WHO
WE ARE
TEAM MEMBERS.
Our team and partners have many complementary skill sets and a shared passion for conservation. We've banded together to create the most compelling content that will drive our mission forward.
Arix Zalace
Co-Founder, Director & Board Member
Arix owns and operates AZA Productions, a production company located in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. With over a decade of experience in production and directing, AZA prides itself in creating content with world class cinematography and storytelling. The production house has worked on feature length documentaries as well as films and commercial content for clients across the country. An ardent conservationist, Zalace has been a resident of the Panhandle of Florida since 1978. He has spent the bulk of his 46 years living in, exploring, and studying this biological hotspot. Having watched the area grow over the last four decades, he has a deep knowledge of its history, its biological significance, and the threats that the region faces today.
Sean Couch
Co-Founder, Executive Producer & Board Member
Sean is a marketer turned social entrepreneur and philanthropist. He has a diverse background working for various technology startups and developed unique skills that have helped him tackle extraordinary challenges and manage multiple teams. Sean graduated from Texas Tech University with a B.A. in advertising and in the midst of his early career he later graduated from St. Edward's University with an MBA that specializes in digital media management. Now the President and Co-Trustee of the J.W. Couch Foundation, Sean is using his entrepreneurial spirit and skill sets to find creative solutions beyond just grant giving to help nonprofit organizations and communities around the world.
Andrea Catania
Executive Producer & Board Member
Andrea is a seasoned philanthropist who has volunteered for nonprofits over the last 40 years. She helps creates greater awareness and raises funds for causes to improve our world. She leads her family-owned business based out of Midland, TX. Her passion for land stewardship and the preservation of essential species, specifically black bears, has led her to join The Paper Bear team. Together they are reaching higher to achieve their goals and find greater success.
PRODUCTION CREW.
Savage Bell
Production Manager & Producer
Savage is the owner of Savage Bell Productions. He has 30 years of experience in producing feature films and corporate video. He earned a BFA from the Film School at Florida State University in 1994. He produced an award-winning documentary and five independent films. He was then hired as an Executive Producer in IBM’s marketing division, where he served for 21 years. Savage grew up camping on sandy rivers, cypress swamps, bay beaches, and dune lakes in Northwest Florida. His artist mother and woodsman-poet father cultivated in Savage and his siblings a deep identification with the landscape from which they came. Its health and preservation are deeply important to him.
Bradley Richard
Director of Photography
Brad was born in Wichita Falls, TX and eventually settled in Fort Walton Beach, Florida in 1981. After spending his youth on the Emerald Coast, he moved to Orlando to pursue his film career and attend the Valencia College Film Program. In 1995 he moved to Los Angeles and joined the International Cinematographers Guild as a 2nd Assistant Cameraman. In 2004, he moved up to the position of 1st Assistant Cameraman. After a rewarding career as a Focus Puller, he moved up the ranks of Camera Operator in 2012. Brad has worked on several award-winning television and feature film projects such as Argo, the 2013 Oscar winner for Best Motion Picture of the Year and other acclaimed shows such as Dexter, Shameless, True Blood and The Rookie.
Ryan Miningham
Assistant Director
As an assistant director, Ryan has helped successfully coordinate and manage several feature film productions. The assistant to the film director manages all development through the production process and is often involved in both personnel management as well as creative aspects of the production process. Ryan has over 20 years of experience working on big productions such as How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Men in Black and several other successful projects.
Chandler Williams
Photography & Drone Pilot
Chandler owns Modus Photography, an award-winning photography studio in the Florida Panhandle. His life has been shaped by having a camera in his hand. Photography has brought him to different countries, introduced him to amazing people and cultures, and pushed him to live more and get out of his comfort zone. He has been able to create and have unbelievable experiences and even made a few lifelong friends along the journey.
ADVISORS.
Laurie Hood
Founder of Alaqua Animal Refuge
Laurie is the founder of Alaqua Animal Refuge, the premier, no-kill animal refuge and sanctuary for domestic and farm animals, as well as a wildlife rehabilitation center, located in Northwest Florida. She has created multiple programs including Equine Interactions, an equine assisted therapy program, and the Unconditional Love program, which provides trained companion dogs free of charge to the elderly and special needs individuals, and offering inmates a contributing role in the process. Laurie is also the Florida State Director for Animal Wellness Action, a political action organization based in Washington DC; serves as the Vice Chair of the Florida Wildlife Federation; starred in Animal PD, a television series on Nat Geo WILD showcasing stories of Alaqua’s animal rescue efforts; host of “Laurie Hood’s Difference Makers” steaming video podcast; authored a curriculum to assist law enforcement with animal abuse cases; served on the Committee to Protect Greyhounds in Florida; and is a founding board member of The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center. She is currently undertaking a bold endeavor to create an educational and training center for animal welfare advocates on 100 acres of land. She has received numerous awards, including “Daily Point of Light Award” from President George H. W. Bush; the Pinnacle Award in from 850 Magazine in Northwest Florida for her community service and leadership; Communicator of the Year for Non-Profit from the Florida Public Relations Association, Northwest Florida Coast Chapter; and is currently featuring in the Female Disrupters series in Authority Magazine and Thrive Global.
Doug Scott
Ash Greyson
Entertainment Veteran & Entrepreneur
CEO of Tectonic Video
Doug is the Founder & CEO of Tectonic Video. He has more than 20 years of nonprofit communications experience as a filmmaker, communications director, chief marketing officer, and leader of two creative agencies for nonprofits. Doug is a global citizen, having traveled to more than 50 countries. He earned his B.A. in Communications from DePaul University, and he’s a frequent guest lecturer at Stanford University on topics related to nonprofit storytelling and ethics. He loves working with senior leadership teams of world-changing organizations to translate their strategic objectives into stunning creative, and he’s humbled to lead an amazing team of passionate storytellers and artisans at Tectonic Video.
With more than 20 years of media experience, Ash is an expert at producing, marketing, digital & social strategies. His clients include Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Focus Features, Paramount, Roadside Attractions, Syfy Channel, Nat Geo Network, & more.
Tom Bancroft
CEO of Pencilish & Disney Alumni
Tom, a former Disney Animator, has created characters in some of the most popular and profitable animated features of all time, including The Lion King, Pocahontas, and Mulan. He has also directed 10 Feature Films and 8 TV Series.