A little bit about the filmmakers...
John Richie (Producer, Director) Embarked on his film career in New Orleans starting on the Growing Pains reunion show, with a small role in the movie as a tough guy in a pool hall. He quickly rose through the ranks and worked as a camera operator for 2nd unit on the Fox Television show K-Ville. Between 2004 and 2007, John worked on movies with William Friedkin (Bug), Guy Pierce (Factory Girl), John Sayles (The Honeydripper), and more. In 2005, after the failure of the Army Corps of Engineers Levee System, John rebuilt his house and worked with Spike Lee on the HBO documentary, When the Levees Broke. This experience gave him a whole new appreciation for the documentary process, and John decided shortly thereafter to start his own production company with his film cohort Jonathan Jahnke. Scrub Brush Productions came into being in 2007 in New Orleans. In its short life, it has made many music videos (Modest Mouse, Pearl Jam), documentaries, and commercials for non-profits.
Ralph Madison (Camera/Steadycam Operator, Editor) a 25 year veteran of the entertainment industry, Ralph is an Emmy Award-Winning Documentarian, Editor, Camera/Steadycam Operator, Director, & Producer. He has worked with CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, BBC, CMT, TLC, Comedy Central, & National Geographic among others, as well as on many music videos & feature films. In 2000 Ralph won an Emmy for "A Grave Injustice" a documentary he produced, directed, shot, & edited. He has also won the New Orleans Press Club Documentary award that year, as well as for "50 Golden Years" in 1999. For "Murder Through The Eyes of a Child" Ralph is acting as Camera/Steadycam Operator as well as Editor.
Declan Ryan (Producer, DP) got his start in Chicago, shooting countless short films and industrials. He camera operated for news and reality TV while still attending college. He eventually shot feature documentaries for Matt Golin’s Trailer Racer, Jennifer Burns’ Vincent, and Kevin McAlester’s Dungeon Master. He also shot and directed two documentaries, Ulbert and HELLP. After opportunity knocked, he landed himself in the lighting department of what is now the third largest film market in the United States. His feature film credits include but are not limited to Righteous Kill, Bug, and the soon-to-be released film called, My Own Love Song directed by Academy Award winning director Olivier Dahan. Declan’s first film, Ulbert, has played in 14 festivals in North America and won best film at Magnolia Film Fest, IFP Chicago and Lake Forest Film Festival. Ulbert eventually landed a distribution deal with Indiepix films in New York and is available for sale on Amazon.com. Declan is also currently working in New Orleans teaching underprivileged students the art of documentary filmmaking.
Alex Willson (Producer, Gaffer) got his start working his way up through the ever present New York independent film scene. Alex learned the skills from film professionals and now works as a gaffer and union lighting technician all over the United States. He has worked on film sets in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, New Orleans, Shreveport, Fargo, Cleveland, as well as other cities. Some of his 25 film credits include Grindhouse, Year One, and 12 Rounds and Declan Ryan’s Grotesque, which premiered in October 2009. He has worked as a gaffer on everything from official spots for Barrack Obama’s campaign, corporate videos, films, to hip hop music videos. In addition to his work in the industry, Alex writes and travels on the side. He has traveled to every single Central American country and taught English to underprivileged children there. He now proudly calls New Orleans his home base. He has signed on to the project to produce, while also gaffing all interviews pro bono.
Jerald L. White (Associate Producer) Before joining the world of filmmaking, Jerald worked as a grassroots activist, attorney and environmental policymaker in New Orleans and Washington D.C. He earned a BA and JD from Indiana University, and a MA in Media Ecology, Communications & Film from New York University. Jerald is the owner of Bottletree Productions, a small New Orleans based video production company; and the founder of the Charitable Film Network, a collaborative of media-makers dedicated to public service.