The Team
LeeAnne Matusek ( Producer ) - After gaining a great deal of experience in front of the camera and professional stage, LeeAnne discovered her knack for producing. Bringing the team together to create an artistic vision would prove to be her greatest asset. In theater, she produced a multitude of playwrights from Anton Chekov to Theresa Rebeck, and produced the staged version of RADIO THEATRE at The Museum of Television Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills. She was a Producer Advisor on the Board of The Womenʼs Theater Los Angeles (W.T.C.L.A.). Her multiple associate prodcuer credits paved her way into leadership positions, uniting and strengthening production teams ; Including,A Perfect Ending starring Barbara Niven, John Heard and Jessica Clark.
Frenchie Davis (Actress, Co Executive Producer) - Her success on FOX's American Idol launched the Howard University alum's rise to fame rather quickly and she has been progressing ever since. Frenchie joined the Broadway cast of the hit show Rent and played the role of Effie White in Dream Girls, leading to four wonderful years on Broadway, eventually becoming a Grammy nominated artist for her involvement in the revival of Ain't Misbehavin. Frenchie appeared on the first season of NBC's hit show The Voice and joined forces with Christina Aguilera and become one of the Top Finalists. Her cover of "When Love Takes Over" landed at #3 on the iTunes Dance Chart, launching her undeniable talent into the national spotlight yet again. Frenchie has now ventured out and established her own label called Frenchie Davis Music Group. She teamed up with international singer/songwriter Janice Robinson (Ashley Tisdale, Deborah Cox) to record her first smash single "Love's Got A Hold on Me," produced by rising star Magnificent. With a career most people only dream about, a loyal fan base , and a passionate love for life, Frenchie is a beacon of positivity wherever she goes.
Michael Patrick Spillers (Writer) - was born and raised in the Ozarks, and studied dramatic writing at the University of Southern California where he won the Jack Nicholson Playwriting Award for his first play WHISKEY RAINBOWS. Michael's next play WHITE BOY premiered at Santa Monica CA's Highways Performance Space in 1996, with revivals touring Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs and NYC. ALWAYS & FOREVER was commissioned by L.A.'s Watts Village Theatre Company in 2007, and revived in 2009 at Casa 0101 Theatre in Boyle Heights. As a member of Downtown L.A.'s Company of Angels, Michael first developed FOLLOW among a quartet of short plays about Los Angeles (also including HIP STIR, CLEAN & WHITTIER BLVD).
Todd Shotz (Producer) - Todd Shotz and his production company Flying Monkeys Entertainment are thrilled to be a part of the FOLLOW team. In 2009, Todd and his longtime business partner Sam Levine founded Flying Monkeys Entertainment to facilitate development, production, financing and distribution of transmedia projects. Todd and Sam Levine recently served as Executive Producers on the Slamdance hit GHOST TEAM ONE, which was released in theaters October 2013. In 2009, he won the Human Right Campaign's E-Hero Award for producing an online video campaign against Prop 8, which went on to become the first time in U.S. history that a grassroots video become a broadcast television spot.
Howard Rosenman (Executive Producer) - Zvi Howard Rosenman, the legendary producer of FATHER OF THE BRIDE, THE MAIN EVENT, A STRANGER AMONG US, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and the Oscar-winning COMMON THREADS. Among many other great films, Howard produced the award-winning documentary CELLULOID CLOSET, PARAGRAPH 175, SPARKLE (the original film and the 2012 remake starring Whitney Houston), JOHN FROM CINCINNATI for HBO, FAMILY MAN, and YOU KILL ME.
Jan Miller Corran (Executive Producer) – Jan was born in Iowa and moved to SF Bay area 25 years ago. She is a psychologist and former CEO of mental health and geriatric facilities by trade. Her true passion lies in writing and film. A published author and playwright, one of her claims to
fame was watching her play Three Women in a Box in a NYC off Broadway production. She was consultant to the Academy Award nominated Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter and the award winning documentary You’re Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don’t which was featured in 2013 on PBS Independent Lens. She has also Executive Produced I’ll See You in My Dreams directed by Brett Haley and starring Blythe Danner, Sam Elliott, Rhea Perlman and Mary Kay Place, Anatomy of A Love Seen directed and written by Marina Rice Bader, Out & Around directed and written by Lauren Fash and she was Senior Producer on the documentary short Alfredo’s Fire directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson.
Ron Pennywell (Co-executive producer) - Is a Marketing graduate with a minor in Musical Theater from Indiana University of PA, Lending his talents to a successful sales and marketing career with Hershey Chocolate, Kraft Foods and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, to name a few, he found himself longing for something more creative and fulfilling and followed the road to os Angeles.
Ron is currently working in production, developing and casting talent for Brand New Media, a leader in Digital Media & Direct Response Television. As well as, the Marketing Director & Strategist for Switch Media; providing client direction, online celebrity PR campaigns/strategy, client branding, project procurement and social media analytics. Ron Genuinely admires talented and creative people and it has been his passion to support them ever since!
Nell Teare (Co-executive producer) - A Texas native who began performing at the age of two, Nell, attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts and then went on to study Musical Theatre at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Nell has performed on stages in NYC and LA as well as
regionally and abroad. Nell was a part of the original cast of Memphis (North Shore Music Theatre)which went on to win the Tony for Best Musical in 2010. She was also a part of the World Premiere casts of Harps and Angels (Mark Taper Forum) and The Next Fairy Tale
(Celebration Theatre) Other roles include: Fastrada in Pippin, Cherie in Bus Stop (The Lyceum) Madelaine True in The Wild Party (CAP 21) and many others.
In 2010, Nell began working in film and television and has
been in several independent films and was most recently seen on NCIS. In 2011, Nell won Best Supporting Actress in the LA Film Festival for her role in Chinese Takeout. In the last six months, Nell has been named a producer on many different projects. Nell is currently directing a short film in Hollywood and will direct her first feature in Texas in March of 2015.
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Melanie Mayron (Director) - won an Emmy for her role on the groundbreaking ABC drama THIRTYSOMETHING. She has starred and co-starred in feature films; most notably Claudia Weill’s GIRLFRIENDS, for which she won the Best Actress Award at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, and was nominated for a British Academy Award. She was seen in Costa Gavras’ MISSING with Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek. On television she starred with Vanessa Redgrave in Arthur Miller’s devastating adaptation of Fania Fenelon’s PLAYING FOR TIME, as well in the NBC special, WALLENBERG: A HERO’S STORY.
Melanie was seen in a recurring role on LIPSTICK JUNGLE on NBC. She has performed all over the country in GODSPELL, appeared on Broadway in Herb Gardener’s THE GOODBYE PEOPLE, and Off Broadway, starring in CROSSING DELANCEY. She has forged an additional career as a director in movies and television, directing the features THE BABYSITTER’S CLUB and SLAP HER SHE'S FRENCH, several made for TV movies and many episodic shows including THIRTYSOMETHING, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, SWITCHED AT BIRTH, THE FOSTERS, CHASING LIFE, and STITCHERS. Melanie was nominated for a Directors Guild Award for the made-for-television film, TOOTHLESS. She also has directed episodes of Cynthia Mort’s critically acclaimed HBO series, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME, as well as numerous episodes of
the equally prestigious HBO series IN TREATMENT. Most recently she has just completed directing an episode of the Golden Globe nominated series, JANE THE VIRGIN, starring Golden Globe winner, Gina Rodriguez.