The group mission:

The goal of this group is to bring together any interested people in the Portland area who have worked in theatre, film or video, or otherwise have a special aptitude for it, in a fluid, creative workshop and discussion on given topics each month. The central idea is to get actors, writers and directors together to socialize and meet each other, and from that, potential projects developed.

We will focus on traditional as well as new media, from classical filmmaking styles to new techniques of Web production and development. The group has a strong social and networking component, but also involves seminars designed to provide resources and technical background for members. 

The organizers:

J.D. Dickey is a writer and filmmaker living in Portland, Oregon, who is the founding principal behind the production group The Motion Collective. In recent years, he and his crew have created short films that have had exposure on Internet short film sites such as Movieola and in selected film festivals. Most recently, his work The Carbon Augury won Best Experimental Film at the Los Angeles Festival of Cinema and Technology. A graduate of the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television, Mr. Dickey has been a repeat semifinalist in the Nicholl Fellowships screenwriting competition, sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and won a national service award from the Red Cross for his film, "Get on the List!" He's been involved in the film and video business in Portland since 1998.

Leopoldo Marino is a longtime figure in the independent film world of Portland, Oregon, who has established himself as a first assistant director, and more recently as a producer. Working as a first AD, Mr. Marino was involved in numerous projects including shorts such as "Perfect Companion" and "DIY" and features such as the horror thriller "Flesh of My Flesh" and the recent production "Sub Rosa." He has led educational and informational seminars such as "Let's Make a Movie!" and has even acted on occasion.  Born and raised in Bogota Colombia, Mr. Marino studied film and computer science and graduated from Evergreen State College in Washington.

Aaron Wong is a director and cinematographer who has created and contributed to many notable projects including the recent features "Meet Jane Doe" and "I Sing of a Well," shot in Ghana, the Vietnam Scholars Project for Intel Corporation, and "The Amazin' Jerks," which he co-directed and which won top prize at the 2010 Portland Bridge Festival. Born in Cincinnati, Mr. Wong grew up just outside of Memphis, later attaining a degree in English literature from UCLA and in film and media production from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Along with his work as a director and cinematographer, he has edited film and video projects and enjoys the interconnection of new media, music and performance.