he wrote songs for Silent Hill runs his own sound establishment, Shadow Box Studio. http://www.shadowboxstudio.com
Roy Samuelson
Roy Samuelson has over 20 years experience as a voice actor. He’s booked national voice-over ad campaigns for TV, including Intel, Jeep, Dodge, and Nestle Wonka. He has voiced the killer in Midnight Movie, various voices in The Beacon and Universal’s The Express and Von Helsing, as well as the Jerry Bruckheimer/Disney feature G-Force. He has recorded many promo spots for the Los Angeles NPR station KCRW.
Alberto Veloso
Alberto Veloso is a diploma graduate of our film school in Palm Beach, Florida and subsequently an instructor at our Miami school, where he taught screenwriting. He’s also taught screenwriting at the Florida Center for Literary Arts. He’s served as writer on a dramatic feature, THE DUEL. He’s been producer/writer/director/editor on about a dozen short videos. He’s been named winner, second runner-up or finalist in four different screenwriting competitions, including Screenwriters Challenge and WriteMovies.com. Alberto graduated magna cum laude from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
Kenneth Wiatrak
Kenneth Wiatrak is a professional director of photography, live-action cameraman, and visual effects supervisor with a BFA in Filmmaking and Photography from the University of Michigan. He’s a member of the International Cinematographer’s Guild, the Visual Effects Society, and the Animation Guild. He’s served as D.P. on countless live-action features and TV shows, plus trailers, titles and shorts for Warners, Universal, Disney, and New Line, and has shot promos for the major U.S. television networks. He was D.P., Visual Effects Supervisor and Pre-Visualization Artist on the live-action/animated short, The Cat Who Talked To A King, for the Disney studio. He’s worked on myriad broadcast commercials, frequently acting as both director and D.P. He’s been the cinematographer on multiple music videos, including Widespread Panic/Live at the Georgia Theatre for director Billy Bob Thornton, and on many documentaries. He’s lectured on visual effects at the International School of Film and Television in Cuba.
