TONY VINTO, Director
Versatility and great timing can best describe an entertainment career that spans almost three decades and includes acting, dancing, writing, directing and teaching. Back in the early 70’s Tony Vinto made his TV debut as a cast member of the award winning ground-breaking TV show “Gunny Sack”, a BELO broadcast show that appeared on Dallas, TX.’ ABC affiliate station-WFAA. The show featured a multi-ethnic cast of young kids that addressed art, science and math in a fun and colorful fashion. At the tender age of nine, Vinto broke racial barriers as one of the first and youngest African Americans to regularly appear on television in the Texas area.
As a Dallas TX, native, Mr. Vinto is a member of the first graduating class of Dallas’ prestigious Booker T. Washington High School of Performing & Visual Arts founded by Dr. Paul Baker, where he served as President of the Student Body both his junior and senior years. He is an accomplished actor of both stage and screen and has appeared and produced numerous productions. While in Dallas, Tony garnered critical acclaim while working for several theatre companies including Dallas Theatre Center, Moving Target Theatre, Addison Center Theatre, The Garage Theatre and Theatre Three.Tony has served as Guest artist in several of the nations most respected Museums (Henry O. Tanner exhibition) including The High in Atlanta, The D.I.A. in Detroit, The Philadelphia Museum and The De Young Museum in S.F. CA., where he stage managed and associate produced the first Actor’s Equity sanctioned production of a live theatre performance in a museum setting.
Tony guest starred in CBS’s Emmy Award winning TV film “Crisis at Central High” with Joanne Woodward, as well as the critically acclaimed independent film “Two plus One”. He is a former Vice President of Credit Resolution Corporation and a former Senior Analyst for Advocates Professional Services, a consulting group specializing in law firm receivables.
Tony’s extensive background in the arts coupled with his corporate experience produced the perfect balance to compose a “creative businessman”. Tony Vinto received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of North Texas in Denton, T.X. He currently resides in Harlem, N.Y. where he currently volunteers as a teacher at The Nu-Harvest Drama Ministry at St. Luke Church and is a single father of a son, Mario.
SALVADOR BOLIVAR, Director of Photography
Salvador was born and raised in New York City. He attended the School of Visual Arts where he acquired his B.F.A. in Film studies. Salvador also attended the Tisch School of the Arts at N.Y.U. in a intensive course study of Cinematography. Salvador began as a Camera Assistant and shortly thereafter crossed over to the lighting department where he felt more comfortable in developing his craft. After seven years of being a lighting technician Salvador worked on over 5 dozen Independent films, numerous Music Videos, and a handful of Commercials.
As a Director of Photography, Salvador has photographed (8) feature films, (7) commercial campaigns, and over a dozen Music Videos. He has shot Documentaries for such companies as Public Broadcast Corporation, Spanish Broadcasting System and Infinity Broadcasting System.Salvador recently won the Best Cinematography award at the San Antonio Independent film makers festival for his work on “Racket” a short film directed by Mike Biez.
Salvador is both proficient in shooting Film as well as digital, and is one of the few Director’ of photography with over five years experience shooting High Definition. Salvador has also spoken at NALIP’s yearly convention on High Definition for the last two years. Salvador has been fortunate to have filmed in countries such as France, Italy Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.
ED SHOCKLEY, Screenwriter
Accomplished award-winning theater artist Ed Shockley has served for over 10 years as Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Dramatists Center (PDC) and in more recent years for the American Concert Theatre (ACT). Having started writing at age nine – comic books – he later moved on to poetry, fiction and drama; he is (in his mid 40s) author of more than 50 plays, dozens of these produced, as well as numerous professional articles and educational materials on the arts of playwriting and directing (see accompanying resume). He has designed and taught theater courses at Temple University, NYU, Rutgers University, Nassau Community College and continues to teach play/film writing and directing at the University of the Arts.
Coincident to Shockley’s many theatrical awards and prizes was the $100,000 W. Alton Jones Foundation grant, which he shared with Grammy winner and musical collaborator James McBride, to produce their creation, Bobos, at Philadelphia’s American Music Theatre Festival. Bobos then won the much-coveted Richard Rogers Award as well as the Stephen Sondheim Award for Outstanding Contributions to American Musical Theatre.
The lanky six-foot eight-inch theater artist was born in South Philadelphia the son of a registered nurse and an ex con. He excelled academically early on and became valedictorian of G.W. Child’s elementary school where he earned a scholarship to St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. High scholastic achievement did not keep him off the basketball courts, and he made first team all-New England and later starting center for Columbia University. He later joined the Creative Arts Team at New York University where he was inducted into the dynamics of “conflict resolution through drama” by arts pioneers Linda Zimmerman and Jim Mirrione, none of which interfered with his founding two college theater companies and penning Bessie Smith: Empress of the Blues, the initial production of which broke box office records at Frank Silvera’s Writers Workshop in New York, then won him the 1981 Audelco Award and went on to break more records in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago and Seattle.
In his quest to grow professionally and personally, the young playwright has traveled the world – literally -- while studying writing, culture and language, a sojourn that brought him into collaborations with Blues great Little brother Montgomery, jazz trombonist Bobby Irving and Grammy Award winning composer and best-selling novelist James McBride; thus Bobos.
If man does not live by brea
d and fame alone, neither has Shockley. A lifelong advocate of education and personal growth inspired him to assist in the design and founding of numerous arts organizations including the Rainbow Company(American Music Theatre Festival), the Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival, Reality Crew(Venture Theatre), the Philadelphia Dramatists Center and the American Concert Theatre speaking often on the need to “re-negotiate” the relationship between artists and society: “In the most practical sense, we are not outside this world observing it as creative artists, we are integral to it,” he has said. “Likewise, there are deep creative capacities in people in other pursuits of life. There is more that binds us together than separates us.”
If anything, Shockley is still driven. In recent years he has simultaneously taught at the University of the Arts and Rutgers University, directed the courses of the PDC and ACT, directly coached aspirant and professional playwrights and directors, directed extensively himself, created and prepared a new film script, STONE MANSION, that was nominated for the MECCA AWARD for best short film of the year, mastered several degrees of proficiency in a unique martial art and developed his new play, Johnson Family Saga, which tracks the experiences of generations of African American kin from the days of slavery to recent times in a totally innovative theatrical structure. “We tend to get stuck in form,” he says. “Form has to serve art, and not the other way around. Saga must find its own form.”
EBONETTE BATES, Executive Producer
Ebonette Bates is an alumna of Columbia University and Harvard Law School. The Mount Vernon, New York native clerked for a federal magistrate judge and was a litigation associate prior to becoming a screenwriter. Ms. Bates’ second screenplay, “Daddy’s Girl,” was a Finalist in the 2003 Urbanworld Film Festival Screenplay Competition.
In 2002, Ms. Bates was a Runner-up in the televised MTV Treatment Contest, where, based on her treatment, she competed for the opportunity to direct the music video for Korn’s single, “Alone I Break.”
TOM E. MORGAN, Singer/Songwriter
Tom E. Morgan is a Brooklyn man, born and musically nurtured in Dallas. Providing all of the original songs for the soundtrack in screenplay/production duo, Ed Shockley’s and Tony Vinto’s short film BADMAN, is Tom E.’s latest venture. The film’s theme song, “TELL A PHONE” is the first single lifted from his debut cd, “TELL ME WHAT U WANT”, a refreshing and soulful array of original compositions written, arranged, sung and produced by Morgan.
From R&B legends to the most critically acclaimed Hip-Hop and Dance Music notables, Tom E. (pr. Tommie) has experienced great lessons. Johnny Taylor as well as Me’Lisa Morgan respectively, has mentored this renaissance singer/writer. His long term teaming with his “baby sister from God” and Grammy nominated songstress/writer Sandra St. Victor, paved the way for him to collaborate with the groundbreaking international Hip-Hop/ Soul production team, BEAT ROYALTY (Rotterdam, Holland), who after meeting Tom E., provided the soundtrack score to BADMAN.
Tom E. has an eclectic range of overtures and travels. Opening for Lenny Kravitz and Incognito at the annual OPEN AIR FESTIVAL CONCERT in Switzerland, followed with electrifying shows in Amsterdam, Germany and England, as the featured vocalist for Europe’s Dance-Music power house, Bruce Baps.
Tom E. Morgan’s most recent appearance was in the Russell Simmon’s DEF JAM segment at THE RITES of ANCESTRAL RETURN ceremonies. Traditionally, “RITES” has been blessed with performances by MC Lyte, Wyclef Jean, the Broadway cast of DRUMSTRUCK, Dr. Maya Angelou, Taye Diggs, Phylicia Rachad and now Brooklyn’s own soul sibling and Dallas’ native son, Tom E. Morgan! THE RITES of ANCESTRAL RETURN ceremonies take place annually. The site, where recognition and honor is given to the world’s genetic lineage, holds the oldest African-American slave remains known in America and is a New York City housed National Monument. Right there, Tom E., bearing a rare and yet personable package of style with substance, magnetism, unbridled energy and distinct vocal individuality, delivered a soul stirring, commanding display of timely classics, “What’s Going On?” and “How Do You Mend A Broken Heart?”
Tom E. Morgan Brings It!
PATRICK SASSO, Editor/Sound/Score
Patrick Sasso, cofounder of Loop Seven, enjoys a colorful career as a producer, musician, graphic artist, filmmaker, photographer and composer for film and TV. His knowledge of technology combines his skills as a sound engineer, editor, music supervisor, technical advisor and animator. He has written, scored and produced short films, news shorts and industrial promos for companies such as Citigroup, Manhattan Movie Magazine and The Beast and has created public service announcements for various charities, including Hurricane Katrina relief funds. Patrick continues to produce music, films, promos, jingles and voiceovers out of his New York studio.
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