‘HANNAH’S LAW’
PRODUCTION BIOS
MIKE OGIENS (Executive Producer) – Michael Ogiens is a highly accomplished media professional whose multifaceted career highlights include service as a network programming executive, producer, and studio head.
He is currently under contract to Sony Pictures Entertainment as an executive producer, developing series and movies for network, cable, and syndication.
Ogiens began his executive career at CBS, where he worked for 14 years in both Los Angeles and New York. As VP, Daytime Programs, his responsibilities included program scheduling, affiliate relations, new program development, and supervising production on various games and soaps such as “The Young and The Restless” and “The Price Is Right.” After being promoted to the position of VP, Daytime and Children’s programming, his duties were expanded to include development and supervision of all animation and live-action Saturday morning series, plus an active slate of young people’s specials that were rewarded with numerous Emmy®, Peabody, and Humanitas awards. He then moved into evening television fare. As VP, Programs, he led the program department’s efforts to mine the east coast talent pool and generate production in New York, resulting in shows like “Kate and Allie,” “Charles In Charge” and “Foley Square.” Ogiens returned to Los Angeles and became VP, Comedy Development. Before leaving the Network to form his own company, he developed and oversaw production on many projects such as the series “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and the pilots for “My Sister Sam” and “Designing Women.”
Ogiens co-founded the Ogiens/Kane Company with former CBS colleague, Josh Kane, where they developed and produced series and movies for network, cable, and syndication in association with studios such as MGM/UA, Warner Bros, and Castle Rock. Production highlights included “The Young Riders” (ABC), “Trenchcoat In Paradise” (CBS), “Into The Badlands” (USA), “The Lazarus Man” (TBS/syndication) and “The Lot” (AMC).
As a result of his broadcast and production experience, Ogiens was recruited to become President, MTM Productions and lead the company’s revitalization effort to reestablish the MTM brand. Within the first year, MTM had multiple series orders for “The Pretender” (NBC), “The Cape” (syndication), “Bailey Kipper’s P.O.V.,” “Orleans” (CBS), “Sparks” and “Good News” (UPN). In addition, the company produced several movies and game shows.
Throughout his career, Ogiens has enjoyed solid working relationships with many industry executives and talent agencies, as well as a host of writers, producers, and directors. He is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Hollywood Radio and Television Society.
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HALLMARK MOVIE CHANNEL / ‘HANNAH’S LAW’ – Prod Bios – Page 2
He is also a board member and past-President of the Friends of the Los Angeles Free Clinic, where he continues to be instrumental in the organization’s fundraising activities.
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JOHN FASANO (Executive Producer/Writer) – John Fasano has over 20 years experience with more than forty credits on feature films and prime time television as a writer, director and producer. His writing background includes the films “Another 48 Hrs.,” “Universal Soldier: The Return,” “Megiddo: The Omega Code 2” and “Alien 3,” as well as developing the story for “Alien Vs Predator,” “Flushed Away,” “Ex-1,” “Marvel Comics' Werewolf by Night” and most recently “Sniper Reloaded” and “Hostel: Part III.”
His television projects include “The Hunchback” (for which he received a WGA nomination for best teleplay), “F/X The Series,” “Mean Streak,” “The Legend Of Butch & Sundance,” “The Hunley,” “Saving Jessica Lynch,” the Tom Selleck hit “Stone Cold,” “Firestorm: Last Stand at Yellowstone” and “Holiday Switch,” among others. Fasano directed the television movies “Murder at The Presidio” and “A Family Lost” as well as multiple episodes for the first and second seasons of the children's action show “Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight.” He has also worked in New Media by creating and writing the Sony/Crackle series “Woke Up Dead” starring Jon Heder.
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RACHEL TALALAY (Director) – Rachel Talalay began her career as a production executive for New Line Cinema in the late 1980s and has continued working in film and television as a director, producer and writer.
Her eclectic resume includes directing “Tank Girl,” “Freddyʼs Dead: Nightmare on Elm Street 6” and more than 50 episodes of television in the US, UK, and Canada from “Ally McBeal” and “Without a Trace,” to “Randall & Hopkirk” and “Touching Evil.” Recent directing credits include “Wind in the Willows” for BBC, “Terminal City,” “Durham County,” “Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures” for HBO Canada/ITV, “Endgame” for Global and “Hiccups” for CTV. She is currently working with MTV on a teen horror film entitled “The Dorm” and developing an original TV series with John Waters.
She has produced equally varied films including the original “Hairspray” and “Cry Baby” and parts three and four of the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise. She wrote the original story for “Freddyʼs Dead: The Final Nightmare” and has recently received funding from the Harold Greenberg Fund to rewrite her horror screenplay “Plagued,” which will be produced by Foundation Features. She also received a Hampton Grant to film an original short film she wrote entitled “Lewis Carroll in Wonderland.”
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Talalay serves as the BC Alumni Schools Committee Director for Yale University, where she earned her degree in mathematics, and teaches at UBC. She is presently designing a software app called preSCRIPTinator.
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