meet the crew
VANINA HAREL
Producer/Cinematographer/Assistant Editor - Deal Island With a passion for wildlife and a degree in biology, Vanina Harel makes environmental documentaries that matter. Currently enrolled in the MFA in Film and Electronic Media at American University, her current projects include documentaries on rhino conservation in South Africa, sustainable farming in Virginia, and coral reef conservation in her home country Mauritius. |
SHAYNA MULLER
Producer/Assistant Editor - Crisfield Shayna Muller is currently earning her Masters in Film and Video from American University. She earned her Bachelors in Natural History and Interpretation from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Shayna hopes to create environmental media that will educate and inspire a sense of environmental stewardship in others. Currently, she is in the development stages of her thesis, which will be an animated short about Monarch Butterfly conservation. |
NICK ZACHAR
Producer/Assistant Editor/Coordinating Producer/Cinematographer - Hooper's Island Nick Zachar is a filmmaker currently pursuing his MFA in Film and Electronic Media. Nick's background in Biology has taken him to the Virgin Islands, where he traveled with a team of biologists on an expedition to aid efforts in the conservation of a critically endangered species of iguana. As a graduate student at American University, Nick has had the opportunity to film on the Chesapeake Bay aboard Coast Guard vessels and hike through Costa Rican rainforests. Nick strives to find and share meaningful stories that shed light on environmental and wildlife issues, and he hopes that his films will inspire viewers to take action. |
MARILYN STONE
Coordinating Producer - Crisfield Marilyn Stone is a videographer intern at NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. While earning her B.S. in Wildlife &Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University, Marilyn dreamed of a career as a wildlife filmmaker. After graduation, she was able to film the first study abroad to Mongolia focused on snow leopard conservation genetics with the Texas A&M Vet College and the Snow Leopard Conservancy. Marilyn has also volunteered with Houston Zoo, a wildlife rehab clinic, museum educational animals, and the Audubon Society. |
ANDREW WATMAN
Associate Producer/Cinematographer/Distribution - Crisfield Andrew Watman is a senior Film and Media Arts major with a double minor in Business and Entertainment and Philosophy at American University. He loves the role that film plays in society and is excited to be a part of the industry. He studied abroad in Prague during the Fall of 2013 and has also interned with The Real Housewives of New Jersey and the American Film Institute. He is extremely passionate about cinematography and photojournalism. His favorite day of the year is October 2nd, International Day of Nonviolence. EMMA DACOL
Associate producer/Coordinating Producer/Cinematographer - Hooper's Island Emma graduated from Goucher College in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in biology. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Film and Electronic Media at American University, focusing on environmental filmmaking. Her film, The Most Endangered Species in The Bay: The Waterman, co-produced with Leah Jones and Marva Gibbs, was featured at the 2014 San Francisco Green Film Festival and American University’s 2014 Visions Film Festival. |
EMMA KOUGUELL
Writer/Cinematographer - Deal Island Emma Kouguell has a passion for storytelling and creating compelling visuals. She's worked on a variety of film projects, including independent documentaries and pieces for WETA Television and the National Science Foundation. Emma is an MFA Film and Electronic Media candidate at American University. |
JACOB MILLER
Writer/Program Coordinator - Crisfield Jacob Miller is a senior film production student with a minor in Literature at American University. He grew up in Cleveland with an actor father and a news producing mother, so he split the difference and decided to pursue filmmaking. He has spent time studying film abroad and have a passion for traveling and meeting new and interesting people. He's an athlete, a social creature, and is always down for an adventure! He'll see you on the unbeaten path! |
JOANNA SOBIESKI
Writer/ Cinematographer/Distribution - Hooper's Island While senior Joanna Sobieski's interests and capabilities in the field of communication are varied, as a Film and Media Arts major her dream is to utilize her creativity and passion to create quality educational programming that is designed to foster in young people a love of learning about the world and the people in it, whether on a national or a neighborhood scale. Working on Chesapeake Villages has made her understand just how much she loves working on content for public media, and she hopes to spend her career helping to share the stories of people from all walks of life. |
SHIYU WANG
Cinematographer/Media Relations/Online Editor - Deal Island Shiyu is now a second year MFA student at American University. She is also an intern at Video Department of Smithsonian Folklife Center and Cultural Heritage, a video coordinator at DC Chinese Film Festival, a videographer and editor at Academic Muti-media Services of American University, and a graduate assistant working for award-winning professors Larry Engel and Russell Williams. Until now, Shiyu has produced, filmed and edited several short documentaries and fiction pieces and her outstanding production designs can be seen in a lot other filmmakers' films. |
CHUYIN TIAN
Cinematographer/Editor - Crisfield Chuyin Tian is currently completing M.A. in Film and Video at American University. Meanwhile, she is a video editor intern at Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, a web and graphic designer and a videographer in DC Chinese Film Festival, and a videographer and editor of Academic Multimedia Service at American University. Under the circumstance of being educated in multicultural background of US-China for four years in college, she always has interesting and unique opinions to contribute. |
CHENG CHEN
Cinematographer/Editor/Media Relations - Hooper's Island Cheng is currently pursuing her MA in Film and video at American University. She hold a Bachelor of Journalism and before diving into film, she was a journalist and a TV editor in China. In the past year, her work experience at a video production company and Newseum has given her great opportunities to learn and grow in the media industry. She always has passions for producing and editing, and she wants to utilize her ability and creativity to create more meaningful and high-quality films. |
REINA VILLANUEVA
Media Relations/Assistant Editor/Packaging Editor - Crisfield Currently pursuing a combined Bachelors and Masters degree in Film from American University, Reina is passionate about filmmaking and photography. Previously partnering with NBC4 on a webseries and interning with several non-profits, she focuses on producing media that matters. In addition to her creative eye, she has experience with web design, social media management, and marketing. FRANCESCA CROMARTIE
Editor/Packaging Editor - Deal Island Francesca is dedicated to improving humans’ relationship with the earth and hopes to do this through creating inspiring media, particularly geared towards children. For now, any experience to improve her story telling skills is a welcomed adventure. She enjoys all facets of production but her current strong suit is editing. She is currently pursuing a dual degree in Film and Environmental Studies at American University. |