First Session : Cast & Crew


	Joy Haynes (Josie Follensby) Joy attended the Duke Ellington High School of the Arts in Washington, DC and earned her BFA in Theater from Stephens College. A member of both AFTRA and SAG, Joy has worked in the industry throughout her years in graduate school and law school, as well as during her career as a paralegal. Her credits include on-camera and voice-over work for commercials on television and radio, movies both feature and short, industrials, and more. She currently attends the Georgetown University Law Center where she will graduate in May 2005. Her legal and acting resumes and video and audio reels are available on her website: www.joyhaynes.com
	Scot McKenzie (Mr. Smith) Scot has been seen in numerous films including; The Snowflake Crusade by Andora Pictures, Five Lines by Brainbox, and Scent of a Woman. He’s most well known for his stage work in Washington, DC at Catalyst, Studio, Folger, and Roundhouse Theatres, The Washington Shakespeare Company, and Arena Stage, and has toured with Shenandoah Shakespeare. He’s the Co-Artistic Director/Founder of The Little Globe Theatre in DC, a Helen Hayes Award Nominee, 2002 Theatre Lobby recipient and completed an Acting/Directing fellowship at Teatro Angela Peralta in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico.
	Cindy Marie Martin (Lois/Co-Producer/Script Supervisor) Cindy has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Theatre and Broadcasting/ Journalism from Concord College in Athens, WV. After touring nationally for a year with The Repertory Theatre of America and a stint with the Elkins Shakespeare Festival, she moved to Northern Virginia where she’s been on set with a few short films including Evenfall by Sapling Pictures and on stage with The West End Dinner Theatre. Cindy also played in Venus Theatre’s production of Ugly Ducklings in DC, nominated for an American Theatre Critics Award. She’s currently a member of the Landless Theatre Company's 2006/2007 acting ensemble. More on Cindy at www.cindymariemartin.com
	Helen Marie Bunch A Reston, VA native, Helen has been dancing professionally in the DC area for the past 10 years. As a trainee with the Washington Ballet, she performed 3 seasons of their Nutcracker, as well as many classical and contemporary ballets. Recently she traveled to Armenia with the ARKA Ballet Company to perform at the National Opera House in Yerevan. Helen Marie has also been seen as a tap-dancing and singing "Follies girl" in Crazy For You at the West End Dinner Theater as well as a dancer/singer in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. In addition to performing, she’s taught dance throughout the area and is a certified massage therapist with a practice in Fairfax, VA.
	True Haynes True is a Washington, DC native and in the 5th grade. He is an active little guy and takes part in many after school activities, such as basketball, guitar, and chorus. This is the second time he and his sister have been in a movie together, and he thought it was pretty cool to work with the special effects makeup.

	Lonnie Martin (Co-Producer/Writer/Director) From Woodbridge, VA, Lonnie has a BA in Theatre from Davis and Elkins College. As a writer, his screenplay Strangling Desdemona was selected as the 2000 best screenplay by the Santa Fe Writer's Project after he developed and independently published it as a comic book in 1999. His one-act play, Eight O' Clock Curfew , was produced in 2001 as part of Wild for the Source Theatre Festival in DC. Also in 2001, his short play, Nod , was part of DC-based Cherry Red Productions' Dingleberries . Small Still Voice , the film on which he served as co-writer for Stephanie Petagno and Red Fox P Productions, was selected as "Best of Baltimore" in the 2005 48 Hour Film Project. More on his writings and creative endeavors can be found at www.lonniemartin.com .
	Aaron Shirley (Director of Photography) Artist, musician, and filmmaker, Aaron received a B.F.A. from the Savannah College of Art and Design where he produced his first feature length experimental film The Carrion Malfunction. He worked as an AVID editor for commercials and industrials at Silver Hammer Studios in NC, before moving to DC where he worked at Arlington’s ACT channel 33, NASA Goddard, Telecine Colorist at Ericson Archival, and currently freelances for such companies as HUD and Waterfrog Productions. He has written, produced, directed, animated, shot and edited dozens of shorts and features. His second feature The Subliminal Dimension is currently still in production.
	Jim McGivney (Editor/Assistant Director) Since his humble, if not clichéd, beginnings as a counter jockey for his local video store, Jim knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. He earned a degree in Media Arts and Design and a minor in Film Studies from James Madison University. He’s since stayed active in the independent film community, filling many roles: producer, editor, director of photography, assistant director, even writer and director of his own short comedy, Cyber Sex?, which premiered at DC’s Visions Cinema\|Bistro\|Lounge in 2001. Now in Charlotte, NC, Jim runs More Than a Notch Productions creating independent films, music videos and more. His next project is the Lonnie Martin-penned Nod, currently in pre-production. Visit his website @ http://www.mickflicks.com
	Ryan Sayward Whittier (Music Composer) Ryan has composed, performed and recorded music for various independent films and plays since 1999. From his beginnings as a child pianist, he became a percussionist, singer, and dancer. He has drummed for various bands, has sung lead tenor in a cappella groups, has engineered numerous recordings for various DC, Charlottesville, LA and Chicago area musicians, and has recently produced the full-length CD ‘Dream Awake’ for the DC-based alternative hip-hop band Restoring Poetry in Music (RPM) www.rpmband.com, as well as the pop R&B single ‘Have I Told You?’ for the up-and-coming solo artist David Jonathan.
	Charlie Creech aka 'Sean Russell' Sound Engineer Pro Tools Certified since 2002, operator CC has been putting out fires in the DC-Metro area. Known both for music and post (film) work, CC works day and night out past Gainesville in his humble Six Sigma Studios contorting his HD-2 Accel to lock, sync, tweak, twist, and otherwise 'make it work.' Live or studio, demo or short, full-length or full-feature, anything goes. Contact is made with him at seansolo@gmail.com .
	Alison Bishop (Make-Up Design) Born and raised outside of Atlanta, Alison discovered her passion for make-up while working at a salon in Richmond, Va. Since graduating in September 2004 from Complections International, a make-up school located in Toronto, she has worked with multiple photographers and production companies including Park Group and Fiat Lux Productions. She has recently completed the short "The Shut In" directed by Nam Il Cho. Alison is currently interning under Toby Sells, a SPFX artist with twenty years experience.
	Lucy Wesson (Assistant Script Supervisor/Set Mom) Having copious free time caused by an involuntary bout of unemployment, Lucy makes her film crew debut with First Session, working as a Jill of All Trades. She earned her degree in Archaeology and Interdisciplinary Studies from Miami University, which has so far proven its worth as a liberal arts degree. It has seen her through various physical therapy, stage management, and group sales careers. She recently used said degree to find employment selling motorcycles and jet skis for a local VA shop. In her spare time, her hobbies include knitting and motorcycling – but as the X-Games have yet to introduce an extreme knitting event, she tries not to let them mix.
	Brad Hodson (Sound Assistant) Bradley Hodson studied jazz at Seton Hall University . His time is currently most spent as the bassist of the local DC band, Laidback, though he has also been seen as Joel Woodruff's right hand man on the audio board and boom mic. For his nine to five, Bradley currently does technical work for Fairfax County Public Schools.
	Joey Cabrera (Make-Up Assistant/Boom Operator/P.A.) Joey prides himself on being a renaissance man in film production. He’s worked for several independent film companies, on both coasts, since graduating from James Madison University. With his background in Electronic Media Production and Theatre, he’s been on numerous sets doing virtually every job; from casting to make-up, even holding the boom on occasion. He wrote and produced his own short, Wishful Thinking, with the help of G14 and More Than a Notch Productions. Though he loves filmmaking, Joey focuses most of his attention on his acting career. A proud member of SAG and AFTRA, he plans to pursue his sketch comedy career on the west coast.
	Clint Hall (Slate/Production Assistant) With a camera in his hand since he was old enough to hold one, Clint attended Northern Virginia Community College where he took History of Film and Animation and Video Production. Now living in Charlotte, NC, he is currently looking for work as a production assistant while working on his own short films which he writes, directs, edits, and stars in with his best friend and filmmaking partner Greg Miller. He thoroughly enjoyed his First Session experience, “I was really impressed with everyone’s performance. It was an honor having the chance to work with professionals and an opportunity to further my own goals and knowledge in filmmaking.”
	Greg Miller (Production Assistant) Greg is a college student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He first became interested in film in high school after taking a film analysis class and has shot several shorts with his friend Clint Hall since that time. His main interests lie in directing and musical scoring though he also has a fine eye for set construction and enjoys the acting aspect as well. “I learned a lot from the shoot and would just like to take this chance to thank everyone for having me.”
	Matt Alley (Still Photographer) Matt is a freelance photographer residing in Northern Virginia when he is not traveling the world. Having enjoyed photography from an early age, Matt's interest was rekindled while on a solo cross-country tour in the summer of 2000. Living so close to Washington D.C. has provided many opportunities to develop and nurture his talents over the past five years. He revels in shooting a wide variety of projects including landscape, fine art, documentary and editorial.
	Joel Woodruff (Location Recordist) Joel Woodruff hears things before he can see them. As an audio engineer he's mixed live music in venues from Baltimore to Orlando, designed and installed recording and post-production studios in the DC area, and recorded music for everything from album projects, to TV shows, to theme songs for national radio, including clients like NPR and HBO. Working at EOP Recording in Bethesda and touring with an up and coming band, Laidback, have not kept him from also being a broadcast engineer at a local cable TV station and taking on projects like First Session . All you need to do to keep Joel going is keep him inspired. “Sound and inspiration come first, sleeping and eating can wait”.