In Their Boots | Meet the Crew

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Meet the Crew

Richard Ray Perez Executive Producer	Richard Ray Perez produced and directed the seminal political documentary Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election, an official selection at over 50 international film festivals, winner of nine festival awards, and the project that helped launch Brave New Films and Public Interest Pictures. In addition to his work on In Their Boots, Rick Perez is producing and directing Cesar’s Last Fast, a feature-length documentary about civil and labor rights leader, Cesar E. Chavez. The film is structured around Mr. Chavez’s dramatic 36-day fast, a spiritual endeavor he undertook in 1988, and features intense never-before-seen footage. Mr. Perez was also the show runner, or co-executive producer, of Season II of The Freedom Files, a 9-episode documentary series that examines the impact that civil liberties violations have on the daily lives of real people. Robert Greenwald is the executive producer of the series. Mr. Perez was also the co-executive producer for the films Free For All and Pay to Pay, two feature-length documentaries about electoral fraud, political corruption, and the farcical consequences of pay-to-play politics. In 2006, Richard Ray Perez was the supervising producer and series director of Sierra Club Chronicles, a hard-hitting, half-hour documentary series of environmental stories produced by Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films. Richard Ray Perez also photographed the highly acclaimed documentaries Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism and Uncovered: The War in Iraq, and co-produced and co-directed the documentary, Crashing the Party: The Democratic National Convention. In addition to his documentary work, Mr. Perez has produced projects for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the American Civil Liberties Union, the AFL-CIO, and best-selling author Arianna Huffington. Before making documentaries Mr. Perez worked as Technical Director for the Fox Broadcasting Company and an Assignment Editor and Field Producer for KCBS-TV News in Los Angeles. Richard Ray Perez graduated from Harvard University, cum laude, in Visual and Environmental Studies, and is a native of San Fernando, California.
Sandi Williams is a Line Producer and Production Manager of Documentary Films. She was thrilled to be a part of Brave New Foundation’s inaugural season of “In Their Boots” and is excited for this second season. She began working with Brave New Films on the series, “The Freedom Files: Season 2.” Other credits include “When Medicine Got It Wrong,” the award winning PBS series “Craft In America: Community, Landscape and Memory”, the American Masters show “Bob Newhart: Unbuttoned”, and “Black Sky: The Race For Space.” Ms. Williams graduated from the University of New Orleans with a degree in Filmmaking, with a focus in Film as Social Practice. While attending the university, she was heavily active in school government and as a victim’s rights advocate in the community. After graduation, she produced and directed a series of short films shot in and around Paris. Sandi comes from a family with a strong military tradition, and she is honored to be a part of a project that advocates and honors veterans.	Sandi Williams Line Producer
Amanda Spain Producer	Amanda Spain is excited to be working on her second season of In Their Boots. Last year she had an amazing time getting to know all of the people that participated in our stories. This year she is excited to meet a new group of people and help bring awareness to the American people about the issues we address on In Their Boots. Before coming to In Their Boots she was a Producer/Director on The Freedom Files where she tackled the subjects of the death penalty, sex education and gay rights. She was also a Story Producer on The Sierra Club Chronicles, a series that captured the lives of everyday Americans who were being negatively impacted by the destruction of the environment around them. Other Story/Segment Producer credits include Iraq For Sale, Gimme Sugar, and Buy Ohio. She attended the University of Southern California where she received a degree in Gender Studies and a minor in Theater. Amanda is currently looking for her own pair of boots.
Abe has been working as a field producer and editor in film and TV for the past 9 years. Some of his recent work includes editing "The Simpsons Ride" for Universal Studios and the documentary/animation hybrid “Creature Comforts” for CBS. He also worked as an Assistant Editor in New York for several years on projects for Discovery Channel, History Channel and Harpo Productions. In 2005 he directed his first documentary feature, "Geeks On Board" and plans to do more in the future. Abe credits two of his mentors, director Lucy Winer and editor Spiro Lampros, for introducing him to the craft of documentary filmmaking. Some favorite documentaries, just off the top of his head, include “Grey Gardens”, “Gates of Heaven”, “Spellbound” and “Please Vote for Me”. You can follow Abe’s In Their Boots roadtrips throughout the season at http://twitter.com/EditorPenguin	Abe Greenwald Producer
Lizette Becerra Press Coordinator	Lizette Becerra is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara where she had the opportunity to study abroad in Spain and Mexico. As a journalist in Mexico, she covered women’s roles in migration from Latin America to the U.S. as well as pan-Latin American legislation on abortion and reproductive rights. Her articles where published in Inside Mexico Magazine, El Sol de Mexico, El Milenio, Notimex and Cimac Noticias. As a News Assistant for the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun¸ she covered breaking news in the western U.S. and Latin American, including the 2008 presidential elections, California wildfires and the H1N1 outbreak in Mexico City. Lizette strives to make the voices of Veterans and their families heard in the media.
Kristy Tully shot her first documentary in High School in the STAC program lead by Ron Demaio….and she’s not saying how many years ago that was. She made a few more at SUNY Purchase before giving them up to make a buck in the Indie film world. She worked as a gaffer in the nineties in NYC on several films and countless commercials. After her move to Los Angeles and a meeting with Robert Greenwald, she was back in the Doc saddle again and was the Director of Photography on Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price. As a DP, Kristy shoots commercials (to help fund doc habit) but loves teaming up with the old crew for important work that (hopefully) educates and motivates. She has worked with Brave New Films and Foundation on past projects: Walmart, Sierra Club Chronicles, and Freedom Files. Go Team. Fore more info visit her website at www.kristytully.com	Kristy Tully Director of Photography
Susana Lagudis Operation In Their Boots Story Producer	Susana Lagudis is a documentary filmmaker whose most recent feature, Trespassing, screened at more than 45 international film festivals, won 10 festival awards, and aired on Free Speech TV. A graduate of UCSC and UCLA with an M.A. in Sociology, she worked as a consultant on women's projects for the Ford Foundation in Mexico City before moving into television and commercial production. Susana was the webcast writer/producer/director for Season One of In Their Boots, an experience which affected her more than she could have ever imagined. After meeting Operation in Their Boots' five aspiring filmmakers and hearing their stories, she's excited to be a part of this groundbreaking documentary filmmaking project.
Diana Mayoral is an Assistant Editor of documentary films and television. She graduated cum laude from the UCLA's film school with a concentration in documentary production. She first worked for Brave New Foundation as assistant editor on The Freedom Files. She is proud to return to Brave New Foundation and be part of the In Their Boots team. Her post production credits include the History Channel, Logotv, TLC, Wetv and NBC as well documentary screenings at AFI (LA/Dallas), Silverdocs, SFIFF, CPH:DOX, and Cannes.	Diana Mayoral Assistant Editor
Joe Mielich Production Assistant	Joe was born and raised in Northern California before he made a conscious decision on 9/11: When he was old enough he would join the Marine Corps. At the age of 17 he enlisted with visions of deploying to Afghanistan, but in his last days of boot camp everything would change for him with the invasion of Iraq. In 2005 he was deployed to a small forward operating base in the Al Anbar Province. Joe had originally planned to make the military his career, but at the end of his four years he realized one night that his one true love had always been film. He decided he couldn’t just take all that love and give nothing back, so he packed his bags and off to the City of Angels he went to start a career in film with the In Their Boots production, where enjoys helping spread the very important stories of his fellow service members, family, and survivors. Joe also plans to further his education in the film industry where his goal is to make a lasting impression.