Randy Finch Film Department, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816 Phone 407-823-6111 Email: [email protected]
EDUCATION
1987 Juris Doctor FORDHAM UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 1978 Bachelor of Arts HARVARD COLLEGE Psychology and Social Relations Cum Laude
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
TEACHING
2006-present Associate Professor, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
2005-2006 Visiting Associate Professor, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
FILM/TELEVISION PRODUCED FEATURE LENGTH CREDITS
1997-1999 Producer, OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE (Miramax Films) Developed screenplay from Peter Farrelly’s coming-of- age novel. Produced the movie with a cast including Alec Baldwin, Shawn Hatosy and Amy Smart, and negotiated sale to Miramax.
1994-1997 Producer, THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE (Miramax Films) Developed screenplay from Jon Robin Baitz’s play. Structured the deals including equity financing and, assembled cast including Sarah Jessica Parker, Ron Rifkin, Timothy Hutton and Tony Goldwyn. Produced film and negotiated sale to distributor.
1993-1994 Executive Producer, FEDERAL HILL (Miramax/Trimark Films) Negotiated rights acquisition and sale of independent film. Orchestrated worldwide festival campaign. Winner Critic’s Award and Audience Award at 1994 Deauville Film Festival.
1990-1991 Producer, CAROLINA SKELETONS (NBC) Developed teleplay from David Stout’s Edgar Award winning novel. Stars; Louis Gossett Jr., Bruce Dern & Melissa Leo.
1987-1988 Associate Producer, MILES FROM HOME (Cinecom) Developed screenplay for Gary Sinises’s film directing debut. Cast included Richard Gere, Helen Hunt, Brian Dennehy, and John Malkovich.
THEATER SELECTED PRODUCED CREDITS
1995 Director, THE ENGAGEMENT (Workhouse Theater, NY, NY) Directed the premiere of Richard Vetere’s comic play at off-off- Broadway venue.
1994-1995 Co-Producer, NEW YORK STAGE AND FILM Produced plays summer seasons at Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY, including new work by John Patrick Shanley (author of MOONSTRUCK and DOUBT) and Steve Martin.
1994 Producer, POUNDING NAILS IN THE FLOOR WITH MY FOREHEAD (Minetta Lane Theater, NY, NY) Produced Eric Bogosian’s Obie Award winning show Off-Broadway.
1993-1994 Producer, THREE HOTELS (Kennedy Center, Washington, DC) Acquired rights and transferred Circle Repertory Theater production. Helen Hayes Awards for outstanding production, direction (Joe Mantello) and actress (Debra Monk).
1993 Associate Producer/General Manager, AVEN’U BOYS (John Houseman Theater, NY, NY) Obie Award winning production (Director Fred Zollo) starring Michael Imperioli, Lili Taylor and Ron Eldard.
1992 Producer, A SUFFERING COLONEL (Naked Angels Theater, NY, NY) Co-produced writer Kenneth Lonergan’s (author of ANALYZE THIS and YOU CAN COUNT ON ME) play, directed by Matthew Broderick and starring Frank Whaley, Bruno Kirby and Saverio Guerra.
1988-1989 Producer, HURLBURLY (Westwood Playhouse, Los Angeles, CA) Produced the LA premiere of David Rabe’s play starring Sean Penn, Danny Aiello, Mare Winningham, and Michael Lerner. LA Drama Critic’s Award.
1986 Producer, GOOSE AND TOM TOM (Lincoln Center, NY, NY) Supervised workshop production starring Sean Penn, Barry Miller, Harvey Keitel, Lorraine Bracco and Madonna.
1978-1986 General Manager, THE GERO ORGANIZATION Theatrical production company: Olivier Award winning Royal Shakespeare Company LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES in London’s West End at the Ambassadors with Alan Rickman and Lindsey Duncan; THE MISS FIRECRACKER CONTEST at New York’s Westside Arts Theater with Holly Hunter; FUNHOUSE with Eric Bogosian at the Actor’s Playhouse in New York; EXTREMITIES with Susan Sarandon and Ellen Barkin also at the Westside Arts Theater; KEY EXCHANGE with Brooke Adams and Mark Blum at the Orpheum Theater in New York and the original production of ON GOLDEN POND with Sada Thompson and Tom Aldredge at the Century Theater in New York. Randy Finch Curriculum Vitae page 2 of 10
UCF TEACHING, CREATIVE ACTIVITY, RESEARCH AND SERVICE
Film Department, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA Visiting Associate Professor 2005-2006 Associate Professor 2006-present
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES Foundations of Production Film Colloquium Capstone Screenwriting (senior Capstone class) American Cinema Cinema Survey Film Producer History of Motion Pictures Film Business
GRADUATE COURSES Intellectual Property Issues and Entertainment Law Microbudget Production Management Vision, Scope and Financing Domestic and International Models of Distribution Directed Research on Intellectual Property Law Guerrilla Marketing Grad Seminar
CREATIVE WORK
2009-present Plant City Stories (plantcitystories.com), Writer/Director/Creator, Online story experience built with Old World (traditional narrative filmmaking) and New World (e.g., YouTube, embedding video into Google Maps, social media, etc.) storytelling tools. Plant City Stories features online interactive map- based storytelling - where users choose their own path through the story. Plant City Stories points to a future of online motion picture storytelling where the stories are non-linear and interactive (e.g., user choice determines how the story will unfold) and filmmakers use ubiquitous and inexpensive tools.
PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF CREATIVE WORK: COMPETITIVE SELECTION AND PEER- EVALUATION
“Plant City Stories” New Media Exhibition and Panels, University Film and Video Association Annual Conference, Boston, Massachusetts. International, August 2011
SCHEDULED PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF CREATIVE WORK: COMPETITIVE SELECTION
“Plant City Stories” DIYDays Conference, Los Angeles, California, October 2011
Randy Finch Curriculum Vitae page 3 of 10
SPONSORED RESEARCH
2009-present Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Research Project with Co- Principal Investigator Asst. Professor Lisa Mills, Helping Students Discover the Central Organizing Principle for their Films: An Empirical Study to Determine Creative Self-Efficacy, Sponsored by the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, Award Amount: $1,000.
2003-present Vengeance, Feature length screenplay developed from Stuart Kaminsky’s novel, $28,000.
UNSPONSORED RESEARCH
2009 – 2010 Film Festival Marketing Project (filmfestmarketing.com), Principal Investigator with co-author Nick Martinolich. Research into the use of online tools for filmmakers to guerrilla market independent films shared online.
2006- 2010 IV Office, Principal Investigator developing browser-based production software for breaking down scripts, scheduling, and other motion picture production tasks. In 2009, a California software company announced an online production management tool, Scenechronize, with those features. With no chance of supplanting or improving on Scenchronize, work on IV Office concluded in 2010.
ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
Director, Master of Fine Arts in Entrepreneurial Digital Cinema, University of Central Florida, 2009-present. Duties include program development and assessment for a unique graduate program where each MFA candidate makes a feature length film. Primary responsibilities include: • Curriculum Refinement, such that MFA candidates learn about writing, funding, development, production, post-production and distribution of feature length microbudget films • Creation and supervision of Semester Consults, Thesis Review Boards, and other initiatives designed to provide benchmarks • Creation and supervision of the Enzian/UCF Film Graduate Production Fund • Advising the Film Department and acting as liaison on insurance issues • Drafting and working with the General Counsel’s Office on an innovative agreement whereby MFA candidates control distribution of their films • Developing and delivering 3 new graduate business courses and • Mentoring colleagues and students on research and teaching
ACADEMIC SERVICE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
2010-present Co-chair of Film Department Grad Committee 2009-present Program Director MFA in Film Program at UCF 2009-present Member CAH Grad Committee (Grad Studies & Research) Randy Finch Curriculum Vitae page 4 of 10
2009-2010 Chair of Film Department Grad Committee 2009 -2010 Member Film Department Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 2005-2009 Member Undergraduate BFA in Film Admissions Committee
MFA THESIS COMMITTEES Completed Chair: Past and Pending. Samuel Torres. May 2011 Chair: The Attic Door. Danny Daneau. August 2008 Chair: Acts of Mercy. Laura Lopez. August 2008 Member: Hope For a Thorn. Erin Kitzinger. August, 2008 In Progress Member: The Tailor’s Apprentice. Jeffrey Lehman. May 2013 Chair: 15 Minutes of Faye. Josh Ingle. May 2012
UNDERGRADUATE HONORS IN THE MAJOR COMMITTEE Completed Member: Using Personality Theory In The Construction Of An Original Play, Adam Lydon. May 2009
INVITED ACADEMIC SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS EXTERNAL
1999-2000 Guest Speaker, “Adaptation for the Screen.” Graduate Seminar on Dramaturgy. Columbia University. NY, NY
1997 Guest Lecturer, “Introductory Filmmaking.” School of Visual Arts. NY, NY
1979-1982 Guest Speaker, “Working on a Professional Film Set.” Harvard College. Cambridge, MA
REFEREED INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATIONS
“Best YouTube Videos (Made Before 1900)” University Film and Video Association Annual Conference, Boston, Massachusetts. International, August 2011
“Film Festival Marketing Project.” University Film and Video Association Annual Conference, Burlington, Vermont. International, August 2010
“Helping Students Discover the Central Organizing Principle for their Films: an Empirical Study to Determine Creative Self-Efficacy.” Co-PI with Dr. Lisa Mills, University Film and Video Association Annual Conference. International, New Orleans, LA. August 2009
RECENT INVITED SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
2011 Presenter at the North American Contingency Association, “Preparing for the Risks and Rewards of New World Storytelling.” Orlando, FL
2011 Presenter at the Gasparilla Film Festival forum with actor Tom Berenger. Tampa, FL
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2011 Presenter at the Gasparilla Film Festival with actor M. Emmet Walsh. Tampa, FL
2009 Presenter at University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee forum with Academy Award winning director John Avildsen. Sarasota, FL
2009 Co-lecturer with Lisa Cook at the University of South Florida Sarasota- Manatee, The Professional Filmmaking Process. Sarasota, FL
2009 Appearance on Orange TV, Indie Cinema Showcase. Orlando, FL
2009 Appearance on WUSF radio, Florida Matters. Tampa, FL
2009 Presenter at the Self-Employment in the Arts Conference, “Meaning and Money.” Tampa, FL.
2007 Presenter at the Florida Film Festival forum with Academy Award nominated director Peter Bogdanovich. Orlando, FL
RECENT FILM FESTIVAL AND FILM COMPETITON SERVICE
2011 Juror, Narrative Features, Florida Film Festival. Orlando, FL
2011 Panelist, New Frontiers in Distribution panel, Florida Film Festival. Orlando, FL
2011 Judge, College Movie Fest. Orlando, FL
2010 Panelist, Art of the Producer panel, Florida Film Festival. Orlando, FL
2009 Panelist, New Models of Distribution panel, Florida Film Festival. Orlando, FL
2009 Panelist, Filmmaking in Florida panel, Sarasota Film Festival. Sarasota, FL
2009 Judge, 48-Hour Film Contest. Tampa, FL.
2008 Panelist, Digital Distribution panel, Florida Film Festival. Orlando, FL
2006 Juror, Documentary Features, Sarasota Film Festival. Sarasota, FL
2005- 2006 Documentary Selection Committee, Florida Film Festival. Orlando, FL
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
UFVA member Retired from New York State Bar Association Member Connecticut Bar Association Florida Democratic Lawyers Council
Randy Finch Curriculum Vitae page 6 of 10
FILM/TELEVISION DEVELOPMENT
2003-present Producer, PLANT CITY STORIES/VENGEANCE (Interactive Website/Film) Developed feature length screenplay based on Stuart Kaminsky’s mystery novels. Work on cross-platform elements commenced in 2009. Plantcitystories.com launched in 2011.
2000-2010 Producer, KILLER JOE (Peace Arch Films) Optioned screenplay based on Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts’s play. Attached Peace Arch Films for contingent financing in 2008 but unable to clear talent for the dates and on budget. Abandoned in 2010.
2000-2003 Producer, WOMEN ARE FROM... (Paramount Pictures/MTV Films) Developed unproduced comedy based on ROMAN HOLIDAY.
1988 Production Executive, DREAMLOVER PRODUCTIONS Ran Winona Ryder’s production company at Orion Pictures under Mike Medavoy, Mark Platt and Hutch Parker.
THEATER DEVELOPMENT
Since 1992, I have served as a board member and/or produced at a number of not-for- profit theaters; specifically from 2003-present I have been on the board of directors of the Echo Theater Company in LA, CA., from 1994-1995 I was a co-producer of the New York Stage and Film Powerhouse Theater in Poughkeepsie, NY, and from 1992- 2000 I served as the president of the board of the Seraphim Theater Company. NY, NY. The following is selected list of plays developed at those theaters during that period:
2010 Echo Theater Productions: Everything Will Be Different by Mark Schultz Wirehead by Matthew Benjamin & Logan Brown (Nominated for 7 LA Weekly Awards: Comedy Direction, Leading Male Performance, Playwriting, Lighting Design, Set Design, Sound Design, Production Design)
2009 Echo Theater Productions: The Illustrious Birth of Padraic T. Duffy by Padraic Duffy The Echo One Acts: 2009
2008 Echo Theater Production: Body Politic by Jessica Goldberg (nominated for two Ovation Awards – Best Play & Best Ensemble)
2007 Echo Theater Productions: Anon by Kate Robin Thursday by Adam Bock
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2006 Echo Theater Production: The Echo One Acts: 2006
2005 Echo Theater Productions: Melancholy Play by Sarah Ruhl
2004 Echo Theater Productions: The Echo One Acts: 2004 Pigs & Bugs by Paul Zimmerman
2003 Echo Theater Productions: The Echo One Acts: 2003 War Music by Bryan Davidson’s (Ovation Award winner – Best Play & Best Ensemble)
Also during my time on the board, the Echo Theater Play Reading Series presented new works by: David Lindsay-Abaire, Todd Alcott, Tanya Barfield, PJ Barry, Mike Batistick, Neena Beeber, Chad Beguelin, Matthew Benjamin, Adam Bock, Carlyle Brown, Logan Brown, Keith Bunin, Rick Cleveland, Kevin Crowley, Cusi Cram, Gordon Dahlquist, Bryan Davidson, Joe DiPietro, Bryan Delaney, Padraic Duffy, Fielding Edlow, Julia Edwards, Napoleon Ellsworth, Herman Daniel Farrell III, Kate Fodor, Amy Freed, Karl Gajdusek, Jessica Goldberg, Jennifer Haley, Steven Haworth, Michael Hollinger, Keith Huff, Elroyce D. Jones, Susan Johnston, Nick Jones, Bill Leavengood, Adam LeFevre, Rick Lieberman, Quincy Long, Heather McCuthchen, Wendy MacLeod, Terri Minsky, Wesley Moore, Kira Obolensky, Riel Paley, Laura Quinn, Adam Rapp, Kate Robin, Sarah Ruhl, Leah Ryan, Mark Schultz, Rachel Shukert, Bernardo Solano, Richard Strand, Lucy Thurber, Erin Cressida Wilson, and Paul Zimmerman.
1996 Seraphim Theater Company Production: A Family Man by Tom Szentgyorgi
1995 Seraphim Theater Company Productions: The Users Waltz by Todd Alcott White Man Dancing by Stephan Metcalfe
1995 Powerhouse Season: Mainstage: The Cleopatra Club by Paul Schrader, directed by Barry Edelstein Minutes From the Blue Route by Tom Donaghy, directed by David Warren Kim’s Sister by Peter Sagal, directed by Max Mayer Workshop productions: Mirrors Remembered by Cary Wong, directed by Marya Mazon Fair Fight (A Mean Little Dance) written and conceived by Liz Tuccillo, directed and choreographed by John Ruocco Special presentation: Bunny, Bunny by Alan Zweibel, directed by Barry Edelstein Patter for the Floating Lady and the Zig-Zag Woman by Steve Martin, directed by Barry Edelstein Tripping Through the Car House by Regina Porter, directed by Pamela Berlin I Told My Mother I Hate Her by Dan Kagan, directed by Tim Vasen
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Readings: Cellini by John Patrick Shanley Current Events by David Marshall Grant Event Horizon by Christopher Kyle The Principality of Sorrow by Keith Bunin The Sleeping Hippo by Max Mayer
1994 Powerhouse Season: Mainstage: Revelers by Beth Henley, directed by Leonard Foglia Snakebit by David Marshall Grant, directed by Joe Mantello The Fool and Her Fortune written and directed by John Patrick Shanley Workshop Productions: Wasp and Romeo and Juliet at Antioch by Steve Martin, directed by Barry Edelstein Hand to Hand by Max Mayer, directed by William Foeller Special presentation: Raised in Captivity by Nicky Silver, directed by David Warren A Fair Country by Jon Robin Baitz, directed by David Warren The Quilling of Prue by Mary Gail, directed by Melia Bensussen Readings: Amazing Frogs and Toads by Terri Minsky Mirrors Remembered by Cary Wong Hearts Beating Faster by Ralph Pape Circus Genes by Alexandra Tolk Film: The Hairy Bird written and directed by Sarah Kernochan
1994 Seraphim Theater Company Productions: Little Monsters by Alan Bowne Tower of Masks by John B. Martin Most Likely To by John B. Martin
1993 Seraphim Theater Company Productions: Blackout by Gary Lennon Cripples and Kings by Paul Cassell Working Girl by Daniel Gregory Brown
1992 Seraphim Theater Company Productions: True West by Sam Shepard Found a Peanut by Donald Margulies The Talking Dog by John Guare Brilliant Traces by Cindy Lou Johnson Orphans by Lyle Kessler Homefront by James Duff Road by Jim Carthwright
Also, during my time as president of the board, the Seraphim Theater Company Play Reading Series presented new works by: Kirk Aanes, Todd Alcott, James Bosley, Larry Brothers, Cathy Celesia, John Cockrell, Russell Davis, Annie Evans, Ian Hersey,
Randy Finch Curriculum Vitae page 9 of 10
Manfred Karge, Ian Kerner, Meyer Levin, Richard Nelson, David Rosenthal, Steven Sater, John Steppling, Tom Szentgyorgi, and Richard Vetere.
REFERENCES Available upon request.
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