Josh Stroud: Director of Photography
Josh is from Northern Virginia who now lives in Evanston, IL. He is finishing up his last year of school at Northwestern University as a Radio/Television/Film major. Josh has always been in love with photography and the art and adventure that is cinematography and lighting. He’s held internships at Fizz Media and Brella Productions, doing post-production, AfterEffects, AVID, and FinalCutPro work. At Northwestern, Josh loves shooting and gaffing student films. He has a range of experience in narrative, commercial, music video, and educational projects using 16mm and HD formats, including 3 films on the RED. This will be Josh's 8th short film at Northwestern as the Director of Photography.
When he’s not busy behind the camera lens, Josh enjoys bike riding by the lake, cruising in manual cars, and learning web design. After graduation and his upcoming wedding, Josh plans to migrate to one of the coasts to and find a job in the independent film industry.
The Crew
Josie Chai: Producer
Josie, a Northwestern Radio/Television/Film major from Naperville, Illinois, spent this past summer interning at Comedy Central. With previous internship experiences at Magical Elves Productions as well as Harpo Productions, Josie has a strong understanding of the entertainment industry. On campus, Josie is an active member of Dance Marathon and A&O, serving on both the exec boards. She also dances for the Fusion dance team and is a proud member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority.
Rachel Koontz: 1st Assistant Director
Rachel Koontz is a senior at Northwestern majoring in English, although she secretly loves convincing people that she's Radio/TV/Film. Rachel has been involved in a lot of student projects working on lighting and cinematography, and mostly she loves being on whatever team her fiance, Josh, is on. Rachel loves to write everything from poetry to press releases, and she's an active member of Northwestern University Women Filmmakers' Alliance as well as Women in Film Chicago. When she's not making films, you can find her biking Chicago, editing for her freelance company editZING!, and knitting scarves.
Patrick O’Malley: Composer
Patrick O'Malley is a sophomore at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music and is majoring in music composition. He began composing at age 13, around which time he developed a fascination with music written for films. At Northwestern, Patrick has been following his passion by working on a number of student films, as well as writing music for the concert stage. For his current project "Message Received" Patrick will be contributing an original song for ac cappella choir, as well as the original score. Patrick hails from Auburn, IN and is currently studying with composer Lee Hyla at the Bienen School of Music.
Brendan Stacey: Gaffer
Andrew Allen: Sound Design
