American Terrorist The Movie: The Cast and Crew

Kelsey Hansen – Casting Director, Script Supervisor and Marketing Director

Kelsey Hansen is a Junior at Michigan State University, majoring in Media Arts and Technology, specializing in Fiction Film Production. Ever since she was a child, the motion picture was what fascinated her. Her main experience has been on stage and infront of the camera, but after interning at a film production and management company The Gotham Group over the summer, her main passion became the business side of film (reading scripts, doing coverage and searching out what kind of movies can be made). Being Script Supervisor was definitely a new (and interesting…) experience for Kelsey and in the end, gained experience being on set and soaking up all of the lights, camera and ACTION! “American Terrorist” has been her life for a year and she cannot wait to have it be shown to others to enjoy.

Maris Herrington- Producer

Maris Herrington is a recent graduate of Michigan State University with a BA in Media Arts and Technology and a specialization in Fiction Film Studies. She worked as a producer on this film and in the future hopes to work on many more, filling various positions working in the production phase of filmmaking.

 

Nathan Nie

Nathan Nie (Zheng Nie) is an international student majoring in Media Art with Fiction Film Production Specialization in MSU. Coming from China, Nathan went through a lot of obstacles such as language and culture differences to learn film and hopefully, to be a director in future. Before AT, he made some short films and documentaries (Peanut Shop, Parked, I do and Stand tall) as a part of small groups. This was his first experience of working in big production team. He worked as set
designer and took part in making documentary about AT.

Ryan Jurado- Sound

Ryan Jurado is a musician, filmmaker, and writer who graduated from Michigan State University in 2011 with a split major between English and Film. He also has a BA in psychology and his next project is recording an album with the band Spandrels and Atavism. He designed and mixed the sound for American Terrorist in addition to supervising the score composition

Patrick Mack - Writer, Script Supervisor, Editor

Erin Cook - Prop Master, Set Decoration

Erin Cook is a graduate of Michigan State  University. She graduated with a bachelors degree in Media Arts and  Technology, a concentration in Cinema, TV, and Radio, and a  specialization in fiction film. During the production of American  Terrorist she acted as the Prop Master as well as in Set Decoration.  During post production of American Terrorist she edited the film along  with two other editors. Although film is her first love, she does have  experience with television production and enjoys producing TV as well.  She is currently pursuing a career in post-production TV and Film  editing, but cannot escape the magic of film production. 

Laura Aughton - Writer, Makeup

Laura Aughton is a senior at MSU, majoring in English, Theatre, and Media Arts and Technology. She is fascinated by several aspects of filmmaking, including art direction, writing, casting, directing, and acting. Though she has always been enamored of the motion picture, it was getting to work in extras casting on several motion pictures in the sumer of '09 that solidified her choice to work in film. Once she graduates, she hopes to pursue a career in the industry she loves. She hopes you enjoy watching American Terrorist as much as she did working on it!

Cameron Laventure - Sound, Documentarian

"Cameron Laventure is an English major with a concentration in film studies. He grew up in Caro, Michigan, and is now in his third year at Michigan State University. He assisted with on-set sound capture and helped create the making-of documentary for "American Terrorist." Last fall, he wrote and directed the short comedy "Frank the Assassin," which won 1st place among local student films at the Capital City Film Festival. He and his brother Brandon are currently in production on their first feature, a college comedy called Apocalypse Theory, set to be released in the fall of 2011."

Kris Sundberg - Director of Photography

Kris Sundberg is a senior at Michigan State University majoring in Media Arts and Technology with a focus in fiction film production, and has been working on films for several years as a professional, student, and independent filmmaker. His experience ranges across multiple forms of media in many different departments, include PA work for motion pictures and television, consulting for Funny or Die, Inc and Mosaic Media Group in Los Angeles, directing and filming independent shorts, and more. Kris hopes to one day become a major motion picture director.

Curtis Matzke - Director of Photography

Curtis is a Media Arts Masters student at Michigan State with a B.A in Media Arts and Technology, as well as specializations in Design and Fiction Film. Curtis is interested in all aspects of filmmaking, particularly writing, cinematography, and directing. He has worked on several media projects and films, including larger student productions, such as the 2010 Creative Film Alliance, as well as many professional films that have come to Michigan in recent years. His work has been screened and recognized at many film festivals.

Maria Palmo - Documentarian, Key Grip

Maria grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but she had the good sense to go to a college that wasn't 15 minutes away from home. She will be graduating in December 2011 with a Degree in Media Arts and Technology with a Specialization in Fiction Film. Michigan State has served her well; in the Capital City Film Festival this year, 'Frank the Assassin', a film she worked on as Director of Photography took 1st place in it's category! While she grew up in America, she was born in Finland and visits her home country as often as possible. Her interests lie in an array of disciplines, such as art and psychology and she wants to incorporate those interests, as well as her Scandinavian perspective, into her filmmaking in the future.