POP SCREEN
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Musical
This film is inspired by the writer/director's 3 years as night receptionist for Conway Recording Studios, a historic studio in Hollywood. It is an homage to the engineers, studio runners, receptionists, assistants...those who orbit greatness but may never be a star themselves.
POP SCREEN
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Musical
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $20,100 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
65 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
This film is inspired by the writer/director's 3 years as night receptionist for Conway Recording Studios, a historic studio in Hollywood. It is an homage to the engineers, studio runners, receptionists, assistants...those who orbit greatness but may never be a star themselves.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
As you explore, please check out our Wishlist items in the tab above if you'd like to contribute to any specific part of the filmmaking process.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know you feel
Alone in a world gone black and white
When you lose the fight
-- Give In To the Night, song for POP SCREEN written by Meg Steedle
(You'll find the film's fully produced version of the song below...)
Director's Statement
Pop Screen is a backstage story.
Most backstage stories follow a superhero trajectory: gifted young person is discovered,
questions if they’re good enough, suffers, works hard, and gets one shot at glory…
In 2012, I had my own big shot as an actor and, after that gig, I thought I had ‘made it.
I auditioned tirelessly for years, took increasingly worse jobs, and felt I had failed. Because I
love music, I applied (on craigslist) to be a recording studio receptionist almost as an escape.
To my surprise, the legendary Conway Recording Studios hired me.
I began catering to the ‘real’ stars.
Pop Screen came out of a fellow receptionist’s run-in with a music producer who heard her
testing the mic, gave her his card, and promised they’d work some ‘demos’ together.
He never called back.
The recording studio, with its gated entrance, high-stakes clients, and soundproof
glass divisions, became the perfect backdrop for a story of longing, power,
and unfulfilled promise...
I noticed, though, that this place that epitomized creative power dynamics was also
becoming a second home:
there, engineers taught me how to make beats,
other receptionists pulled me aside for songwriting co-writes,
and at night, after clients left, we’d all run to an empty studio to
play and dance to our own music.
I felt my creative virility resurface.
Now, it is the setting for my first film as a writer, director, and songwriter.
I hope people will see their own dreams in this film. The characters are real people,
not superheroes,
and I hope they’ll love them even more for that.
With Pop Screen, I hope audiences feel the yearning, but also begin to recognize
the moments of possibility that exist on both sides of the glass.
Music for the Film
At the top of the page is the songwriting demo for Give In To the Night, the original song by Meg Steedle to be used in the film. Production demo below by BLKMKT for what will be the final sound for the song. Tap play for a sneak peak!
Synopsis
Our story follows Alex, the newbie receptionist of a renowned Hollywood recording studio that boasts quite the music clientele. In her 30s, she still secretly harbors dreams of becoming an artist…just like the stars she caters to everyday.
At the start of her shift, she helps the studio engineer, John, prepare Studio A for a session involving the collaboration of a well-known singer, Lily Beach, and the prolific music producer, Viggo.
Viggo’s surprise entrance as Alex is testing the mic in the live room sets the action off on an already unpredictable note. Later, when Lily storms out mid-session after she and Viggo get into an argument, Viggo grabs the talented Alex as a last minute backup in order to meet his deadline and finish the song before morning light.
Just as Alex starts to have visions of success and finally making it as a singer herself, Lily returns with her manager to rejoin the session. Alex is dismissed from the recording session and makes her way back to her desk, unsure if Viggo ever really intended to use her for the song or if he just arranged the whole thing as a ploy to get Lily back.
As Alex sits at her desk alone, the night playing out again and again in her head, John, the engineer, enters. An employee of the studio for 15 years, John suggests perhaps she’s just a 'studio rat' like him — working hard in the shadows — serving the stars while hoping to someday join their ranks…
Characters
Alex, the night receptionist
Early 30s, an avid fan of music who enjoys being around other people who love and make music. She has found her 'tribe' at Conway. As a realist, she would never admit it, but she still harbors childhood dreams of becoming an artist...
John, the assistant engineer
Mid-40s and longtime employee of Conway who's been there 15 years. A true 'studio rat.' When he first started out, he had hopes of being a producer -- but age and financial necessity led him to settle as the go-to assistant. It's a win to get written credit on the songs for which he assists...it isn't always a guarantee.
Viggo, the music producer
Early 40s, Viggo first shot to fame after his remixes of well-known artists when viral at age 21. A perfectionist, he expects the most out of everyone around him. He is most comfortable when he's in control.
Lily, the recording artist
Mid-late 30s, a pop singer and sometimes songwriter who hit big in the late 2000s. She has grown up a lot since her introduction into the music business, and is less tolerant of any perceived mistreatment in the studio than when she was 23.
Project Status
We are currently deep in pre-production, preparing for our December shoot. We have done months of planning and hiring and are proud to announce our most recent addition to the team is Andressa Cordeiro as our Director of Photography! Our Seed&Spark goal of $24,000 will cover the bare minimum costs of production in order to pay our talented cast and crew--we have been taking the experience we've gained from previous shorts in order to assemble our team of passionate, talented collaborators that will make POP SCREEN a reality.
Principal photography for POP SCREEN will take place in Los Angeles, CA at Conway Recording Studios.
Casting begins the first week of November. We are VERY committed to hiring actors who one might consider ‘unknown’ for the roles of Alex and John, who will both play studio employees. We believe it’s important that we not recognize them from other work in order to lean into the idea that there are many talented people who work in the shadows of greats…and we may never know who they are. This is a heavy acting piece and both Lily and Alex need to be able to sing…so, in all, it will take some special artists to bring this one to life. 
A couple of the studio runners in the film will be played by actual studio runners Meg worked with during her 3 years at the recording studio. We have been generously gifted the location of Conway Recording Studios in LA, the location that provides the real-world inspiration for this script, by owner (and Meg's former boss) Buddy Brundo. We are excited to hire some of Meg's studio colleagues, not only giving them a chance to shine on screen, but also to authentically portray what it is these amazing people do behind the scenes and how it is they do it.
Please Follow & Share!
Sharing our campaign on your social media is as helpful as a donation. And doing BOTH goes a long way to help us assemble the troops in December! If you know anyone who would be particularly passionate about music stories and those who work behind the scenes, please share the campaign as well as reach out to us on Instagram at @popscreenfilm. More info is also available at popscreenfilm.com.
Thank you so much for considering our project!
--Meg, Zach, Kimberlee, and Andrew
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Steadicam Operator and Equipment
Costs $1,200
If we can get enough funding, we will have some steadicam work at a crucial point in our film that will elevate the story's climax immensely
Food for Cast/Crew
Costs $1,175
Help feed our amazing cast and crew who will be working 10 -12 hours for 5 consecutive shoot days.
Cast Salaries
Costs $4,500
This includes paying into their Pension Health and Welfare as well. Some cast members we hire will be actual studio runners/engineers.
Sound!!!!!!
Costs $1,600
This is a musical film set in a recording studio and all of the vocals will be live (not dubbed). Sound is one of our most important depts!
Bedazzled Mic Prop "The glamour!"
Costs $50
Picture it–a symbol of an amplified voice, covered in rhinestones. This prop plays a VERY important part of the film. And it will SPARKLE!!
Crew Salaries
Costs $14,450
Even with a short, this section adds up. During the current lack of production in LA, your support helps create employment for talented crew
Help support our recording studio employees - "Carlos"
Costs $100
It's not much, but we will pay the actual studio employees who appear in the film. Their expertise is INVALUABLE to our production.
Help support our recording studio employees - "Robert"
Costs $100
It's not much, but we will pay the actual studio employees who appear in the film. Their expertise is INVALUABLE to our production.
Snacks for Cast/Crew provided by you! - Day 1
Costs $25
Snacks go a long way on 10-12 hour set days. On the crafty table, we will have a small sign that reads "Snacks provided by YOUR NAME HERE"
Snacks for Cast/Crew provided by you! - Day 2
Costs $25
Snacks go a long way on 10-12 hour set days. On the crafty table, we will have a small sign that reads "Snacks provided by YOUR NAME HERE"
Snacks for Cast/Crew provided by you! - Day 3
Costs $25
Snacks go a long way on 10-12 hour set days. On the crafty table, we will have a small sign that reads "Snacks provided by YOUR NAME HERE"
Snacks for Cast/Crew provided by you! - Day 4
Costs $25
Snacks go a long way on 10-12 hour set days. On the crafty table, we will have a small sign that reads "Snacks provided by YOUR NAME HERE"
Snacks for Cast/Crew provided by you! - Day 5
Costs $25
Snacks go a long way on 10-12 hour set days. On the crafty table, we will have a small sign that reads "Snacks provided by YOUR NAME HERE"
Hard Drive so we can store our film's footage
Costs $200
Our 5 days of footage will be saved and safeguarded--this crucial piece stores our film until we can start post production in January 2025
Music Mixing/Production
Costs $500
Sound engineers will help us finish the heart of Pop Screen...its music. Your pledge supports the studio employees that inspired this film.
Share this update!
About This Team
Meg Steedle
Director/Writer/Songwriter
Meg Steedle first made her professional debut as an actor in theater, working on notable world premieres such as David Ives’ 'The Heir Apparent' at the Shakespeare Theatre and Ken Ludwig’s 'Fox on the Fairway' directed by John Rando at Signature Theatre.
She ventured into television with her breakout role as flapper and Broadway actress “Billie Kent” opposite Steve Buscemi in Season 3 of HBO’s 'Boardwalk Empire, earning her a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
In 2015, Meg Chambers Steedle joined the cast of NBC’s 'The Mysteries of Laura, working opposite Debra Messing as “Detective Frankie Pulaski. Other television roles include 'Grey’s Anatomy,' 'American Horror Story,' 'NCIS,' 'Nashville,' 'I’m Dying Up Here,' 'Perception,' 'Code Black,' and 'Mr. Mercedes' among others.
On the big screen, Meg worked opposite Lance Henriksen, Tom Berenger, and Danny Trejo in the western 'Gone Are the Days' from Lionsgate and won the 61st and final Golden Eagle Cine Award for Best Narrative Short Film as a producer and lead actor of 'The Lightkeeper,' opposite Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Bruce Davison.
As a writer and songwriter, Meg was a finalist for the Screencraft Film Fund as well as The Outstanding Screenplays Short Competition with her original musical film 'Pop Screen' and was a 2022 Slamdance finalist for her screenplay 'Patient.' She is currently in pre-production to direct her first original musical film.
Zach Bandler
Writer
Zach's drama "The Lightkeeper" (2018) was named final recipient of the CINE Golden Eagle Award for Narrative Short Film, an award recognizing rising filmmakers since 1962. His medical comedy "Torn" premiered with Directors Notes in 2019. As a screenwriter, his feature film screenplay "Land of the Young" was named by Francis Ford Coppola as winner of the 2023 American Zoetrope Screenplay Competition, and was a Semifinalist in the 2024 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.
Zach served as a 2022 Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health with the Global Brain Health Institute in Dublin, Ireland, where he developed work at the intersection of narrative film and advocacy for those with neurodegenerative and psychological conditions.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Northwestern University, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Brain Health from Trinity College Dublin. He is an author in the journal Frontiers, publishing on the neurobiological benefits of hope.
Kimberlee Kidd
Producer
Kimberlee Kidd is an Actor, Writer, Producer and Dancer. She began her professional dance career straight out of high school performing in Broadway review shows around the world including, “Hairspray” and the inaugural cast of “Showgirls”, choreographed by Prince & Madonna’s world tour creative director, Carla Kama. Once she planted herself in Los Angeles, she began to work in TV and film. Landing roles in Grey’s Anatomy, You’re the Worst, Glee, Ted2, Mrs. Davis, CSI: Vegas and the Pilot of Jane the Virgin. She’s most proud of her role as Guera and U/S of Alice Bloomfield in the revival of Chicano playwright Luis Valdez, ZOOT SUIT. Which ran at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. She’s the lead in Yan Cui’s (Chinese Chocolate) short film series.
She also debuted her first film, DOT, as an actor, writer and executive producer on the 2022 festival circuit. DOT was officially selected to 15 festivals domestically and internationally, winner of the Caz Matthews Fund at Series Fest, and nominated for Best Drama Short and Best Actress at The Micheaux Film Festival.
Andrew Tolbert
Producer
Andrew Tolbert is an executive and producer in television, film and theatre. After working around the world developing stage productions for Broadway, West End, arenas and theme parks, Andrew joined the DreamWorks Animation TV team to help build a premier TV studio. Andrew oversaw the development and production of multiple scripted series including the Emmy-Award winning hit Guillermo del Toro’s Trollhunters and its multiple Tales of Arcadia spinoff series. Other project highlights: Spirit Riding Free, Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh, Trolls: The Beat Goes On. Andrew then served as an executive at Activision Blizzard Studios developing their world class franchises for the big and small screens. Most recently, he was the Vice President of Kids & Animation at Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine launching a slate of TV & film projects. He continues to produce independently and is a member of GLAAD’s Kids & Family Advisory Council.
Originally hailing from Virginia as the youngest of four boys, Andrew graduated from
Northwestern University. After time in Chicago and New York City, Andrew now resides in Los Angeles with his husband and sassy but sweet rescue dogs. In his spare time he remains an avid tennis player, swimmer and hiker. He is also surprisingly handy and is a master of banal celebrity gossip.
Court
ney Therond
Line Producer
Courtney Hope Thérond is an award-winning screenwriter and director whose work features an unapologetically female gaze. She has screened films at dozens of festivals including BFI London, New Orleans, Atlanta, St Louis and Nashville. Her short Rehearsal, which tackles the grey areas of consent, premiered online on Short of the Week, received a Vimeo Staff Pick, and was featured in RogerEbert.com, Fast Company, and No Budge.
As a screenwriter, Courtney has twice been a finalist at Austin Film Festival. Her pilot Between Us Girls was a finalist in the Screencraft Pilot Launch, a semi-finalist (top 50) for the ISA Fast Track Fellowship, and won its category at Cinestory. She has also produced content for Warner Media, Amazon, NatGeo and Disney while a producer at Little Cinema, and has line produced four independent feature films.
Courtney is a graduate of NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, and was a Cinereach Film Fellow. She directs narrative and branded contentwherever the story takes her.
Andressa Cordeiro
Director of Photography
Andressa Cordeiro is an award winner and experienced cinematographer with over 10 years of experience shooting feature films, TV shows, commercials, shorts and documentaries for renowned directors and networks.
She arrived in Los Angeles 13 years ago and built a name for herself as a cinematographer. She came up in the industry as a best boy electric and gaffer before starting to shoot her own projects and this background gives Andressa a great gaze for lighting furnishing her projects with a cinematic look even when it is naturally lit. Her narrative work was screened at the top film festivals in the globe, including Cannes and TIFF. In the commercial world, some of her clients include Nickelodeon, Toyota, Disney, Pixar, Hearst, Esquire, Nissan, Haper's Bazaar, Ritz Carlton, MLB, Brooks Running and Facebook, among other brands.
An English and Portuguese speaker, Andressa has an MFA in cinematography from AFI, a BFA in Cinema from Paraná University of Art, a BFA in Printmaking from Paraná School of Music and Fine Arts.
Andressa is a member of the Brazilian Society of Cinematography (ABC) and is represented by DDA Talents Agents.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
As you explore, please check out our Wishlist items in the tab above if you'd like to contribute to any specific part of the filmmaking process.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know you feel
Alone in a world gone black and white
When you lose the fight
-- Give In To the Night, song for POP SCREEN written by Meg Steedle
(You'll find the film's fully produced version of the song below...)
Director's Statement
Pop Screen is a backstage story.
Most backstage stories follow a superhero trajectory: gifted young person is discovered,
questions if they’re good enough, suffers, works hard, and gets one shot at glory…
In 2012, I had my own big shot as an actor and, after that gig, I thought I had ‘made it.
I auditioned tirelessly for years, took increasingly worse jobs, and felt I had failed. Because I
love music, I applied (on craigslist) to be a recording studio receptionist almost as an escape.
To my surprise, the legendary Conway Recording Studios hired me.
I began catering to the ‘real’ stars.
Pop Screen came out of a fellow receptionist’s run-in with a music producer who heard her
testing the mic, gave her his card, and promised they’d work some ‘demos’ together.
He never called back.
The recording studio, with its gated entrance, high-stakes clients, and soundproof
glass divisions, became the perfect backdrop for a story of longing, power,
and unfulfilled promise...
I noticed, though, that this place that epitomized creative power dynamics was also
becoming a second home:
there, engineers taught me how to make beats,
other receptionists pulled me aside for songwriting co-writes,
and at night, after clients left, we’d all run to an empty studio to
play and dance to our own music.
I felt my creative virility resurface.
Now, it is the setting for my first film as a writer, director, and songwriter.
I hope people will see their own dreams in this film. The characters are real people,
not superheroes,
and I hope they’ll love them even more for that.
With Pop Screen, I hope audiences feel the yearning, but also begin to recognize
the moments of possibility that exist on both sides of the glass.
Music for the Film
At the top of the page is the songwriting demo for Give In To the Night, the original song by Meg Steedle to be used in the film. Production demo below by BLKMKT for what will be the final sound for the song. Tap play for a sneak peak!
Synopsis
Our story follows Alex, the newbie receptionist of a renowned Hollywood recording studio that boasts quite the music clientele. In her 30s, she still secretly harbors dreams of becoming an artist…just like the stars she caters to everyday.
At the start of her shift, she helps the studio engineer, John, prepare Studio A for a session involving the collaboration of a well-known singer, Lily Beach, and the prolific music producer, Viggo.
Viggo’s surprise entrance as Alex is testing the mic in the live room sets the action off on an already unpredictable note. Later, when Lily storms out mid-session after she and Viggo get into an argument, Viggo grabs the talented Alex as a last minute backup in order to meet his deadline and finish the song before morning light.
Just as Alex starts to have visions of success and finally making it as a singer herself, Lily returns with her manager to rejoin the session. Alex is dismissed from the recording session and makes her way back to her desk, unsure if Viggo ever really intended to use her for the song or if he just arranged the whole thing as a ploy to get Lily back.
As Alex sits at her desk alone, the night playing out again and again in her head, John, the engineer, enters. An employee of the studio for 15 years, John suggests perhaps she’s just a 'studio rat' like him — working hard in the shadows — serving the stars while hoping to someday join their ranks…
Characters
Alex, the night receptionist
Early 30s, an avid fan of music who enjoys being around other people who love and make music. She has found her 'tribe' at Conway. As a realist, she would never admit it, but she still harbors childhood dreams of becoming an artist...
John, the assistant engineer
Mid-40s and longtime employee of Conway who's been there 15 years. A true 'studio rat.' When he first started out, he had hopes of being a producer -- but age and financial necessity led him to settle as the go-to assistant. It's a win to get written credit on the songs for which he assists...it isn't always a guarantee.
Viggo, the music producer
Early 40s, Viggo first shot to fame after his remixes of well-known artists when viral at age 21. A perfectionist, he expects the most out of everyone around him. He is most comfortable when he's in control.
Lily, the recording artist
Mid-late 30s, a pop singer and sometimes songwriter who hit big in the late 2000s. She has grown up a lot since her introduction into the music business, and is less tolerant of any perceived mistreatment in the studio than when she was 23.
Project Status
We are currently deep in pre-production, preparing for our December shoot. We have done months of planning and hiring and are proud to announce our most recent addition to the team is Andressa Cordeiro as our Director of Photography! Our Seed&Spark goal of $24,000 will cover the bare minimum costs of production in order to pay our talented cast and crew--we have been taking the experience we've gained from previous shorts in order to assemble our team of passionate, talented collaborators that will make POP SCREEN a reality.
Principal photography for POP SCREEN will take place in Los Angeles, CA at Conway Recording Studios.
Casting begins the first week of November. We are VERY committed to hiring actors who one might consider ‘unknown’ for the roles of Alex and John, who will both play studio employees. We believe it’s important that we not recognize them from other work in order to lean into the idea that there are many talented people who work in the shadows of greats…and we may never know who they are. This is a heavy acting piece and both Lily and Alex need to be able to sing…so, in all, it will take some special artists to bring this one to life.
A couple of the studio runners in the film will be played by actual studio runners Meg worked with during her 3 years at the recording studio. We have been generously gifted the location of Conway Recording Studios in LA, the location that provides the real-world inspiration for this script, by owner (and Meg's former boss) Buddy Brundo. We are excited to hire some of Meg's studio colleagues, not only giving them a chance to shine on screen, but also to authentically portray what it is these amazing people do behind the scenes and how it is they do it.
Please Follow & Share!
Sharing our campaign on your social media is as helpful as a donation. And doing BOTH goes a long way to help us assemble the troops in December! If you know anyone who would be particularly passionate about music stories and those who work behind the scenes, please share the campaign as well as reach out to us on Instagram at @popscreenfilm. More info is also available at popscreenfilm.com.
Thank you so much for considering our project!
--Meg, Zach, Kimberlee, and Andrew
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Steadicam Operator and Equipment
Costs $1,200
If we can get enough funding, we will have some steadicam work at a crucial point in our film that will elevate the story's climax immensely
Food for Cast/Crew
Costs $1,175
Help feed our amazing cast and crew who will be working 10 -12 hours for 5 consecutive shoot days.
Cast Salaries
Costs $4,500
This includes paying into their Pension Health and Welfare as well. Some cast members we hire will be actual studio runners/engineers.
Sound!!!!!!
Costs $1,600
This is a musical film set in a recording studio and all of the vocals will be live (not dubbed). Sound is one of our most important depts!
Bedazzled Mic Prop "The glamour!"
Costs $50
Picture it–a symbol of an amplified voice, covered in rhinestones. This prop plays a VERY important part of the film. And it will SPARKLE!!
Crew Salaries
Costs $14,450
Even with a short, this section adds up. During the current lack of production in LA, your support helps create employment for talented crew
Help support our recording studio employees - "Carlos"
Costs $100
It's not much, but we will pay the actual studio employees who appear in the film. Their expertise is INVALUABLE to our production.
Help support our recording studio employees - "Robert"
Costs $100
It's not much, but we will pay the actual studio employees who appear in the film. Their expertise is INVALUABLE to our production.
Snacks for Cast/Crew provided by you! - Day 1
Costs $25
Snacks go a long way on 10-12 hour set days. On the crafty table, we will have a small sign that reads "Snacks provided by YOUR NAME HERE"
Snacks for Cast/Crew provided by you! - Day 2
Costs $25
Snacks go a long way on 10-12 hour set days. On the crafty table, we will have a small sign that reads "Snacks provided by YOUR NAME HERE"
Snacks for Cast/Crew provided by you! - Day 3
Costs $25
Snacks go a long way on 10-12 hour set days. On the crafty table, we will have a small sign that reads "Snacks provided by YOUR NAME HERE"
Snacks for Cast/Crew provided by you! - Day 4
Costs $25
Snacks go a long way on 10-12 hour set days. On the crafty table, we will have a small sign that reads "Snacks provided by YOUR NAME HERE"
Snacks for Cast/Crew provided by you! - Day 5
Costs $25
Snacks go a long way on 10-12 hour set days. On the crafty table, we will have a small sign that reads "Snacks provided by YOUR NAME HERE"
Hard Drive so we can store our film's footage
Costs $200
Our 5 days of footage will be saved and safeguarded--this crucial piece stores our film until we can start post production in January 2025
Music Mixing/Production
Costs $500
Sound engineers will help us finish the heart of Pop Screen...its music. Your pledge supports the studio employees that inspired this film.
Share this update!
About This Team
Meg Steedle
Director/Writer/Songwriter
Meg Steedle first made her professional debut as an actor in theater, working on notable world premieres such as David Ives’ 'The Heir Apparent' at the Shakespeare Theatre and Ken Ludwig’s 'Fox on the Fairway' directed by John Rando at Signature Theatre.
She ventured into television with her breakout role as flapper and Broadway actress “Billie Kent” opposite Steve Buscemi in Season 3 of HBO’s 'Boardwalk Empire, earning her a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
In 2015, Meg Chambers Steedle joined the cast of NBC’s 'The Mysteries of Laura, working opposite Debra Messing as “Detective Frankie Pulaski. Other television roles include 'Grey’s Anatomy,' 'American Horror Story,' 'NCIS,' 'Nashville,' 'I’m Dying Up Here,' 'Perception,' 'Code Black,' and 'Mr. Mercedes' among others.
On the big screen, Meg worked opposite Lance Henriksen, Tom Berenger, and Danny Trejo in the western 'Gone Are the Days' from Lionsgate and won the 61st and final Golden Eagle Cine Award for Best Narrative Short Film as a producer and lead actor of 'The Lightkeeper,' opposite Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Bruce Davison.
As a writer and songwriter, Meg was a finalist for the Screencraft Film Fund as well as The Outstanding Screenplays Short Competition with her original musical film 'Pop Screen' and was a 2022 Slamdance finalist for her screenplay 'Patient.' She is currently in pre-production to direct her first original musical film.
Zach Bandler
Writer
Zach's drama "The Lightkeeper" (2018) was named final recipient of the CINE Golden Eagle Award for Narrative Short Film, an award recognizing rising filmmakers since 1962. His medical comedy "Torn" premiered with Directors Notes in 2019. As a screenwriter, his feature film screenplay "Land of the Young" was named by Francis Ford Coppola as winner of the 2023 American Zoetrope Screenplay Competition, and was a Semifinalist in the 2024 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.
Zach served as a 2022 Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health with the Global Brain Health Institute in Dublin, Ireland, where he developed work at the intersection of narrative film and advocacy for those with neurodegenerative and psychological conditions.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Northwestern University, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Brain Health from Trinity College Dublin. He is an author in the journal Frontiers, publishing on the neurobiological benefits of hope.
Kimberlee Kidd
Producer
Kimberlee Kidd is an Actor, Writer, Producer and Dancer. She began her professional dance career straight out of high school performing in Broadway review shows around the world including, “Hairspray” and the inaugural cast of “Showgirls”, choreographed by Prince & Madonna’s world tour creative director, Carla Kama. Once she planted herself in Los Angeles, she began to work in TV and film. Landing roles in Grey’s Anatomy, You’re the Worst, Glee, Ted2, Mrs. Davis, CSI: Vegas and the Pilot of Jane the Virgin. She’s most proud of her role as Guera and U/S of Alice Bloomfield in the revival of Chicano playwright Luis Valdez, ZOOT SUIT. Which ran at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. She’s the lead in Yan Cui’s (Chinese Chocolate) short film series.
She also debuted her first film, DOT, as an actor, writer and executive producer on the 2022 festival circuit. DOT was officially selected to 15 festivals domestically and internationally, winner of the Caz Matthews Fund at Series Fest, and nominated for Best Drama Short and Best Actress at The Micheaux Film Festival.
Andrew Tolbert
Producer
Andrew Tolbert is an executive and producer in television, film and theatre. After working around the world developing stage productions for Broadway, West End, arenas and theme parks, Andrew joined the DreamWorks Animation TV team to help build a premier TV studio. Andrew oversaw the development and production of multiple scripted series including the Emmy-Award winning hit Guillermo del Toro’s Trollhunters and its multiple Tales of Arcadia spinoff series. Other project highlights: Spirit Riding Free, Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh, Trolls: The Beat Goes On. Andrew then served as an executive at Activision Blizzard Studios developing their world class franchises for the big and small screens. Most recently, he was the Vice President of Kids & Animation at Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine launching a slate of TV & film projects. He continues to produce independently and is a member of GLAAD’s Kids & Family Advisory Council.
Originally hailing from Virginia as the youngest of four boys, Andrew graduated from
Northwestern University. After time in Chicago and New York City, Andrew now resides in Los Angeles with his husband and sassy but sweet rescue dogs. In his spare time he remains an avid tennis player, swimmer and hiker. He is also surprisingly handy and is a master of banal celebrity gossip.
Courtney Therond
Line Producer
Courtney Hope Thérond is an award-winning screenwriter and director whose work features an unapologetically female gaze. She has screened films at dozens of festivals including BFI London, New Orleans, Atlanta, St Louis and Nashville. Her short Rehearsal, which tackles the grey areas of consent, premiered online on Short of the Week, received a Vimeo Staff Pick, and was featured in RogerEbert.com, Fast Company, and No Budge.
As a screenwriter, Courtney has twice been a finalist at Austin Film Festival. Her pilot Between Us Girls was a finalist in the Screencraft Pilot Launch, a semi-finalist (top 50) for the ISA Fast Track Fellowship, and won its category at Cinestory. She has also produced content for Warner Media, Amazon, NatGeo and Disney while a producer at Little Cinema, and has line produced four independent feature films.
Courtney is a graduate of NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, and was a Cinereach Film Fellow. She directs narrative and branded contentwherever the story takes her.
Andressa Cordeiro
Director of Photography
Andressa Cordeiro is an award winner and experienced cinematographer with over 10 years of experience shooting feature films, TV shows, commercials, shorts and documentaries for renowned directors and networks.
She arrived in Los Angeles 13 years ago and built a name for herself as a cinematographer. She came up in the industry as a best boy electric and gaffer before starting to shoot her own projects and this background gives Andressa a great gaze for lighting furnishing her projects with a cinematic look even when it is naturally lit. Her narrative work was screened at the top film festivals in the globe, including Cannes and TIFF. In the commercial world, some of her clients include Nickelodeon, Toyota, Disney, Pixar, Hearst, Esquire, Nissan, Haper's Bazaar, Ritz Carlton, MLB, Brooks Running and Facebook, among other brands.
An English and Portuguese speaker, Andressa has an MFA in cinematography from AFI, a BFA in Cinema from Paraná University of Art, a BFA in Printmaking from Paraná School of Music and Fine Arts.
Andressa is a member of the Brazilian Society of Cinematography (ABC) and is represented by DDA Talents Agents.