THE Team
Director, Writer & Producer: Sam Ball
Sam has directed documentary films and multimedia projects for Citizen Film since 2002. His work has been exhibited at many of America’s most prestigious venues from Sundance to MoMA-NY. Several of his films have aired on public television, including Joann Sfar Draws from Memory (KQED Presents). Sam’s projects range from independent documentaries to sculptural multimedia installations in public space— all designed to deepen civic awareness and participation.
Sr. Executive Producer & Writer: Randy Bean
Randy is a four-time Emmy Award nominee who has produced programs and segments for many public affairs programs, including Bill Moyers’ Journal and The Newshour. She was the founding executive producer of the Stanford Channel and forged the first-of-its-kind production partnership between Stanford University and National Geographic Television. She has been a senior consultant at Citizen Film since 2012.
Producer: Kate Stilley Steiner
Kate heads production and editorial for Citizen Film, which she co-founded. Her editing credits include documentaries for PBS, The Learning Channel, ABC and Fox. She has produced many films designed to foster important conversations. Respect for All—an acclaimed set of classroom films—sparked discussions about bullying nationwide.
Executive Producer and WTTW Senior Vice-President: Dan Soles
Dan oversees all WTTW program acquisitions and nationally presented productions. Dan is also active on advisory boards guiding PBS productions, including American Public Television and ITVS. He has been at WTTW for 20 years and served as President of the Public Television Programmers Association.
Consulting Producer: Georgia Godfrey
Georgia has spent her career driving communication and policy strategy inside the White House, and in politics, music and sports. She offers expertise on grass-roots and community initiatives, strategic messaging and content and international and national media campaigns.
Editor & Writer: Mike Shen
Mike has been nominated for two national Emmy Awards as a documentary producer and editor. His work has shown on Current TV, National Geographic, the Smithsonian Channel, New York Times Television, PBS and HBO. He has been Citizen Film’s senior editor since 2009, and teaches editing at UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism.
Cinematographer: Sophie Constantinou
Sophie is a co-founder of Citizen Film with over 20 years of high-profile cinematography experience. Her credits include documentaries for PBS and HBO, including Maquilopolis, Unchained Memories, and most recently, The Royal Road; Regarding Susan Sontag and Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth. Sophie collaborated with director Sam Ball and other cinematographers who contributed to American Creed—including Richard Gunderman, Dana Kupper, Garland MacLaurin and Howard Shack—to design the film's look and feel.
Visual Effects: Raffi Simonian, NAU
Raffi is the Founder and Executive Creative Director of Nau, which designs graphics, titles and effects for television. His work has been seen at the Academy Awards, the MTV Movie Awards, and in many high-profile commercials.
Composer: Peter Golub
Peter has scored award-winning films for over 20 years. He co-composed the music for The Great Debaters, directed by Denzel Washington, and scored Frozen River (2008 Sundance Jury Award). His documentary work includes Wordplay (starring Will Shortz, Bill Clinton and Jon Stewart), HBO's The Laramie Project, and Being George Clooney.
Sound Design, Mix & Additional Music Composition: Dave Nelson, Outpost Studios
Dave’s career spans over twenty years in the film, sound and recording industry. His work involves an interesting mix of documentaries, feature films, shorts and albums (many of which have been nominated for Academy, Emmy and Grammy Awards). Outpost Studios' Miik Dinko also contributed to sound and dialogue editing of American Creed.
Color: Gary Coates
Gary's career spans three acts: the photochemical era, the telecine era, and now, the era of digital cinema. Working continuously in the San Francisco motion picture industry since 1975, Gary has enhanced cinematography and color in films, videos, webcast motion pictures, and national broadcast. His practice includes post-production consultation, management, online editorial preparation, and film restoration.
Associate Producer: Cassandra Dreher
Cassandra coordinates strategic communications and development at Citizen Film, where she has worked since moving to San Francisco in 2013. She has a B.A. in Film from Vassar College, and spends her free time making short films with friends and family.
Assistant Producer: Hanne MacDonald
Hanne produces events that engage wide audiences with Citizen Film's documentaries. Prior to joining Citizen Film, she worked in education. Hanne has a B.A. in Anthropology and Media Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and a passion for vintage media.