DAFNA YACHIN

Dafna Yachin is Chief Creative Officer at Lunchbox Communications. For over 20 years she has written, produced and directed award-winning television, film, national commercials, educational programs and multimedia campaigns. Her projects have aired on CBS, ABC, Discovery, History Channel and SyFy. She has been instrumental in creating lasting series formats for both cable and syndication as well as launching engaging cross-platform initiatives for both NGO and Commercial clients.

TAMMY TIEHEL-STEDMAN

Academy Award-winning film producer Tammy Tiehel-Stedman is a Philadelphia native with a BA from Washington College and an MFA from the American Film Institute. While attending AFI, Tammy produced a short called My Mother Dreams the Satan’s Disciples in New York. The film earned top honors at many prestigious film festivals around the world. In March of 2000, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded it the Oscar for “Best Short Film – Live Action”.

DIANE WALSH

Producer, Educator, and Film & TV Consultant. Diane Walsh has been an Associate Professor in Writing for Film and Television Program at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia for the past 14 years, and has recently been promoted to Director of the program. She also participates regularly in Greater Philadelphia Film Office events like the PITCHFEST, conducts local scriptwriting workshops, and produces short films like Mike Lemon’s ‘VALENTINE’S DAY’.

JOANNE JOELLA  (Voice & Speech)

Joanne Joella, M.A., English and B.A., Communication Arts & Sciences is a recommended Voice Arts Instructor with a special focus in voice/speech development. For nearly forty years, Ms. Joella has coached beginners through professionals. She is recommended by Philadelphia recording studios and industry professionals.

An expert in regional speech and accent reduction, Joanne Joella was the featured speaker on WHYY’s Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane and the expert of choice in a special issue of Philadelphia Magazine. Additionally, she has spoken to issues on casting and voiceovers for political commercials for the Philadelphia Inquirer; on men’s voice development for Men’s Health Magazine; and on women and active breathing patterns for Phillyfit Magazine.

She has directed casting for radio and television for over a decade. As well, she has instructed courses in radio production, announcing, dialects, and oral interpretation at community colleges in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in addition to serving as an adjunct professor in the Theatre Department at Arcadia University.

SHARON GELLER (Comedy Improv, Musical Improv, Film/Commercial workshops for Teens)

Sharon has appeared on Saturday Night Live four times, as well as the TODAY Show with Al Roker as “Lucy”.  In 2007, Sharon won the January 2007 Manhattan Monologue Slam for presenting the best monologue in NYC. Her many voices can be heard on The Centsables, a children’s cartoon series, and 2 commercials in which she was the sole principal received the National Telly Award and the Addy Award.

KEITH STRUNK (Acting for Commercials & Industrials)

Keith Strunk is an actor, author, teacher, and a co-founder of River Union Stage, a professional Equity theater in its 14th year of operation based in Frenchtown, NJ.  He holds an MFA in Theater from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University where he trained with William Esper.  Keith’s work as an actor includes commercials, independent film, stage, and industrial/corporate.  He is a partner in Interlude Group LLC, a company specializing in improv-based training simulations and video production for corporate training and development.

SASKIA BANKERT (Kids Improv Workshop)

Saskia Bankert graduated with honors from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in theater. Saskia works as a commercial actress and model, doing commercials, voice-overs, industrials, trade shows, and print work. This past summer, she directed 110 kids in grades 2-7 in a production through the West Chester Summer Stage program.

SANDRA LANDERS-TURNER (Acting Coach)

Sandra started her teaching and coaching career in 1994 with Rodney Robb at The Actors Center of Philadelphia. She met Rodney and Edie Robb just after graduating from The University of The Arts with a BFA in theatre performance in 1987. During her junior and senior years, Sandra worked closely with speech teacher Allison Green as an assistant speech teacher for the incoming freshmen, teaching standard English pronunciation as well as Shakespeare interpretation. Sandra has traveled all over the United states and Canada with several professional children’s theatre groups, however; after meeting Mr. Robb Sandra fell in love with film and television acting. She has been seen in many films including, One Fine Day, School Ties, In and Out, and The Lovely Bones. She was also seen in a 2012 episode of Law and Order as Heidi. Sandra has still continued her acting career but her life changed in 2006 when her daughter Morgan Turner started a career of her own in the film Invincible as Susan Vermeil at the tender age of 5. Sandra has been coaching her daughter on set ever since. In 2011 Sandra worked closely with director Todd Haynes coaching Morgan for her role of young Veda on the set of the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce. Sandra then went on to coach Catherine Chan on the set of the Jason Statham movie Safe. Sandra continues to coach her daughter and other young professionals for auditions in film and television working for AU Management and Productions in Reading, PA as well as Station Three Management in New York City.