OUR FACULTY
Our faculty are senior creative leaders who are active in the digital media and entertainment industry. They are committed to helping aspiring writers and filmmakers take their screenwriting and filmmaking craft to the next level.
Joseph Assi
Founder & CEO
Ravenseye Studios
Joseph began editing film at the age of 14. At the time, he was living in a Lebanese refugee camp for Palestinian refugees, where he was born and raised. His talent and focus on academics and film led to a scholarship at the University of the Holy Spirit – Beirut, graduating with a BA in Film. He then earned a Masters in Cinematography. He worked as a news and story editor for LBCI before moving to the Academy of Arts & Sciences, Beirut. He is a permanent faculty member of TheFilmSchool in Seattle, teaching editing and filmmaking.
Brian McDonald
Chief Storyteller
Belief Agency
Brian McDonald is an award-winning screenwriter, director, writer and producer who has worked in film, television, and comic books for more than 30 years. Brian has penned Invisible Ink, The Golden Theme and Ink Spots, and Old Souls published by McMillian Publishing NYC.
Stacey Adams
Vice President, Current Programming
ABC Entertainment
Stacey volunteers her time to help educate writers on the art and craft of screenwriting. She is currently part of team that manages scripted programming for ABC Network. She partners with studios to shepherd and bolster scripted television through collaboration and passion for storytelling.
Tom Skerritt
Founder, Chairman
Tripple Squirrels
Tom is an American actor who has appeared in more than forty films and more than two hundred television episodes since 1962. He is known for his film roles in M*A*S*H, Alien, The Dead Zone, Top Gun, A River Runs Through It, Up in Smoke, and the television series Picket Fences
In 2016 he founded Heyou Media, an aggregator of new media visual entertainment content, including music, theatrical long-form, short-form video, web series, virtual reality and special interest videos. Heyou Media is focused on curating, creating and in addition to the recently announced award-winning “Widow Walk,” Heyou Media is co-producing David Guterson’s “East of the Mountains” .
EMILY ZULAUF
Narrative Director, Probably Monsters
Emily spent over seven years at Pixar Studios, where she had the opportunity to act as the Script Supervisor on the animation feature film INSIDE OUT and worked as a member of the Creative Development team. Emily is a master at story!
DIANA DOTTER
Founder & Executive Producer
Seattle Media Ventures
As the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Seattle Media Ventures, Diana guides the organization in the development and production of social impact television and new media entertainment written by and about women, LGBTQ, and people of color.
Prior to the launch of SMV, Diana held the role of Executive Director of TheFilmSchool Seattle. As an Independent Producer, Diana’s credits include the films “Zaytoun” (International debut made at TIFF and distributed by Pathe), “El Camino Solo”, “Signs Everywhere”, "Shards", “Quarters”, "Throw Me a Bone", “Against All Odds”, “The Mystery of Mount Rainier”, The Morris Trophy, and commercial projects for clients such as CenturyLink.