SPOT LIGHT Pick of the Summer

Many years in the making, this is a true story filmed as it happened. I wanted to put Willard's beautiful art on the screen set to great rock music, while telling a compelling story, and digging into the issues behind the scenes of talented, capable artists facing the typical obstacles to success.

This would have been a short film finished quite awhile ago if it weren't for some very interesting developments in Willard's quest that surfaced while filming. With my background in story structure, I realized that this story was developing a life of its own, so I kept filming and kept editing. Also, the great original music we found for the film sound-track kept us inspired. When Willard got to meet one of his favorite musical artists, Jon Anderson, who has inspired Willard since high school, we felt like he had reached a major milestone. I was ready to wrap it all up, yet the story kept going. One of my goals was to keep it fun, interesting, entertaining and not too long.

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It will go down in my personal life journal as a very memorable experience, with a great group of people to work with, capturing several years of Willard's and my life pursuing our dreams.

Director

Mark Knudson

Originally from the Los Angeles area, Mark Knudson earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from UCSB Santa Barbara studying film,
 

Music and art. He has since been a manager, a real estate agent, a writer and an entrepreneur. Since

relocating to Los Angeles, CA, Mark has worked in the corporate world, film and video production, and in entertainment at several film companies. He has worked on small and large movies with Ron Althoff of Backyard Films, at Exodus Film Group in Venice Beach (‘Igor’ & ‘Hero of Color City’), and as a background actor on many big films including ‘Pearl Harbor’. He has also worked behind the camera as a photographer and videographer, and editor and cameraman for Ron James Television, including large events. At 'Stargate to the Cosmos' he helped gather interviews for documentaries. He has also been a Producer's Assistant covering feature film scripts and even wrote a few scripts himself. Mark's hobbies include photography, travel, writing, racquetball, hiking & biking.

A first-class drummer to some of the rock and pop world’s A-list artists (currently on tour with P!nk), Mark has spent nearly three decades on the music scene performing with the best. Taking his multimedia performances to the corporate circuit, Mark provides an engaging and interactive rock concert in the guise of a keynote helping audiences unlock their rockstar attitude through inspiring and empowering them, while providing practical, innovative business strategies.

Performing for the likes of Foreigner, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Destiny’s Child, Billy Idol, Cher (Mark was drummer on the ‘Believe’ and ‘Farewell’ tours, two of the most-attended tours in music history) Udo Lindenberg and Eikichi Yazawa, Mark is no stranger to high-intensity and empowering performances.

GUITAR IMPROVISATIONS
Written by AC Alexander
Performed by AC Alexander
Courtesy of AC Alexander
Copyright•©2020 all rights reserved

Susan M Sheller, a Southern California based, story telling’ soul rockin' momma with the heart of a poet and the voice of a hurricane. Solo acoustic or duo, she brings her charismatic collection of songs that blur the lines between Folk, Rock & Roll and a Country Outlaw.

In recent years, she has opened shows for legendary performers such as: Leon Russell, Johnny Winters, Kenny Loggins, Jeff Bridges, David Lindley, Judy Collins, John Popper of BluesTraveler,  to name a few.

A Los Angeles and Ventura County favorite, Susan just wrapped up a 15 year residency at the World Famous Sagebrush Cantina. Susan has been a repeat musical guest on  KTYD 99.9 FM Santa Barbara morning show and opened for Country Music Legend Rodney Crowell in the “Sings Like Hell” concert series at The Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara. 

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Susan has written and recorded “ If I Can Feel It, I Can Do it”,  the theme to the award winning documentary: Autism and Arts: Generation A. Her song “Lookin’ for Julian” is featured in both documentaries Normal People Scare Me and the soon to be released sequel, Normal People Scare Me Too” about Autism.

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In 1999, she teamed up with producer Dave Darling,(Brian Setzer) to record her CD “On The Way To Here.” In the "Just Plain Folks Awards", Americana category the rrecording project placed 3rd for album of the year and her single “Chains Where Wings Used To Be” placed 2nd for song of the year. Her newest single “Something Good” was released in 2015.

A fresh collection of songs is in the works including her freshly penned  outlaw country ballad singalong “AssKicker”. Susan has a quick change over, set up and break down. Armed with only her acoustic guitar and her voice, she puts the audience in her pocket and away they go…like old friends. “ That girl… she can really SING!” - Jeff bridges, Saban Theatre 2015

A World class composer for motion pictures and television, Michael Champion’s template music with triadic reinforcement. As a child prodigy, he began playing piano at the age of five and was privately tutored in Blues/jazz and Classical discipline. His greatest passions are channeling the music of peoples character and composing it to music, film, live performance, computer graphics. Michael is highly attuned to both cycles of the earth and celestial events, including solar and lunar eclipses and the certain alignments of planets. Just an all around nice guy. A true performance artist on-stage musicals he studied acting at the Lucy Stern theatre in Palo Alto. California. Donating time as Judge in the Art and documentary Jury film division at N.E.M.N holding chair position for 5 years Judging Winners for the gold silver and bronze Apple Awards. Michael is also an adept computer graphic artist and an accomplished webmaster. Michael is the Creator of WORLD PULSE MUSIC ©1996, Owner of Milenia Records ©1996-2003 #MichaelCanyonDrebert

Our Father in Heaven,
We ask that we would walk in your blessing and goodness today. That your face would shine on us. That you would open the right doors for our lives and for our loved ones, that you would close the wrong doors and protect us from those we need to walk away from.
In Jesus name amen.

Gretsch Drums sponsors one lucky Drummer every two  to four years and Mark Schulman's Signature survived 6 until  Gretsch finally exonerated  

NO ONES LEFT BEHIND, I LONG TO SEE WHAT I CAN BE,
WHEN ADVERSITY STAIRS YOU DOWN, WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHEN TIME RUNS OUT, WHATS LEFT IS JUST A BOY AND A GIRL, WANTING TO CHANGE THE WORLD EVERYTHING IS CALM, YOU CAN BLAME THINGS RIGHT DOWN TO THE BREATH...