Jody McNicholas, Director/Producer/Writer

This is Jody McNicholas’ first film. She has worked in the visual arts for many years, and her degree in fine arts from University of Southern California prepared her to create a visually stimulating experience. Along with the support of seasoned consultants throughout the process of creating this film, her desire to shift perspectives about addiction motivated her to learn what was necessary to create a film unlike any other; for attitudes about addiction treatment to stay the same when so much is needed was not an option. So although she is a first-time filmmaker, she followed her heart in creating this film, and the inherent wisdom she drew from many souls who wish to be released from or validated in addiction’s hold shines through.

Dale Price, Editor/Sound Design

Owner, recordist, and builder of Electric Canyon Studio. Dale Price surmises decades of audio recording, live sound, and music/showbiz activity. Besides recording, Dale likes to snow-wake-long board, boat, bike, tinker, travel and hang in the great outdoors. Favorite book: Dharma Bums
Degree in Music, Option in Recording, California State Chico, 1989

Film and Video Credits:

Ruby Ridge An American Tragedy, Scherick Productions CBS miniseries 1996 Cabling-2nd Boom Operator-Multitrack Audio Engineer
Lay Down with Number 13, Dubya Tee Production 1997 Boom Operator- Mixer
Sammy and Spot PAX Network 1998 Audio for Video
Independent Movie Megan Petersen USC Film School 2001-2002 Mixer-Boom Operator
Warren Harding Interview 2000 Audio for Video
Sierra Center Stage Berkow and Berkow Video Production 1998-2002 Multitrack Audio Engineer
Singing Christmas Tree Simulcast KHSL TV 1993 to 2001 Live Audio Coordinator
Orly's World Shirley Russel Production 2003 Post Audio
Liberty Bound Blue Moose Productions 2003 Post

For more information, you can visit http://www.electriccanyonstudio.com/

Lisa Leeman, Storyline Consultant

Lisa Leeman writes, produces, directs and edits documentary films. She was honored to be a documentary judge at the Sundance Film Festival in 1998. Lisa is the past president of the International Documentary Association, and has sat on the board of the IDA and the National Coalition of Independent Public Broadcasting Producers. She writes articles specializing in the ethics of documentary filmmaking for the International Documentary Association. She is also an adjunct professor at the film school at the University of Southern California (USC). Honors include the once-in-a-lifetime American Film Institute’s Independent Filmmaker Grant, the Western States Media Arts Fellowship, and the ITVS/PMN Station-Independent Partnership Program Grant, as well as numerous awards her films have received.

Lisa most recently co-directed and edited the feature-length documentary WHO NEEDS SLEEP with renowned cinematographer Haskell Wexler, which will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, 2006. WHO NEEDS SLEEP investigates the perils of sleep deprivation and long work hours in the movie business and in our culture at large, and asks who is really protecting workers?

She is currently wrapping the directing of the feature-length documentary “OUT OF FAITH,” which explores conflicts over intermarriage and assimilation as seen through three generations of a family headed by Holocaust Survivors.

Lisa’s first film, METAMORPHOSIS: Man Into Woman, premiered at Sundance in 1990, winning the Filmmakers’ Trophy. METAMORPHOSIS was the first documentary film to intimately follow one person’s transformation from man to woman. Sheila Benson of the LA Times wrote:

“The power and intimacy in Leeman’s unsentimental portrait of
animator Gary/Gabi and his/her four-year quest for a sexual identity change
is equaled only by the honesty and bravery of the film’s subject.”

Lisa spent a decade editing award-winning social issue documentaries, including Renee Tajima-Pena’s The Journey Home (PBS Special); Michelle LeBrun’s Death: A Love Story (Sundance ‘99); Laura’s Simon’s Fear and Learning at Hoover Elementary (POV; Winner, Freedom of Expression Award, Sundance ‘97); Marco Williams’ In Search of Our Fathers, on women-headed African-American families (FRONTLINE, PBS); Will My Mother Go to Berlin?, Micha Peled’s personal essay on Jewish-German relations (ARD, PBS); Stanley Nelson’s Methadone: Curse or Cure? (PBS); It Was A Wonderful Life, Michele Ohayon’s film on middle-class homeless women (PBS); and the TBS series THE NATIVE AMERICANS and AMERICA’S MUSIC: THE ROOTS OF COUNTRY.

Mike Rogers, Editorial Consultant

Michael Rogers is a highly acclaimed editor with over 10 years of experience in post production. His work has been viewed on The Learning Channel, PBS, and numerous film festivals internationally.

His extensive work on documentaries include Freedom's Fury (2005) and Jackpot, Lives of Lottery Millionaires (2002) for Wolo Entertainment. Other documentary credits include
Rumble Fish – The Percussion Based Score and On Location In Tulsa – The Making of Rumble Fish for the re-release of Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish Special Edition DVD (2005) for Universal Studios,.El Salvador-Crisis and Challenge (2001) for Producer/ Director Bob Gliner and Eccentric Nation (2000) for Eaglevision Productions.

Feature film credits include Crash My Funeral (1999) and Loneliness is Soul (1998) for Producer Rick Schmidt, and Still Waters Burn (1996) for San Jose Motion Pictures.

Other experience includes work on a number of music videos for artists such as Saul Williams Om Nia Merican (American Records), The Forgotten Silent Weapon (BYO Records) and Mumblefinger Exactly Like You (Birkes Music).

Michael is accomplished on AVID, Final Cut Pro, and After Effects. He currently resides in Redwood City, California.

John-Michael Sun, Musician

John-Michael Sun is an accomplished singer/songwriter/recording artist living in Northern California. His music and lyrics focus on the environment, peace and justice issues, healing, meditation, and love. Previous recording projects are Keeper of the Flame and Look Inside, soon to be re-released on CD, and Code Red, a powerful statement against the current war and for peace and healing. He is currently working on his next CD.





Sirena Squires

"I began playing the Native American Flute over ten years ago. My inspiration was my first time hearing Carlos Nakai play. The voice of his flute spoke to a deep part of me, as though it was calling me home. I was able to play my flute the moment I picked it up. I am grateful for the gifts given to me. I am grateful to be able to share them. May my music call a part of you home." Sirena Squires resides in Northern California. Look for her CD coming soon.

Casey, Moral Support

Casey is our greeter at Electric Canyon. She greets with a barking fervor unmatched by any chain store employee. Casey enjoys chasing autos, rabbits, birds, cats and sticks. She is very playful and wants nothing more than to be your friend. She's a Lab and Australian Shepard mixture.