Movies and Shakers

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Four More Friends of Filmmakers

Other local production companies – some small and independent, some rather large but still, somehow, indie – each very capable and generally open to submissions from "the outside." – M.S.

ACTION FIGURE INC.

Matt Hovis, director/founder

Mark Miks, director/founder

Susan Lazarus, producer

matt@actionfigure.com

mark@actionfigure.com

susan@actionfigure.com

www.actionfigure.com

One of Austin's most respected independent production companies, Action Figure Inc. recently snagged an Emmy Award for its work on KLRU's Downtown series. They're also the creative team behind the Austin-lensed A&E reality series Rollergirls, and, most importantly, they're really swell folks. Co-founder Hovis says, "Initially, we had no idea that we couldn't do this sort of thing. So we were dumb enough to sort of invent the way to do it. And eight years ago, we did."

EXPRESSIONS IN FILM AND VIDEO INC.

Jeff Stohland, producer/director

Dee Dee Stimeman, producer

eivideo@sbcglobal.net

townlakepictures@hotmail.com

www.expressionsinvideo.com

Two decades down the line, Stohland says, "We basically do three things: We do a lot of consumer work like home-movie transfers and DVD duplication; we do a lot of corporate work; and then the third thing we do is independent features. We're currently working with three or four different producers on projects and hoping to get some financing. And we're open to submissions."

MIND ALTERING CREATIONS INC.

Matthew Iha

info@mindalteringcreations.com

www.mindalteringcreations.com

With their collective of directors, producers, and crew that ranges from coast to coast, Mind Altering Creations Inc. "allows creative people to focus on being creative and know that they're going to have the best production and post-production support in the continental U.S." Iha says, "We're always looking for new projects. Our motto is 'real recognizes real,' meaning we're looking for projects that want to make a difference or that offer insight into the human struggle. Don't send us bubblegum."

SYNTHETIC PICTURES

Justin Corsbie, executive producer

justin@syntheticpictures.com

www.syntheticpictures.com

An internationally recognized production company sporting some of the highest of high-end national and regional clients (Compaq, Wal-Mart, AMD), Synthetic's Austin-based (and Austin native) Corsbie says, "To me, we are the only company [in Austin] that transcends this type of local and regional market. Certainly on the commercial side, we compete with huge companies that are bi-coastal, we compete with people from London, all over. On the entertainment level, my heart has always been in entertainment projects, and I've always dabbled in trying to develop entertainment projects."