Lumenas COMPANY LEADERSHIP

Darin McDaniel - Producer/CEO

Darin is the founder of Lumenas Studios. With seventeen years in the film industry, he has a unique blend of production and distribution experience. During Lumenas' short yet active existence, Darin has steered the creative and business developments and assembled an award winning team of writers, traditional and digital artists, and technical pioneers. He has successfully acquired acclaimed children's properties and formed co-production agreements with major industry producers, such as Academy Award winner Jerry Molen. Prior to forming Lumenas, Darin served as Vice President of Production and Distribution for Feature Films for Families (FFF) for three years. FFF is the nation's leading direct-to-the-home distribution and production company. At FFF, he produced and/or oversaw the production of multiple live-action and animated films, including The Velveteen Rabbit, directed by Michael Landon Jr. Before joining FFF, Darin served as a distribution executive with MGM for seven years, where he oversaw the studio's cable and pay television sales efforts in the U.S. While at MGM, he also oversaw the contract services group, which managed all the accounting, contracts, rights management and distribution activities for the studios' television sales in the US. Before joining MGM, Darin worked for five years in Los Angeles as a freelancer on numerous films, commercials and music videos. His experience during this period ranged from lighting, art department, producing and writing.

Colin Brady - Feature Animation Director


Colin Brady is a multi-talented director and animation supervisor who has worked previously at Pixar, Imagi Studios, Rhythm and Hues, and Industrial Light and Magic (ILM). Brady was also a director for the animated films Everyone's Hero, Astroboy, and co-directed Golden Globe award winning Toy Story 2. During his six years at Pixar, Colin worked as Lead Animator on the Academy Award winning Toy Story, an Animation Director in their Shorts division, and as a Supervising Animator on A Bug's Life. As Co-Director on Toy Story 2, Colin began when the film was a direct-to-video release. Within 8 months the film was greenlit for the theaters. During his 18 months on the show, Colin oversaw the design and development of new characters and contributed significantly to the story and dialogue. In 1992, Colin graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of Film/Video at California Institute of the Arts. After graduation, Colin worked at Rhythm & Hues as a Character Animator, where he honed his skills in computer graphics, modeling and compositing. On Hulk and Lemony Snicket, Colin and his team motion-captured athletes, attack dogs, and even 8 month old babies. Colin continues to push the boundaries of animation at the cutting edge of technology and creativity. After directing Everyone's Hero for Starz Entertainment, Brady was sought out by IMAGI to help complete Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) as an animation director, and uncredited director. Brady directed Astroboy for Imagi Studios from fall 2006 through 2007 and is currently in development of cutting edge motion-capture puppeteering techniques. Colin Brady is one of the few animation directors that has experience both in traditional keyframe animation as well as motion capture. From photo real animation on Lemony Snicket to the stylized animation of Buzz Lightyear, Colin has been an innovator his entire career. His experience at Pixar has made him a valued story advisor on a number of in-house digital features. He is currently in development of his own digital feature, Sea Monsters.

Edward Lachman - Director of Photography
(Academy Award Nominee)

Cinematographer Mr. Lachman has been filming Hollywood and independent features since the mid '80s. Following education at Ohio University, Athens, he worked as an assistant to such noted lighting directors as Robby Müller, Sven Nykvist and Vittorio Storaro. Over the years Lachman would photograph such films as Less than Zero (1987), The Virgin Suicides (1999) and Erin Brokovich (2000), though it was his work on 2002's Far from Heaven that would find Mr. Lachman nominated for his first Academy Award. More quality work was quick to follow with the independent 2004 drama Stryker, and shortly after lensing Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion in 2006, Lachman would re-team with Far from Heaven director Haynes for the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There.

Tab Murphy - Screenwriter
(Academy Award Nominee)

Having penned numerous high-profile Disney feature animations, Tab Murphy brings nearly three decades of writing experience to Lumenas. Tab attended Washington State University and later transferred to University of Southern California Film School. In 1983, Mr. Murphy was hired by Paramount Pictures to write Eddie Murphy's comedy Coming to America. He received an academy award nomination for the acclaimed Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Diane Fossey, which starred Sigorney Weaver. In 1995 Tab directed his first film, Last of the Dogmen, which was positively received by film critics. In the years that followed, Tab collaborated with Disney on such box office successes such as Tarzan (1999), Brother Bear (2003), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). In addition to his writing contributions to Lumenas (Legend), Mr. Murphy has two live-action films currently in production.

Mike Belzer - Animation Director

Born in Chicago but spent most of his years in California where he met his wife. Spending time with her and their 4 children is what brings him true happiness. He knows he would not be where he is today without their support.
Mike has worked for more than 20 years in the animation industry at studios such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Pixar. His work spans mediums (3D and stop motion)and platforms (feature film and TV). His film credits include most recently Bolt as well as being the animation supervisor on Meet The Robinsons and Kangaroo Jack, supervising character animator on Dinosaur, and stop motion animator on Nightmare Before Christmas, James And The Giant Peach and the TV series The New Adventures of Gumby.
Before features, Mike animated numerous advertising icons such as Hershey's kisses and the Pillsbury Doughboy. He also worked on TV pilots and after-school specials. He began studying animation seriously when he was just 12.
Mike has also been a mentor at the online animation school Animation Mentor since its inception in March 2005, helping students achieve their dreams. He has also lectured and led workshops in stop motion and computer animation around the globe. Mike's goal is to continue to grow as an animator, while helping others along the way.
As Animation Director Mike's experience and keen eye for detail are invaluable to Lumenas and The Legend of Santa Claus movie. We are so pleased to welcome Mike to our crew and what a welcome addition he is.

Mike Gee - Line Producer/UPM

Mike has over eight years of experience working in sales and marketing, documentary production, video games, and 3Dproduction. He earned his MSin Instructional Technology, with an emphasis in design and project management of digital media and 3Dproduction. He also has a MFA in 3Danimation and digital cinematography.
Prior to his post-graduate work Mike spent a year and a half in an intense training program for advanced 3Dproduction techniques and compositing. He used that training as a senior digital 3Dartist (character modeling, texture-mapping, and photorealistic rendering) for film and broadcast at Viewpoint Digital and Zygote Media Group, both known for their world-class 3D.
While at Zygote, Mike became responsible for overseeing all sales and marketing efforts for the company. He also spearheaded the launch of Powder Studios, a new company focused on producing high end VFX work, as well as CG product development.
Mike then moved to ITZ, as Head of Marketing. The companies used 3Dimagery to create advanced technical training programs. While here, Mike oversaw accounts for Boeing, Disney, Lockhead, and other major industry giants.
Mike possesses a unique blend of production management, broad creative skills, and has been responsible for many successful marketing and business development campaigns. In recent years he has become a strong advocate for "Lean Manufacturing" and is the driving force behind our current Lean implementation of our CGI and Stop Motion Production pipelines.

Brian Ellebracht - Visual Effect Supervisor

Brian was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He and his lovely wife lived in Michigan and New York before moving to Utah.
Brian began his career employed as a digital lighting artist in the automotive industry where he mastered photo-realistic rendering techniques. He was employed previously by some of the leading production studios on the East Coast including Blue Sky, Ringside Creative, and Charlex. At Blue Sky, he worked on Ice Age II as a member of the lighting team and contributed a significant number of shots to the film. He also assisted in development of the look and feel of Horton Hears a Who. During his Blue Sky Experience Brian honed his skills in stylization rendering which has been crucial to Lumenas' current feature film projects.
After departing Blue Sky, Brian moved to Salt Lake City, Utah and co-founded Bend Reality Studios in 2005. His service work primarily focused on print and commercials for the automotive industry. He also worked on numerous promotional pieces for a broad range of product lines. His clientele has included Lotus, Verizon, Colgate, All-State, and Sony.

In 2006, Brian was chosen to photo-realistically visualize the Freedom Towers for the unveiling ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York City. Participation on this project was a prestigious honor and was a rare opportunity for a digital artist. Having worked within both large and small production pipelines, he plays a key role in developing Lumenas' Visual Effects infrastructure. As Visual Effects Supervisor, he is supervising all Visual Effect operations on The Legend of Santa Claus and is developing new proprietary techniques to streamline the integration process of CGI animation into miniature environments and motion control footage.

Daren Smith - VFX Producer

After graduating with a Fine Art degree from the London Academy of Fine Art (now the Royal Academy of Art and Design) Daren worked freelance for various art departments creating high-end visuals for printed media and broadcast. He then developed a passion for CG imagery and began doing VFX work on independent and studio films. Daren continued to develop his visual effect skills and was soon recruited by Feature Films for Families to serve as their VFX Supervisor. There he completed work on 5 theatrically released features. In 2001, Daren left Feature Films for Families to work on a number of independent projects before being offered a position with Pixar's Animation team. At this same time, he was asked by longtime friend Darin McDaniel, to become a founding member of Lumenas Studios. Daren Smith believed in the studios' potential and vision and agreed to join Lumenas and oversee the VFX for Davie & Golimyr, and to head up Lumenas' digital division. Under Daren's supervision, Lumenas has developed proprietary technology and processes that are attracting substantial interest from major industry veterans. Daren has been a critical component in defining the richly detailed visuals and unique blend of stop-motion and CG, which Lumenas is quickly becoming recognized for.

Robert Small - Research and Development

Robert Small is one of the early pioneers of the digital effects industry, having nearly two decades of experience in computer graphics and 3D, working on numerous blockbuster features such as Titanic, Apollo 13, Dante's Peak etc. Robert attended Pamona College, receiving a bachelor's degree in Physics, minoring in art. He later attended the University of Southern California's Graduate School of Engineering, focusing his studies on computer graphics, artificial intelligences, and robotics. Robert began his career in the aerospace industry, working in the Electron Dynamics Division of the Hughes Aircraft Company and later employed as a systems engineer for TRW (Space and Technology Group.) At TRW , Robert established the Engineering Visualization Center (EVC ). As the founder and director of the EVC , Robert began to break new ground in the 3D graphics and visualization arena. During the mid 1990's, Robert worked on numerous commercials and music videos, such as Got Milk, Silly Rabbit, Nissan, and Rolling Stones: Love is Hard. Robert joined Digital Domain in 1993 and supervised the team for live-action/digital boat tracking and integration for the sinking sequences in Titanic. Robert acted as Graphics/Sequence Supervisor on numerous projects including Apollo 13, Interview with the Vampire, True Lies, Being John Malcovich, Solider, Dante's Peak and the Universal Studios Florida, Terminator 2 3D Ride Film. Robert established Murray-Small Visual Effects in 1995 and has been contracted for such clientele as Warner Bros. Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Digital Domain, Rhythm and Hues, NASA, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Orbital Sciences, and Mattel Toys.

Clark Shaffer - Art Director
(Emmy Award Winner)

Clark Schaffer brings to Lumenas his tremendous depth and experience in art direction and visual effects. He has created special visual effects for 33 Hollywood feature films, numerous commercials and corporate events. As an Art Director, Clark is skilled in all mediums including design, illustration, sculpting, photo realistic painting, model making, set design, wood, plastic, steel fabrication, etc. His impressive feature credits include Red Planet, X-Files, Batman Forever, Star Trek Generations, Speed, Batman Returns and many others. Clark oversaw miniature creation for successful series such as Star Trek – Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Stephen King's special, " The Storm of the Century." His commercial list is equally impressive, which includes Nike, Air Jordan, Kellog's, McDonalds, Duracell, Pepsi Cola and Coca-Cola to name a few. Clark has also overseen design and construction for multiple exhibits, live performances, music videos and theme parks. This list includes major tours for Janet Jackson and Paul McCartney.

Platte Clark - Producer/Screenwriter

Platte Clark is an award-winning writer and producer, with over 10 years of product and creative development experience. He combines his creative zeal and passion for story telling with real-world corporate expertise. Platte has successfully run a multi-million dollar P&L, provided consulting for several Fortune 500 and military organizations and directed large development teams and projects. He has had executive ownership of enterprise-wide learning strategies, been the principle architect of complex change and organizational behavior initiatives and worked hand-in-hand with several New York Times bestselling authors.

Platte holds an M.S. in English (concurrent Masters program in Education: Instructional Technology). He graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Philosophy, and earned an ASC in Religious History. Platte is a member of the Writer's Guild of America, Animation Caucus, and is working on collaborative projects for both live-action and animated films.

Derrick Sorensen - Controller

Derrick Sorensen graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Family and Consumer Studies. At the age of 23, Derrick started D&M Bookkeeping Company which serviced Contractors, Bed $amp;Breakfasts, and Small to Medium-Sized Businesses. One year later he added a wedding company to D&M. Derrick's next venture led him to Real Estate where he partnered with SOAR Reality group and eventually to his own real estate brokerage, Sorensen $amp;Company. Sorensen and Company would lead Derrick to a Start Up Company called Resorts West, a property management company that manages 150 to 200 luxury homes in Park City $amp; Deer Valley, Utah. H e would partner in this company and created their Real Estate Division. Within 5 years with Resorts West Real Estate, Derrick would take it from a start up to annual sales of 35 million dollars. In 2006 he was instrumental in starting several very successful start-up companies which eventually took him away from Resorts West. These experiences in venture start-ups would provide him with the experience and expertise needed to boost the successful launch of Lumenas Animation Studios. He has been with Lumenas since 2007.

Nobunori Saito - Director of Business Development

Nobunori (aka Nobu) received a BA in Commerce from Nihon University and a MBA from San Francisco State University. He began his career marketing specialty goods to distributors and department stores, but soon found his niche with marketing for motion picture studios, especially in licensing, packaging, and distribution. Nobu developed and implemented marketing and publicity strategies for DVD and Video titles, including Batman Beyond, Bird, Round Midnight, The Goonies, The Never Ending Story, Cats & Dogs, Big Wednesday, and Grave of the Fireflies. He has also been very effective in media distributions to foreign markets, especially within the Japanese market. Nobu has worked with both MGM and Time Warner Entertainment and now with Lumenas. Nobu's keen vision toward ever evolving media environment helps Lumenas™ become an innovative global media company.