B o a r d
o f   A d v i s o r s

CREDITS

Chairman of the Board

Shannon Shea, a native New Orleanian educated at The California Institute of the Arts has enjoyed a 36-year tenure designing, constructing, and performing animatronic creatures and characters for Motion Pictures and Television. He has had the pleasure of contributing to such diverse films as Predator, Dances With Wolves, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, Spy Kids, The Chronicles of Narnia, Drag Me To Hell, Men in Black III, Netflix’s Lost In Space, Barb and Starr go to Vista Del Mar (2021) as well as the new Korean horror-drama Sweet Home (2020).

Not limited to the confines of Motion Pictures, he has served as an animatronics supervisor for Universal Studios and Disney Research & Development as a representative of Spectral Motion, Inc. He paints (having been shown in New York, North Carolina, and Los Angeles), and has written for Makeup Artist Magazine as well as having had a book published about the first formative years of his career entitled I’m Rubber, You’re Glue. He is a continuing teacher of the Stan Winston School of Character Design and taught for nearly 3 years at the prestigious Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles where he was both the Prosthetics and Special Effects instructor. Shannon and his wife, Tracy (a talented soprano and writer), recently relocated to the Gulf Coast and are enjoying their new adventures.

CREDITS

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Shannon’s Professional Website:
www.shannonsheaeffects.com

Board Member

Alec Gillis began his professional career in 1980 at Roger Corman’s New World Pictures. While working with future luminaries such as James Cameron and Gale Ann Hurd, Alec also attended UCLA Film School. By 1985 he began working for Creature FX legend Stan Winston (Aliens, Predator, Pumpkinhead). There he met Tom Woodruff, Jr with whom he co-founded the Creature FX studio Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc. (ADI) in 1988.

The duo received an Oscar for their work on Death Becomes Her, as well as nominations for Alien 3 and Starship Troopers. They also won BAFTAs and Saturn Awards for the films Starship Troopers and Jumanji.

Gillis is also a writer. His book Worlds: A Mission of Discovery has been optioned by a major studio. He’s also written a number of screenplays and created a TV series.

CREDITS

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Alec’s Professional Website:
www.studioadi.com

Board Member

Vivian Baker is an Academy Award® winning, BAFTA winning, Emmy Award winning makeup artist with over 30 years of experience. Known for her dedication to her art, her beginnings were in the fashion and beauty industry. After a successful fashion and beauty career, Vivian fell in love with character makeup and started her journey as a film makeup artist. Because of her wide array of experience, she has the most range as a makeup artist of anyone in the world. Vivian is a member of the IATSE Local 706 Los Angeles & Local 798 New York. She is also a member of The Academy of Motion Pictures & Sciences and the Television Academy.

CREDITS

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Vivian’s Professional Website:
www.imdb.com

Board Member

Barry has over 42 years experience in the field of makeup. He got his start in Santa Barbara doing a total of 32 Theatrical stage productions before moving to Los Angeles where he worked at Universal Studios Tour doing a Makeup Show called “Land of a 1000 Faces” where 2 makeup artists would makeup 2 guests from the audience and turn them into Frankenstein and his Bride!

Barry apprenticed with Oscar wining makeup artist John Chambers, who won an Oscar for his makeup’s on The Planet of the Apes Mr. Chambers recommended Mr. Koper to run the Makeup Effects Lab at CBS Studios, after 6 years Mr. Koper became the Head of Makeup at CBS and continued there for a total of 15 years, after which he left to do feature Films, Some of his credits include Addams Family Values, Island of Dr. Moreau, Alien Resurrection, Holloman, Scary Movie 2 & 3, Bubble Boy, Syriana, Departed, Indiana Jones 4, Coach Carter, Dinner for Schmucks, We Bought a Zoo, X Men First Class, Thor and Michael Jackson’s This is it He is best known for his very natural prosthetic work on Tim Allen in all 3 Disney’s Santa Clause Movies turning Tim into Santa! Mr. Koper has been nominated for the Emmy a total of 5 times and has won twice. Barry was also the creator of the column “Out of the Kit” for Makeup Artist Magazine, which he wrote for over 10 years.

CREDITS

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Barry’s Professional Website:
www.imdb.com

Board Member

Lino Stavole works in the middle of murk, magic, monsters, and mathematical madness. Lino creates things using technology. He works as a project supervisor at Spectral Motion and oversees their digital manufacturing. Every day he produces amazing things in concert with groups of talented artists.

He specializes in the collaboration between art and new technology and is knowledgeable in a myriad of different 3d printing and additive manufacturing techniques and methods. Lino has constructed advanced 3d scanning systems in cooperation with the University of Kentucky’s Center for Visualization & Virtual Environments.

He has spoken at the Society of Manufacturing Engineers regarding adopting 3D technologies in the art and entertainment arenas. His goal is to advance the way we create by using innovative fabrication methods (and even developing some new ones).

CREDITS

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Lino’s Professional Website:
www.behold3d.me

Board Member

Michael Deak is a highly experienced 39-year veteran of the motion picture and television industry. Starting out as a Production Assistant at Roger Corman’s New World Studios, he was quickly offered the opportunity to work as an intern for the make-up effects team on George Romero’s horror classic, DAY OF THE DEAD. Next, Mike joined the team at John Beuchler’s MMI and was soon promoted to on-set FX Supervisor. While at MMI, Michal enjoyed a three-year stint at Empire Studios Productions in Rome, Italy plying his skills and experience on popular cult favorites such as FROM BEYOND with acclaimed director, Stuart Gordon.

In the years following, Michael was shop/location supervisor for world-renown creature effects creators Screaming Mad George, Steve Wang, and KNB Effects. He also ran Alchemy FX Studios, an in-house effects company for Full Moon Pictures, owned and operated by filmmaker Charlie Band.

During his lengthy career, Michael has played an integral part of the special effects process on projects ranging from extremely low budget genre films to major box office hits. He has worked alongside A-list directors such as Michael Bay, Tony Scott, and Wolfgang Petersen.

In addition to his effects supervision background, Michael acted in numerous movie projects as a specialty suit performer. His acting credits include TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE (mummy in “Lot 249” and the gargoyle in “Lover’s Vow”), SPECIES, POWER RANGER TURBO (Maligore), CELLAR DWELLER, LITTLE NICKY (Gary the Bigfoot), WEREWOLF WOMAN OF THE SS, as well as a slew of creature characters for television that include MONSTERS, WEIRD SCIENCE, and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.

Michael’s other credits include Second Unit Director, Miniature Effects Producer/Director, Puppeteer, voice-over talent, and on-screen actor. He is currently involved as a producer on a web series pilot.

CREDITS

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Michael’s Professional Website:
www.imdb.com

Board Member

Benson is a partner at Satnick Lau LLP in Los Angeles, California, where he focuses his practice on cannabis law, litigation, serving cannabis businesses and investors throughout Los Angeles. He also represents cultivators, distributors, manufacturers, retailers, testing laboratories, and other individuals in the cannabis industry on matters involving business litigation, intellectual property rights, commercial landlord/tenant disputes, municipal disputes, mergers and acquisitions, state and local licensing, and regulatory compliance.

Before starting his firm, Benson began his legal career specializing in business litigation, corporate matters, and entertainment law. Benson has represented numerous award winning producers, film financiers, distributors, sales agents, and talent agencies in entertainment transactions and litigation matters pending before IFTA, state court and federal court. Benson has provided strategic counsel on a wide variety of matters ranging from idea theft, defamation, royalty disputes, copyright infringement, rights of publicity and privacy, and business torts.

In addition to running his law practice, Mr. Lau stays involved in his community through participation in professional organizations, including, providing pro bono legal assistance to individuals at risk of deportation through Loyola Law School’s Removal Defense Corps. In June 2020, Benson was first selected to the Southern California Rising Stars list. He was selected again in 2021 and 2022.