- Jack Bonneman
- Mark Biggs
- Jay Clark
- Isaac Crawford
- Anthony Ciston
- Joe DeCoursey
- Heidi Diecerich
- Chris Dolt
- Glen Elkins
- Andrew Grattendick
- David Hill
- Kyle Holtmeyer
- Kelly Johnson
- Jonathan Limp
- John Lech
- Sarah Marples
- Curtis McConnel
- Matt Morris
- Christopher Paris
- Aaron Pong
- Luke Pygman
- Charlie Rosenbury
- Robert Stewart Jr.
- Jonathan Stratman
- Jordan Thaman
- Tanya Weitkamp
- Rebecca Xu
Jonathan Stratman is the writer and director of Roberto and the Robot. As a senior in the Electronic Arts program at Missouri State University, Jonathan is very excited to be working with so many people to put together this film. While it is certain that film making is one of Jonathan's passions it is unclear if his enthusiasm comes from the art of the craft itself or the necessity of team work the film making process demands.
Roberto and the Robot is his directorial debut.
Jonathan plans to continue learning about the art of film making through real world on the job experience after graduation.
Andrew Grattendick: Producer
Andrew has been in school for far too long with nothing to show for it. Now he has found something he enjoys doing, and is having a blast. Other interests include parkour, biking, and science fiction.
Kelly is an 18 (and 3/4)-year-old Electrical Engineering major at Missouri State university, but she designs and makes costumes in her free time as a hobby. She has also done costumes for high school plays and musical productions. Kelly gets her inspiration from Japanese street fashions and Visual Kei music groups such as Versailles and Malice Mizer. She also gets inspiration from victorian fashions. Her main goal right now is to make some awesome costumes for Roberto and the Robot.
I was born in Valencia, CA and raised there until I was ten years old. I moved to Dallas-Fort Worth TX in time to start middle school. There I became involved in theatre and art classes. I pursued these in high school and excelled at art and English. After graduation I attended Tarrant County College close to my home in Texas. I was a part of NE Playhouse Theatre for three years. I value my time there as a set painter, properties master, costume designer and other odd jobs. I have seen Dept. Heads and Tech Directors come and go as well as students who moved to NY and LA to start their careers. By 2008 I was tired of the department. So many people had left and it was down to a skeleton crew, with me doing all the props and painting. I felt the department had grown to need me and my dedication too much. The students who didn't leave got stuck there because it was easier and cheaper than a university. I really wanted to move on and try and become a production designer. I had to try and get away from theatre.
I spent one summer as a Costume Assistant on a low-budget horror movie being filmed close to Dallas. I wasn't paid, but I was told that I was 100 times a better worker than the ones that are paid. Due to the unprofessionalism of the director, I learned more about what not do do on a film shoot then what to do. This didn't stop me from wanting to pursue film though. I visited the University of Austin and told them I wanted to be a Production Designer. There is no degree program for this anywhere. They didn't know where to put me. I went from the Art Department to the Film and then back to the Theatre. The other universities I looked at, there were auditions and portfolio reviews to get into each department, so it was a hassle to try and mix them. Other schools did not offer art degrees past Graphic Design or Art Ed.
I was determined to find a degree that would teach me the skills I need to do Production Design. I did not want to go into it without a degree, even though that is common. I found MSU, where the degree programs are more personalized. So here I am getting my BA in Art and Design with a Minor in Theatre. I am also getting a minor in English because I enjoy tutoring ESL and I love writing. That minor will hopefully support me if the entertainment industry goes into shambles.
I started writing at the appropriate age that children begin writing. Before then, I spoke-- in moderation, and very often not at all. And before then, not at all. It seems that after the attack in 2026, speaking once again became superfluous-- childish. It was at that time that I decided to put away this childish nonsense and resort to writing, not in first person (because that could be misconstrued as written speech) but only in third person, as is the most appropriate in a speechless world.
A silent circus picks up the young man on the edge of the dusty forgotten road. The man hops on. His legs dangle off the edge of the rear wagon, as a midget wearing satin slippers stares at the back of his head, stroking a vervet monkey.
They pull into what used to be a parking lot of a whore house. It was burned down twelve years ago. The caravan halts and the young man hops off. A mangy, bristle-haired dog sniffs through the dusty rubble that beautiful woman once danced on. The young man holds out a cracker and the dog eats it. A bearded woman dressed in purple and gold gets out of her trailer.
It's time to go. There's no room for that mangy, bristle-haired dog. They get back onto the trailer. The caravan pulls out of the whore-house parking lot. That mangy, bristle-haired dog tries to keep up. Go home, you mangy, bristle-haired dog.
Aaron Pong: Still Photographer
Aaron Pong is a Digital Film Production student at MSU. He is a jack of all trades but his first love is photography. One day he hopes to travel the world with just his camera.
Matt Morris: Lighting Grip
Matt likes to dream big. He enjoys good books, hot coffee, cold beer, and spicy food. Oh, and movies. Really likes those. Especially ones where Clint Eastwood grumbles and frowns. Or ones where disaster is narrowly evaded when Arnold swings in, guns blazing.
He tries to refrain from calling movies "films" in attempt to remain grounded.
Jack Bonneman: Assistant Editor
Jack Bonneman is a senior digital film major at MSU. Originally from Miami, FL, Jack has worked on many student films since 2004 and in his free time likes to make movies and video games. Just a FEW of his favorite inventions are sushi, time travel, Bjork, and synthesizers. He has a chinchilla named Milk-Chan who likes robots and kung-fu, probably.
Luke Pygman: Boom Operator, Assistant Sound
Luke Pygman is a Senior in the Digital Film Production program at Missouri State University. His main interests in filmmaking include cinematography, visual aethetics, and editing. Upon graduating, he plans on working at a Kansas City video produciton studio and doing freelance work on the side.
Christopher Paris: Director of Photography
I have an overactive imagination and tend to talk too much in an attempt to allow others to feel my excitement for the everyday. I enjoy being pretentious on movies, food, and beer. I believe anything is possible.
Field Sound Recording Assistant I'm a transfer student here at Missouri State. I transfer from St. Louis Community College in 2006. I will graduate in May with a degree in Mass Media and Digital Film Production and also this past summer of 2008 I earned my certificate in screenwriting for Television and Film. After graduation I plan to take a year off from school before entering film school.
I've been in the field of producing, writing and directing for over 4 1/2 years now. I graduated with an Associates of Applied Science in Electronic Media Production at Ozarks Technical College. A few big projects I've worked on were the "Simpsons Springfield Premiere Contest", SATO48 2006-2008, and Harvest Media.
I'm currently going to Missouri State for a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media, and I'm the Network Manager for SATO48 (Springfield and the Ozarks 48 Hour Film Challenge). I plan to go into Producing, Writing, and Directing and start a film company called Standpoint Cinema. Once that's of the ground, I'd like to form a networking organization to give other up and coming film artists/media lovers that same chance.
Kyle Holtmeyer: Production Assistant
I love music and I play the drumset.
Joe DeCoursey: Editor
Joe has been enthusiastic about films since he first saw the Star Wars Trilogy. He was involved in TV production in High School, which furthered his love for the art. Now as a student at Missouri State University he continues to focus his interest in film, and has currently found a place in the editing room.
Joe will be contributing his talents as an editor for Roberto and the Robot.
My ultimate goal is to work as a writer/director in the film industry. I'm originally from Versailles, MO. I have a fairly encyclopedic knowledge of film history and if I wasn't so set on actually making movies, I would probably become a critic. My favorite movie is Chinatown. My favorite director is Scorsese. My favorite cinematographer is Gordon Willis.I write a lot, mostly scripts and short stories. In addition to cinema, I'm pretty obsessed with literature...I especially admire the work of Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and Cormac McCarthy, to name a few. My taste in music is fairly eclectic...right now I'm really into jazz, especially the work of Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
David Hill: Sound Team
I love music, tea, Star Wars, and the Beatles.
Well, for starters, I've been doing sound my whole life--live sound, recording, films, animations, etc. I've always liked the bizarre and the abstract, Indie films, things along those lines. I go to the Moxie whenever I get the chance. My favorite snack is chicken nuggets. I love robots, which I think is a must to work on this production team. Really I love anything that could be, in theory, an Apples to Apples ace card: robots, ninjas, pirates. If you go through life not liking these things, then there's something wrong with you, and you need to really think about what you're doing wrong.
I'd really like to go into doing sound for big animations, maybe work for Pixar. Every time I see Wall-E I think about what a blast that must have been (another robot film. Imagine that). But if that doesn't pan out, I think I'll just move to some European country and live the high life: wine and cheese and Spanish dancing!
Charlie Rosenbury: Audio Guy
I'm a man of many interests: audio, video, programming, and working on sci-fi rock & roll films.
I also run a record label, LemonDrop Records.
Jay Clark: Assistant Director
I am a digital film production major that's about as interesting as it gets. Contact me if you need me. P.s. (this film is going to ROCK)
Isaac Crawford: Sound Designer
I'm the omega man of EA audio this year, and luckily I'm also the renaissance man! I've also got a great team of audio people for the film. Jonathan can add anything he wants to this because he knows me pretty well.
Sarah Marples: Script Supervisor
Hoping to go to grad school in San Diego and avidly studying for the GRE. luckily I'm also the renaissance man! I've also got a great team of audio people for the film. Jonathan can add anything he wants to this because he knows me pretty well.
Jordon Thaman: Design Team, and whatever else!
I am currently one of the youngest sophomores you will meet at MSU, majoring in the Art Department (Photography or painting, maybe). If not that, then I might do Spanish...because I'm pretty good at it. If not that, I have a million other interests/hobbies and want to travel the world with them. I am really into tea...and thunderstorms...and Paulo Coelho's books.
Usually, I just tell people I'm from Alaska (I am)..and that's it.
Chris Dolt: Puller of de Focus
Mass Media/Production Major. Graduate May of 09. Avid Sports Fan, who hopes to eventually work in sports media and if I'm lucky ESPN...
Sidenote: Talking about myself in these is always an awkward affair.
Tanya Weitkamp
I'm a scifi nut. I love to write and edit. In my spare time, I'm probably looking through my Minolta XG1.
-Tootles
Glen Elkins: Webmaster
Glen Elkins is an 08' Missouri State alumni. He currently works in St. Louis as a web and graphic designer.
Mark Biggs is an award-winning director who has been making documentaries since 1986. Trained at the American Film Institute and the University of Chicago, he has directed, produced, and edited many productions that have won thirty regional, national and international awards. His recent documentary, The Ozarks: Just That Much Hillbilly in Me (1999), looks at the history, culture, and values of the people of the Ozarks. His 1995 film, As Seen by Both Sides: American and Vietnamese Artists Look at the War, documents the first major cultural exchange between the U.S. and Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War. Distributed nationally by The Cinema Guild, this film won many awards, including a CINE Golden Eagle, a Chris Award from the Columbus International Film and Video Festival, a Silver Screen Award from the US International Film and Video Festival, and an International Gold Cindy. An earlier documentary on Vietnam, The Bicycle Doctors of Hue, is distributed nationally by Carousel Films. In addition to his independent documentaries, he has worked with clients as diverse as the National Park Service, the Department of Justice Assistance, and Wm. C. Brown Publishers.
Rebecca Xu: Associate Producer
Rebecca Xu was born in Shandong, China. She teaches animation and electronic arts in the Art & Design Department. She received an MFA in Computer Graphics from Syracuse University, College of Visual and Performing Arts; a BS in Industrial Design from Beijing Institute of Technology in China. She also studied Film and Television Photography at Beijing Film Academy. Rebecca Xu has worked professionally in the fields of computer animation, film special effects, digital imaging and web design in China and the United States. Her work includes experimental animation, computer graphics and interactive web projects. It has been included in many exhibitions and won awards in both the US and abroad.