Laurie Sacks

Laurie Ashbourne Sacks

TRANSMEDIA PRODUCTION, SCRIPT and STORY SPECIALIST laurie@lastorystudio.com

PROFILE

Accomplished development producer, screenwriter and ghostwriter for feature length, short form and digital productions, including animation, documentary and commercial in both live action and animation. With specific expertise in story development, script breakdown and supervision, research, marketing, production management and talent and crew procurement across the country.

Exceptional leadership skills that foster teamwork in a creative endeavor with demonstrated experience in seeing productions through from concept to completion while adhering to the creative vision AND financial and brand objectives as well as the ability to clearly communicate and realize ideas, and to pay close attention to details while pursuing larger goals. The following emphasizes leadership and direction, however, each includes a 100% working manager that takes hands on approach to daily creative tasks: A relentless and resourceful problem solver.

FILM PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE

Project Development Producer 2007-Present

LIVE ACTION PROJECTS: Feature Documentary organization responsible for the widely acclaimed CRAWFORD.

INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING CENTER: The driving organization responsible for an international renaissance of storytelling, and an annual festival of the ancient tradition of storytelling, on a mission to produce positive change in our world via the power of story.

SCRIPT ANALYST AND SCRIPT SUPERVISOR

AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL: Reading judge for one of our country's preeminent screenplay competitions, 5 month's out of the year reading, scoring and recommending whether to advance stories to final rounds and producers reading on average 2-3 screenplays a day.

INDEPENDENT FILM MAKERS: Sought after script supervisor for Austin's burgeoning independent film scene, specializing in on-set production, postproduction and shooting script development.

STORY CONSULTANT and GHOSTWRITER: For writers and producers worldwide.

1st 10 Pages: http://1st10pages.com -- writer, chief editor

ARTISTIC/TECHNICAL SUPERVISOR, PRODUCER AND DEPARTMENT HEAD 1989-2000

Walt Disney Studios, Feature Animation - Orlando/FL, Burbank/CA; Branch of Walt Disney Studios that produces animated features for domestic and worldwide theatrical release.
JOB: Supervisor of what could be equated as the quality control department, ensuring that each element of every piece of art met technical and artistic standards for proprietary image processing system, while maintaining the artistic integrity of the story and the Disney brand.

Broad responsibilities; recommending new technologies, public speaking engagements, teaching seminars, artistic mentoring and hiring of crew and management as well as making each production's process run efficiently and on budget.

Daily responsibilities; managing department as well as coordination with all film production teams. Adhering to firm production deadlines and coordinating downtime projects such as commercials, training and producer of a PSA to save Florida's Manatee population. IMPACT: Instrumental pillar in the establishment of Florida studio by minimalizing downtimes with structured training and intern mentoring. Drove new technologies and helped build the teams responsible for; The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch, plus many shorts, commercial advertisements, theme park attractions and film-based video games.

Excelled at the art and business of storytelling and more importantly how to balance the two plus an active participant in the "gong show" pitch sessions of the Katzenberg/Eisner era.

CREDITS

FEATURES: Continuity, Artistic, Technical and Script Supervisor

College House Movie 2010
Corruption.gov 2009
Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2 (pre-greenlight testing) Lilo and Stitch (pre-production) 2002
Tarzan 1999
Mulan1998
Hunchback of Notre Dame 1996
Pocahontas 1995
Lion King 1994 (could only take one credit even though I did 3 roles, accepted for blue sketch artist)
Aladdin 1992
Beauty and the Beast 1991
The Little Mermaid 1989

SHORTS: Continuity, Artistic, Technical and Script Supervisor

John Henry 2000
Runaway Brain 1995
Trail Mix Up 1993
Prince and the Pauper 1990
Off His Rockers 1992
Rollercoaster Rabbit 1990

DOCUMENTARY WRITER:
Untitled (2012)
The Legal Disease (2012)
Center of Story 2009
iPhone Feature Doc 2010(untitled)

DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION:
Center of Story 2009 (Producer)
61 BULLETS 2011 (Associate Producer)
Bossy 2010 (Producer)

COMMERCIAL AND CORPORATE:
Downy, Fanta, McDonald's, Burger King, Nestle, Walt Disney World Parks and Recreation, UNICEF and more.

PRODUCER

Animated PSA to save Florida's Manatee population

Other Writing Credits:
Untitled Period Espionage Feature on oil industry and Nobel family / Ghostwriter 2013 Writer of 10 feature screenplays and 2 novels in various stages of shopping. Ghost writer on 3 features. Awarded member of Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Contributing Editor in Chief 1st10pages.com.