MEET OUR CREW!
“The success of a film is due to the crew.”
Brian Day;
Director & Producer
Brian Day has been making films for 3 decades. He received his MFA if Film from the University of New Orleans in 1995 and spend 12 years working in Hollywood in post-production on feature films. Over the past 15 years he has been teaching filmmaking at various universities around the country. In addition, he has made several films that have shown on PBS and been distributed globally. Brian feels filmmaking is an avenue to explore subjects in depth and then to share the discoveries with an audience. Brian is an Assistant Professor of Filmmaking at Eastern Connecticut State University. Currently, he is working on several film projects.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email: daybr@easternct.edu
Phone: (310) 266-3265
Kristen Morgan;
Director & Producer
Kristen Morgan designs scenery and media for live performance and immersive installations. She also devises performances based on oral histories. Kristen is an Associate Professor of Theatre and New Media Studies at Eastern Connecticut State University. She is currently producing Stepping Into the Shade, a documentary film series about shade tobacco agriculture in the Connecticut River Valley and its connection to the civil rights movement and designing projected media for the premiere of Richard Wesley’s new play, Inherent Resolve, at the Tisch School of the Arts (NYU). Work includes designs for Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival, The Gravity Project, Soho Rep, The Piano Store, Richard Foreman's Ontological-Hysteric Theater, New York University, Columbia University, ESPN Winter and Summer X Games, Perrier, Stanford University, and Radio City Music Hall. She holds an M.F.A. in Design for Stage and Film from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email: morgankr@easternct.edu
Phone: (540) 818-4544
June Archer;
Host & Producer
June Archer is an entrepreneur, music industry executive and community leader. He started his career as a recording artist in the R&B group Room Service and is now the CEO of Eleven28 Entertainment Group. June is also a motivational speaker, author and educator. He is the host of the "Motivate U!" podcast and "The Winner’s Circle" on "Thisis50" on YouTube/IGTV, author of "Yes! Every Day Can Be a Good Day" and "Yes! You Can", and the founder of The June Archer School of Arts, The June Archer Foundation, 100 Men of Color Black Tie Gala & Awards and 100 Women of Color Gala & Awards, creator of The New England Music Seminar, Hot Chocolate Soul (performance showcase) and June Archer's Celebration of Life (AIDS/Breast Cancer Awareness Birthday Party) which celebrates 25 years of community engagement and the launch of The June Archer Foundation.
Chloe Gardiner;
Sound Mixer,
Marketing Coordinator,
Set Photographer
Chloe is a writer, director and producer. She has worked as a script analyst for film production companies, including one associated with the Marché du Film with the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. She has worked on several films in various roles and written, directed, and produced her short films, which have been selected and showcased in film festivals. When she is not working, Chloe loves to read and write poetry. She enjoys the outdoors, often hiking and fishing with her family. She is also a stargazer with a strong love for astronomy and hopes to strengthen her skills in astrophotography. Chloe earned her B.A. in English Literature from the Catholic University of America in 2014. She earned her M.F.A in Film and Television Production with an Emphasis in Directing from Loyola Marymount University in 2020.
Matt Mennone
Matt Mennone is 23 years old, from Clinton CT and an Eastern Connecticut State University alumni. Majoring in New Media Studies with a focus in Performance Media, he enjoys watching movies and tv shows, playing video games, reading and writing. This includes the ongoing creation process of an original comic book series Matt started with a friend in the summer of 2016, that he continues to work on today. Besides the work he does for Eastern, he currently works at Yankee Cider Company, selling and serving hard cider in East Haddam CT.
Seth Richards;
Camera Operator
Seth Richards is currently a student at Eastern Connecticut State University. Joining the team in March, Seth serves as one our camera operators.
Andrew T. Ellison;
Camera Operator
Drew Ellison graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University in May 2021 with a Bachelor's of Arts for New Media Studies. Passionate for videography, photography, and graphic design since teenage years, he's created several short films, video reports, and promotional content pieces. After graduating, he worked in the film industry as a camera utility and locations assistant, and later in digital marketing. He hopes to best aid Stepping into the Shade with fresh ideas and his eye for cinematography.
Anthony Valentine;
Camera Operator
Anthony Valentine was is from Bloomfield, CT. Anthony graduated from Central Connecticut State University where he majored in biology. Anthony decided to pursue his passion in the arts, specifically filmmaking. On Stepping Into the Shade, Anthony is one of the camera operators helping bring this docuseries to life.
Emily Hailu;
Camera & Sound
Emily Hailu is a recent graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University with a degree in Communications and minors in psychology and film studies. She has a strong passion for creativity in video, photo, and audio editing. Emily is eager to display creative works through multiple social media platforms including: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. After internships in which she created video content for clients, she currently works as a Social Media Specialist for Mohegan Sun. And now, she expands her talents to the camera and sound in our docu series. She continues to produce and edit videos in her free time.
Lilo Morales Maravilla;
Camera & Sound
Lilo Morales Maravilla is currently studying communication and new media Studies at Eastern Connecticut State University. She is a driven media professional with approximately two years of expertise in a variety of film-related fields, including video editing, camera operations, and animation reference. Lilo is a dedicated camera operator that likes working with large groups of people and is highly technical and creative. Her career goals in filmmaking are to work in the technical side of media production.
