It’s spring! A perfect time to clean up all the clutter that’s been getting in your way– both literally and figuratively. In honor of this, the SAGIndie crew reveals what facets of their lives could benefit from a quick once-over.
Darrien Michele Gipson
SAGIndie National Director
An M.F.A. recipient from the Peter Stark Producer’s Program at USC, as well as a USC President Samples Fellows, a university honors program for Community Service, Darrien was formerly the Vice President of Production for DEF Pictures, where she shepherded such films as Gridlock’d and How to be a Player. Darrien began her career at SAGIndie as the Event Coordinator, where she traveled throughout the country to festivals, educating filmmakers on SAG’s low budget contracts and all ensuing budgetary and distribution concerns. She visited more than 25 states, 3 countries, and over 55 festivals to consult with independent filmmakers. Yes, she has a lot of frequent flyer miles. No, she isn’t sharing them.
As the National Director of SAGIndie, Darrien is responsible for just about everything – global warming, demoting Pluto, lowering Cancer rates. She is also responsible for the strategic planning and oversight of SAGIndie, including administration, sponsorship negotiations, national advertising campaigns, and SAGIndie.org – the organization’s online resource for independent filmmakers. Darrien is the engine behind SAGIndie, pushing it into being the best independent filmmaking resource EVER.
This Spring, Darrien plans to clear out the cobwebs of her mind. Somewhere back there, trapped in dust, are her childhood memories, her old phone number, and where the heck she put the cable to her camera.
Eliza Hajek
SAGIndie Manager of Development and Sponsorship
Eliza was born with a vestigial tail! Her parents took her around the world in a traveling show featuring other aberrations, where she was the star. When interest in her died down, she consulted a wise man who told her she would become rich and famous after moving to Los Angeles and becoming involved in film. Looks like he was right!
Her duties as Manager of Development and Sponsorship encompass (among other things) traveling to film festivals, speaking on panels and at seminars, and interacting with independent producers worldwide in order to get the word out about the SAG Low Budget Agreements.
Eliza plans to clean up all her fake neuroses because it was exhausting and no one seemed to notice anyway.
Will Prescott
SAGIndie Communications Manager
Will hails from Seattle, Washington where he grew up subjected to gross amounts of rain and outdoor activities. He came to Southern California to pursue lesser air quality and a career in filmmaking. Since obtaining his M.F.A. from the Conservatory of Motion Pictures at Chapman University’s Dodge College, Will has worked on many film, video and new media projects in various capacities. He most recently served as Managing Editor of the KCET produced website, Wired Science.
As the Communications Manager, he will handle, among other things, SAGIndie web operations, marketing and PR efforts, interviews with indie filmmakers, and will travel to film festivals and other functions to help spread the word about the Screen Actors Guild Low Budget Agreements. He hopes to one day own a German Shepherd and a Pug whom he will name De Niro and Pesci, respectively.
Will plans to clean up his bad habit of getting trapped in useless conversations with grocery store clerks and bus drivers. He’s only trying to be polite, but it’s causing unnecessary holdups for anyone else who might be in a rush.
Ellen Tremiti
SAGIndie Assistant
After getting used to a plethora of road construction, shopping malls and diners, Ellen left her home state of New Jersey to pursue duel B.A. degrees in Film and Writing, Literature and Publishing at Emerson College in Boston. While in college, Ellen interned for an entertainment law firm and went on to intern for LionsGate Films in their feature development office. She also won an EVVY, basically her school’s version of a Pulitzer, for Outstanding Short Nonfiction Prose and she continues to pursue writing in its many forms on her own time.
Ellen graduated from Emerson with honors and moved to Los Angeles determined to pump her own gas and break into the entertainment biz. After mastering the dynamics of the fueling station, she landed her job as Assistant to SAGIndie National Director Darrien Gipson and the rest of the SAGIndie staff. She’s also spreading the word about SAG’s Low Budget Agreements and she couldn’t be more thrilled!
Ellen plans to absorb more Vitamin D. Lately she’s been exercising indoors on her stationary exercise bike, commuting to work in her car, and working indoors at the office, and her sun intake has reached a perilous low. A fifteen minute walk during the day should clear that right up. Or, she could just start taking vitamin supplements and officially turn into a vampire.
Michael Sladek
New York Coordinator
Michael is an independent director, producer, screenwriter, and designer. He founded and currently runs Plug Ugly Films, a Brooklyn-based film, video, web and theater production company.
In addition to his position as SAGIndie’s rep in New York, he freelances as a director, producer, writer, cameraman and coordinator and has worked for Tribeca Film Festival, Clinton Global Initiative, painter Mark Kostabi, RKO Pictures, ACME Pictures, and many more. Michael was Talent Coordinator and Floor Producer at MTV News, worked as Personal Assistant to author Jamaica Kincaid and, in Los Angeles, for the entertainment ad agency Jacobs & Gerber. A professional stage and screen actor since childhood, Michael has been a member of SAG for over twelve years. A proud dropout of many mediocre colleges, he’s also a published journalist and used to manage New York punk bands before realizing that the music industry is a mess.