Academy360 has an outstanding staff of working professionals to lecture and lead the workshop program. Academy360 prides itself on being an open program — we encourage you to not only attend the lectures of the rotating professionals associated with your curriculum, but to experience every lecture you can.
Len is a managing partner of Bad Penny Films and is in postproduction with two features; Where It Gets You, which he produced; and Chasing Robert, in which he wrote, directed and appears. Chasing Robert also features Larry Miller, Dan Castellaneta, Andy Dick and Richard Jeni. He and Bad Penny Films will produce the next feature for Greg Glienna, creator of Meet the Parents, as well as Bear City, a feature written by SNL veteran, T.Sean Shannon.
Rated by the Chicago Tribune as one of the top ten comics in Chicago, Austrevich has written and performed on such shows as Comic Justice, The A-List, Comics Only on Comedy Central and the Ace award-winning Caroline´s Comedy Hour on A&E. He has produced, written and/or directed over nine original stage productions including the critically acclaimed Best Man Wins at the Odyssey theatre in Los Angeles. Austrevich´s long list of collaborators includes Bill Hicks, whom he directed in a critically acclaimed short, as well as with whom he co-wrote a screenplay.
Combining comedy with shrewd business strategy, Len founded, owned and operated The Funny Firm, one of the nation´s most successful comedy clubs. Recognized as one of the few comedy clubs to set the industry standard, it quickly became a favorite venue for comedians and customers alike. During his tenure as owner-manager, the club generated $8 million in sales.
Glienna first gained recognition as the creator of Meet The Parents. What began as a three-minute short originally airing on WTTW´s Image Union eventually became the multi-hundred million dollar studio franchise starring Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro. Glienna´s credits also include screenplays for A Guy Thing, starring Jason Lee, Julia Stiles and Selma Blair, Desperation Boulevard and Dream Girl — currently in production at Warner Brothers.
Glienna began his career in entertainment as a stand-up in Chicago, but transitioned to film. He just finished directing Relative Strangers, starring Kathy Bates, Neve Campbell and Danny Devito. Glienna´s next film, One Dollar will mark the fourth feature that he´s both written and directed. Bad Penny and Austrevich are slated to produce.
Provenza was a standout at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival with his directorial debut of the outrageous comedy documentary — The Aristocrats. The film features a veritable “Who´s Who” of comedy stars including: Robin Williams, George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Carey, Chris Rock, and Eric Idle. The Aristocrats has grossed tens of millions of dollars in box office and DVD revenue.
An accomplished comedian and classically trained actor, his versatility has taken him all over the entertainment map. His television credits include a recurring role as “Steve Onorato” on NBC´s The West Wing, Showtime´s Beggars & Choosers, as well as work on CBS´s Northern Exposure. He wrote, produced and starred in the critically acclaimed Showtime Special, The Incredible Man-Boy. Provenza has been a guest on every major talk show including The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O´Brian. As a stage actor, he was personally selected by Steve Martin to play the title role in Picasso at the Lapin Agile.
Currently in his ninth year as a supervising writer for Saturday Night Live, T. Sean has enjoyed success in many arenas — including that of a script doctor. He has collaborated with many talents including Will Ferrell, John Leguizamo and Drew Barrymore. In addition to his writing credits, Shannon is a filmmaker whose short films have been featured on SNL. His feature directorial debut of Harold, based on one of his SNL shorts, is in pre-production and will star Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding, Jr. Bear City, another feature based on one of his SNL shorts, is also in pre-production. Bad Penny Films and Austrevich will produce.
Shannon began at Comedy Central´s Comics Only and also wrote on In Living Color where he worked with Jim Carrey. After two years at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, he became head writer of Quincy Jones´s Vibe TV before moving to NBC´s Saturday Night Live.
In addition to being an Emmy award-winning writer, he is an accomplished comic author and actor. He has just published his third collection of humorous essays and comics, entitled Big Business.
Rosen is best known for his cult favorite The Last Supper starring Cameron Diaz, Jason Alexander, Bill Paxton, Charles Durning and Ron Pearlman. The film garnered many awards, as well as special recognition at the Sundance Film Festival. Rosen also wrote and directed The Curve, starring Teresa Russell and Mathew Lillard. In addition to directing, Rosen is a well-respected script doctor in Hollywood. He began his career as a stand-up comedian. In addition to producing television, he has also held writing positions with Comedy Central, Showtime and A&E, and on such shows as: Comics Only, The A-List and Caroline´s Closet.
As an actor, Rick has appeared in over 67 films and on such television shows as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, Lost, Alias, Six Feet Under and NYPD Blue. He can be seen in films ranging from The Aristocrats and Fat Albert, to Willow and Groundhog Day. As an Emmy Award winning writer, he has written for Dennis Miller Live and Comic Relief. He also stars as Thaddeus Razynski in Bad Penny´s Chasing Robert. Overton began his career as a stand-up, and his credits include appearances on many programs, including The Tonight Show, HBO´s Young Comedians, as well as his own Half Hour Comedy Hour on HBO. His reputation as an improv performer is legendary and makes him a favorite collaborator for many of Hollywood´s acting elite.
Attorney Corky Kessler has structured and organized over 75 limited liability companies and corporations and has litigated over 200 cases. His expertise is wide-ranging. His current practice focuses on entertainment law. Kessler´s experience is not limited to structuring deals, as he has developed, packaged and executive produced feature films that include The Sum of Us, which stars Russell Crowe and was winner of Australian Academy Award for Best Film.
Kessler is an Adjunct Professor at John Marshall Law School, where he teaches entertainment law and business. He has also been a faculty member at Columbia College´s Film Department and has contributed articles for Screen Magazine and various other film periodicals.
One of the best-known and respected veterans of the North American comedy circuit, MacDonald has appeared on numerous TV shows including Comics Only, Late Night With David Letterman, Showtime´s Comedy Club All-Stars, An Evening At The Improv and Comedy Central´s The A-List. He was star of his own sitcom in Canada and frequently hosts the Canadian equivalent to the Emmys — The Gemini Awards. His yearly appearances at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, garnered him a starring role in My House! My Rules! The show was nominated for two Gemini Awards for “Best Writing” and “Best Performance” in a comedy special; stateside, it garnered two Ace Award nominations. He is on a short list of stand-up comics who have written and starred in four original one-hour comedy specials. Mike´s film credits include performances and/or starring roles in over sixteen feature films.
As director and producer, Jerry´s credits include Comedy Central´s Comic´s Only, The A-List, Lounge Lizards and 15 Showtime and HBO specials. As a pioneer director during the early days of MTV, he has helped define and create the music video medium, with credits including Michael Jackson´s Moonwalker. He has produced and directed everything from comedy specials to NBC´s the Screen Actors Guild Awards – a franchise he co-created.
Kramer has been recognized with an Emmy, a CLIO, an ACE, two Grammys and two American Music Awards. Currently Kramer is managing partner of the Las Vegas based, SKG Advertising and has a long-term relationship with Mirage Resorts International where he produces marketing projects, specials and video productions.
Cinematographer, producer and photographer Michael Barnard has been making films, artwork and music for over thirty years. He produced Tiger Cruise for the Disney Channel and The Medallion starring Jackie Chan for Sony. Barnard co-produced, photographed and co-edited Cries of Silence, an award-winning independent feature that won Best Picture at the Giffoni International Film Festival. His award-winning feature-length documentary Chihuly River of Glass has been featured on the Sundance Channel. His artistic eye, aesthetic sense and expert knowledge of photography are evident in all of his projects. His expertise as a cameraman runs the gamut from digital stills to high definition, from super 16 to 35mm. He is at home lensing just about anything: shorts, features, television specials and documentaries.
“The Original Biker Comic,” Wild Willy Parsons has appeared in a range of TV shows and films including Matlock, Tracy Takes On and That 80´s Show, but is best known as a stand-up comedian. As a comic, he headlines clubs, colleges, corporate functions, and Las Vegas showrooms. His stand-up television appearances include: The Dennis Miller Show, Showtime, MTV, Comics Only and Evening at the Improv. As a writer and “gag man,” his writing expertise makes him a sought after talent by stars such as Richard Jeni, Roseanne Barr and Bill Maher. His knowledge of comedy structure and writing techniques provide Academy360 students invaluable insight on creating and honing material.
Wiley Roberts began his career as a stand-up comic, making his mark in the thriving San Francisco comedy scene. He has headlined many clubs and colleges across the country and has appeared as a stand-up on Evening at the Improv, Stand-Up Stand-Up and Comedy Central. He transitioned from staff writer on MadTV to screen writer and is co-founder of Walley Dog Productions in Los Angeles. He is in negotiations for his directorial debut of Year of the Dog.
Karash has an extensive background in international film distributuin and co-production. He has participated in the major film markets and is responsible for selling and marketing for over 50 films for theatrical and home entertainment. He has established relationships with buyers and negotiated licensing contracts for film distributors in over 20 countries and secured financing through pre-sales.
Steven has varied experience and expertise in profit generation. Most recently he served as Group Director for the New York Times Media Group – where he was awarded four New York Times Publisher Awards and one President´s Circle Award for Outstanding Achievement. Among his many achievements at The New York Times was his generation $175M in advertising revenue.
