cy dodson

DIRECTOR, Cinematographer, EDITOR

I have been in the storytelling business for over two decades and Beneath the Ink is my third film in five years. Beneath the Ink, was nominate for a national Emmy in 2019 and I would consider this my most compelling and inspiring film to date. My past two efforts with My Last Breath and The Ragman - A Hobo's Story Untold garnered a total of 7 Film Festival Awards and a Midwest Regional Emmy for Best Documentary.  

Beneath the Ink was shot in my hometown of Zanesville, Ohio. Although I was lucky to have been raised by loving and non-racist parents, it wasn't uncommon to hear various racial slurs in my community.  At a young age, I knew the adult I did, or did not, want to become. I am honored to have collaborated with my team to produce this Emmy Nominated and Academy Qualified film. A special thanks to everyone at Red Rose Tattoo, especially Billy White, who made this film possible.  

I currently reside in Minnesota as Owner/Operator of my production company Triumph Pictures, LLC where I specialize in documentary style marketing and branding content.   

Melody Gilbert

Producer

Melody Gilbert is an award winning documentary filmmaker and film professor who has has directed, produced, shot (and sometimes edited) seven feature-length documentaries since 2002.  She also serves as a producer for other documentary projects she believes in, including BENEATH THE INK (2018), WOMEN OUTWARD BOUND (2016/PBS) and the James Beard award-winning THE STARFISH THROWERS (2015).  

The films that Melody directs are noteworthy for featuring a rare intimacy with her subjects as she unearths previously hidden worlds. She works mostly solo and has the ability to get people to reveal their innermost thoughts, whether it’s the family of a child who can’t feel pain (A LIFE WITHOUT PAIN/SXSW), a former Vice President of the United States (FRITZ: THE WALTER MONDALE STORY/PBS), or people who have full-fledged relationships with synthetic companions (SILICONE SOUL/2018/DOC NYC).

Melody is also a passionate educator, most recently on the faculty at the American University in Bulgaria for four years. She has taught her popular “Documentary Boot Camp” for more than a dozen years around the world. Melody recently started teaching full time as a professor at Northwestern State University in the Department of New Media, Journalism, and Communication Arts. The Documentary Channel calls Melody "one of the most fearless filmmakers in contemporary documentary cinema.”  Read more about Melody at www.frozenfeetfilm.com.  

torin scott

producer

Torin Scott is a professional video and film producer. He specializes in all types of genres and productions; short films, commercials, promotional, long-form infomercials, documentary, animation, and more. To learn more visit: https://vimeo.com/torinscott

casey call

art DIRECTOR

Casey Call is a musician, songwriter, vocalist, producer, filmmaker and visual artist. Call's creative endeavors were born out of rather unusual and tumultuous circumstances, escaping a childhood spent in a strict religious cult located in small town Iowa. His unique experience has taken him far from those humble beginnings and around the globe, sharing the stage with acts such as Kings of Leon, and AWOLNATION. His unconventional approach to all things creative is most aptly reflected in his work as vocalist, songwriter and creative force behind the Minneapolis based band ENEMY PLANES. Call currently resides in Saint Paul, MN and splits his time between the studio and touring abroad. To learn more visit: http://enemyplanes.com

stephen letnes

composeR

Stephen Letnes‘ music journey began at the age of four, learning the violin by the Suzuki Method, hearing the notes and playing them.  This method worked especially well for Stephen because he was born legally blind.  At five, Stephen’s violin was stolen at knife point on the way into his elementary school.  At age seven, Stephen switched to piano.  Not only could he continue using the Suzuki Method, but the piano was immobile.

Nurturing a passion for piano music, having hyper-sensitive hearing of tone and harmony, coupled with a cavernous memory, Stephen learned and played contemporary and classical pieces, from David Lanz to Serge Rachmaninoff.

Throughout his life, alongside the piano, Stephen has always been fascinated with music for media and has over 100 credits for film and television ranging from award-winning short films and international documentaries, to feature films like “Santa’s Boot Camp” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2016) directed by Ken Feinberg, “Nobody’s Son” (2017) directed by Brian Austin and “The Run Saga: Breathe” (2017) directed by  Stephen’s score for “Santa’s Boot Camp” was nominated for “Best Score” at the 2016 Love International Film Festival in Los Angeles

Alongside his contracted film projects for 2017 and 2018, Stephen has founded the organization, Able Artist; it’s purpose is to support artists with disabilities on fixed incomes with educational, vocational training and real-world experience in a professional recording studio as well as provide half-off scholarships on participating vendors’ products and services. Visit www.ableartist.org for more information.

charlie mccarron

composeR

With a Wiimote in one hand and a toy keyboard in the other, Charlie McCarron began experimenting as an electronic composer. For his senior project at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, he created a massive three-disc story album, The Mystery of Grey Matters, in which disc one and two are heard simultaneously on disc three. After graduating, Charlie lived at a monastery in Tanzania, teaching English, music, and computer classes. He now works as a freelance composer and media producer in Minneapolis, not far from his hometown of Stillwater, Minnesota.

Charlie enjoys writing music in a variety of styles, including classical, singer-songwriter, film and video game music. He has written original music for the Roseville String Ensemble, Nimbus Theatre, the Amadeus Chamber Symphony, the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, the Schubert Club, the New Age Art Salon, Southern Methodist University, The Upper Midwest Flute Association, Opera on Tap Twin Cities, the Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company, the Lux String Quartet, and the Twin Cities Trio. In addition, Charlie has scored three feature-length films, numerous short films, video games, and commercials (including some for 3M).

For four years, Charlie produced the podcast Composer Quest, in which he interviewed composers and songwriters about their craft. Every two months, he challenged his podcast listeners from around the world to complete composing “quests,” and over 400 new pieces of music were written as a result. One of the recurring quests has been a collaboration between filmmakers, composers, and an orchestra performing scores live at the MNKINO Film Score Fest. For the final season of his podcast, Charlie traveled throughout the US, Australia, Taiwan, and Japan, interviewing and writing music with composers there.