Executive Producer/Inspiration – Maximus “MAX”
Mr. Max is an award winning children’s book author and music producer and English Labrador. He has been recognized in nationally known publications, radio and television, as well by United States Congressmen, Senator, and Michigan Governor. He has won several awards for his children’s book series “Read With Max™” and his second People Choice Silver Telly Award in 2013. He also has won several awards with his music series “Sing With Max™.” He currently serves as an advocate for children’s and animal charities. He will be active in the creative aspects of the show to serve as consultant on maintaining true characterizes of the featured animals.
Executive Producer: Brian Esposito
Founder & President of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises, LLC (EIE) www.eie.rocks. EIE ultimately became a holding company for over 20 years of work, business startups, and investments. Focuses stem from manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality and hotel development, restaurants, commercial real estate, liquor, technology, media, energy, oil & gas, TELCOM, aviation, space, maritime, music, TV & Film, education, beauty, transportation, medical technology, security, hemp, and fashion. Brian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to any team with his drive, ethics, and passion of connecting executives around the globe. His specialty is taking a company’s vision and launching it into the market with the correct team and resources to ensure its success. After 20+ years of owning his own businesses and self-funding them all, Brian has had the opportunity to build his experience levels to a point that has well prepared him for this next chapter of his career. His leadership and network of successful C-level executives and government officials around the globe is vast and relative. Brian has been extremely effective in high-profile executive roles that include high-stakes decisions and overcoming complex business challenges. He has been quoted as “unafraid of creating and seizing business opportunities, expanding into new markets, and launching innovative products and services.” His strong and proven leadership skills with the ability to make things happen has led him to receive, and accept, the roll, and position, of General Partner and President of a fully reporting Public General Partnership. That GP is currently in final stages of merging with a senior listed NYSE entity which will have a combined $7.5b in assets on its balance sheet. Through his direction and leadership, he has brought online a 20-year pipeline of projects that exceed $16b. These projects are across the many industries under the umbrella of the GP. His integrity
and relationships are everything to him. Over the years he has perfected his techniques in not only connecting the right people, but the right people at the right time, as time is our most precious commodity.
Executive Producer: Craig Brandwynne
Award winning Craig Brandwynne has been in the music business for over 35 years and is an accomplished musician, composer, writer, producer and engineer. Craig has written and produced music for artists and corporate clients as well as written for musical theater. In 2010 Craig Brandwynne received an Emmy™ nomination for music/arrangement, as well as 2011 A Telly™ Award and a 2012 “People Choice” Telly™ award for a promotional video. In 2013, two of his projects were selected for the 56th Grammy Awards nomination ballot. He co-produced the “SING WITH MAX” album which as earned a Mom’s Choice Award and Dove Foundation Seal of Approval. He has scored music for movies and his recent projects include; Composer and Music Supervisor for the movie “A Long Way Off.” He is currently working on independent films “Union Bound” and “Change Over.”
Music Producer: Scott Underwood
Scott Underwood is founding member and former drummer of 8 Grammy nominations, 3 Grammy awards, 2 Billboard Awards winner, 1 ASCAP Pop Music Award winner, Pop Rock band “Train”. Scott will be providing musical collaboration for “The Biscuit Band”, playing percussion instruments and drumming for Max, co-writing original music for episodes. You may even see him as a guest character in the show.
Script Writer: Jennifer Tressen
Born and raised in Southern California, Jennifer Tressen caught the entertainment bug early. Despite having absolutely no “connections” in the industry she began working at the ripe old age of 12, doing commercials and print campaigns for national brands such as Nike and Sam Goody and appeared in the television series The Monk. A proud SAG member, Jennifer’s interests on set shifted from being in front of the camera to wanting to work behind it. Unafraid of being told “no,” she made her way onto the sets of major network shows such as ER and The West Wing for job shadowing at which point she believed she wanted to be a cinematographer. This passion sent her to film school at Chapman University in Orange, CA where her major quickly shifted when she realized, thanks to Professor Jim Macak, that she had a natural talent for screenwriting after placing or winning every competition she entered with the first script she had ever written.
It was at Chapman that she met her mentor, Blake Snyder, one of the most critically acclaimed screenwriting gurus in the business. Even with the worldwide success of his Save the Cat screenwriting books, Snyder continued to mentor Jennifer in her pursuit to create family programming until his sudden death in 2009.
After graduating, Jennifer began work as a freelance screenwriter and script consultant for independent and studio producers. Her current roster of regular clients includes everyone from newbies to studio producers to an Academy Award Winning Screenwriter. She has also branched out into writing novels for the teen and young adult audience.
Episode & Website Early Educational Childhood Curriculum Director– Tracey Daniels
While some educators may have believe that imagination and learning are two separate aspects of the developmental process and that children only learn through the textbook ‘ages and stages’ theory , Tracey is an educator who has always strongly believed that learning comes in to existence with every child as early as the beginning stages of life, and it is then where the learning begins and the imagination never ends. Tracey’s theory “It’s all about the deliverance” every child regardless of age has the ability to learn above and beyond the ‘standards’ when given the proper tools and attention to the methods of teaching.
Tracey Marie Daniel, married and a proud mother of 5 children, knew she wanted to be an educator at the very early age of 4 when she would force her older siblings to be her ‘students’ One day that dream would become a reality as she would attend Baker College and earn her Associates Degree in the Applied Science of Early Childhood Learning.
It was not a surprise to many when she would graduate ‘Summa Cum Laude’ and receive one of the most highly regarded and long standing honors programs in the nation. In 2005 Tracey was the recipient of the Academic Excellence Award “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges.
Tracey has worked with Macomb County Head Start ages 3-4, Fitzgerald Public schools lower elementary K-6, Vacation Bible School ages 4-9, Youth Camp ages 4-15, KinderCare learning ages 2-4 and started her own Early Learning Program known as Little Brain Builders in 2006 where she continues to ‘build’ brains doing what she loves with children ages 6 weeks-5 years and latchkey after school program ages 5-12.
Tracey continues to further her knowledge and educational training through various organizations such as 4-C’s, United Way, Great Start Connect, Childcare community, MISD, Association for Child Development and Leaps and Bounds.
Director: Estes Tarver
Estes Tarver is an award winning actor, director, writer, and producer working out of Raleigh, NC. He has acted in NYC, LA, NC, and regionally. Estes is currently recurring on Season 2 of “Under The Dome” on CBS as Tom Tilden. He has also been seen on such shows as Turn, One Tree Hill, Dawson’s Creek, As The World Turns, The Guiding Light, and appeared in Colin Firth’s Arthur Newman Golf Pro. On stage, Estes has worked off-broadway and regionally with Oscar™/Emmy™ nominated award-winning directors and actors. He has written and produced award winning film and is in post-production on the feature film Changeover. He has also produced, written, and directed national brand commercials (Walgreens, Alli, Hasbro…etc). Estes’ students have booked major roles on shows and films such as Disney’s The Lone Ranger, Terminator Genesis, Turn, Sleepy Hollow, Barely Lethal, Triple Nine, Last Vegas, Eastbound and Down, Hunger Games, The Bay (Barry Levinson), Army Wives, Hick, Banshee, Revolution, and have had callbacks to many Feature Films, Disney TV, Nickelodeon, Disney XD, the National tour of Peter Pan…etc. They have also worked on or had callbacks to Broadway shows, been accepted and won scholarships into top college programs (Tisch, UNCSA, Elon), had callbacks to CBS, Nickelodeon, HBO, L & O, etc.
Estes coaches actors at the professional level, taught acting at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and also the North Carolina Theatre Conservatory. He has an MFA in acting from UNC-Chapel Hill and has students regularly acting in stage, film, and television.
This Fall Estes’ Studio will be expanding into a full Drama school and Black Box Theatre: “Moonlight Stage Company” www.moonlightstageco.com.
Creative Development: Philip A Cruden
Phil has a passion for film making and has been privileged to spend the past 23 years indulging that passion making animated feature films, TV shows and games. He also has a passion for all things NASA and astronomy!
Phil’s career in the Animation Industry has spanned over 23 years during which he has worked as a Layout Supervisor, Director, Production Designer and Art Director on both 2D and CG projects for some of the leading companies in the field including 20th Century Fox, Fox TV, Nickelodeon, O Entertainment, Paramount, Universal, Warner Brothers and Sony on 9 animated feature films that have earned a combined box office gross of over $876 million worldwide. Phil has also worked on 2 Direct to Video animated films, 16 animated TV shows (spanning over 322 episodes) and 5 games.
In 2000 Phil was nominated for and Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement In An Animated Theatrical Feature for his work on 20th Century Fox Animation’s feature film Titan A. E.
In 2006 Phil formed his own design studio, Go For Launch Productions and they were awarded a Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award for Production Design for their work on the 2008-2009 season of Back At The Barnyard.
In 2014 Phil and his wife partnered with Malachi Bazan to form Go For Launch Games and given his passion for NASA and space it’s no surprise that their first app game Spaceman Skip and The Nebublobs takes place in outer space!
Phil has a degree in classical animation from Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada.
When he’s not working Phil pursues his other passions; painting, photography, astrophotography, astronomy, cooking and playing the guitar.
Phil and his company have worked on the following projects:
Film
| The Hero Of Color City | Production Designer, Art Director, Art Department Head |
| Bunyan and Babe | Production Designer, Art Director |
| Ratchet & Clank | Character Design and Breakdown, Set Design |
| HOP: The Movie | Set and Prop Design |
Direct To Video
| Lenny and Sid | Art Director |
TV Series
| Dragons: Riders of Berk | Character Design and Breakdown |
| Planet Sheen – 50 episodes | Production Designer, Art Director, Art Department |
TV Series – Continued
| Back At The Barnyard – 90 episodes | Character Design and Breakdown, Set Design |
| The LeBrons – Web Series | Set and Prop Design |
Games
| Spaceman Skip and The Nebublobs | Creator, Artistic Lead |
| Thor | Set, Game and Character Design |
| Kingdom Hearts | Set, Game and Character Design |
| Disney’s Epic History | Set, Game and Character Design |
| Stargate Worlds | Set Design |
Prior to forming Go For Launch Production Phil worked on the following projects:
Film
| Barnyard: The Original Party Animals | Production Designer/Art Director |
| Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights | Art Director |
| Ice Age | Concept Artist |
| Titan A. E. | Production Designer |
| Anastasia | Production Designer |
| Benjamin Blumshin | Layout Supervisor |
Direct To Video
| Bartok The Magnificent | Visual Development |
TV Series
| Urmel of the Ice | Director |
| Bynnykins | Layout and Set Design |
| Monster Force | Layout Supervisor |
| Problem Child | Layout Supervisor |
| Teddy Ruxpin | Layout |
| Beavis and Butthead | Layout and Set Design |
| The Critic | Layout and Set Design |
| The Simpsons | Layout and Set Design |
| Tales From the Cryptkeeper | Layout and Set Design |
| The Pink Panther | Layout Artist |
| For Better or for Worse | EFX |
Creative Devlopment: Lorraine Cruden
Lorraine began her career as a computer programmer and systems analyst in the banking industry, little knowing that she would one day work in the entertainment industry.
Lorraine has worked with Phil since forming Go For Launch Productions in 2006 and being a small company Lorraine has worn many hats, both creative and administrative. Lorraine is also the point contact for all clients and depending upon the needs of the client, she has also taken on the roll of Associate Producer for the client, managing and tracking work flow through the client’s contracted production studio.
Lorraine has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, Canada.
When she’s not working Lorraine pursues her other passions; gardening, reading, writing and quilting.
Lorraine has worked on the following projects:
Film
| The Hero Of Color City | |
| Bunyan and Babe | |
| Ratchet & Clank | |
| HOP: The Movie |
TV Series
| Dragons: Riders of Berk | |
| Planet Sheen – 50 episodes | |
| Back At The Barnyard – 90 episodes | |
| The LeBrons – Web Series |
Games
| Spaceman Skip and The Nebublobs | |
| Thor | |
| Kingdom Hearts | |
| Disney’s Epic History | |
| Stargate Worlds |
Creative Director | Animation Consultant: Benjamin R. Parks
Born a twin in Burbank, California but raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Benjamin R. Parks, began a musical career at the age of 9, by attending the American Boychoir. Parks continued studying Music Education, bassoon, piano, alto saxophone and vocal performance at Middle Tennessee State University and received his Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Radio/TV – Photography and a specialization in Digital Animation with minors in Art and Music Arts. Parks also received his Master of Fine Arts in Computer Art: Animation from School of VISUAL ARTS. Upon graduation, Parks immediately landed a freelance position with Curious ?ictures doing motion capture animation for Harmonix’ Rock Band 2. Parks has also done animation for clients such as author Mitch Chivus (Fartsy Claus children’s book), YooStar Entertainment and Quaver’s Marvelous World of Music. Aside from animation, Parks also has numerous website clients which have included celebrity make-up artist Rose-Marie Swift, world renowned illustrator and artist Viktor Koen, and runway model turned artist Aissata Pinto Da Costa. Parks also has taught at Art Institute of Pittsburgh: Online Division while in New York, animation and game design classes at ITT Technical Institute, and currently serving as full time faculty at Living Arts College in Raleigh, NC as part of the Animation & Game Design department. Parks has taught animation, game design, web design, drawing and film editing classes. Parks also serves as a faculty advisor to the Game Developer’s Guild, a student chapter of the International Game Developers Association, and serves on the advisory board to Heritage High School’s Game Art and Design Academy.
Senior Graphic Designer – Julie Majewski
Born in Southfield, MI Julie Majewski become the first generation to go on to college at Center Michigan University and earn a bachelor of science. Julie is also holds quadruple majors in Land Use Planning, Remote Sensing, GISci (GIS, GPS, and aerial photography), and Earth Sciences. After college Julie worked as a digital cartographer and went into the marketing field working first with many international brand and products in developing marketing materials in the consumer’s goods industry, then taking a role as a project manager and corporate trainer for the Local Search Association training industry. Julie has experience in print yellow pages as well digital search media such as internet yellow pages, online advertising, mobile advertising just to name a few. She also served as their corporate Senior Graphic Designer for all material including website design and external communications to the industry. Julie has also worked for United Health Care as a Dashboard & Reporting Senior Graphic Designer and was recognized corporately with multiple awards for her work. Julie has received several awards in international competition for children’s book cover designs as part of the “Read With Max” book series, and a 2011 People Choice “Silver” Telly award for her work on a promotional video.