Jeffrey D. Erb

Last updated
Jeffrey D. Erb
Birth nameJeffrey David Erb
Born (1969-06-05) June 5, 1969 (age 54)
Pottstown, Pennsylvania, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Producer
  • Director
  • Actor
  • Musician
  • Singer
  • Songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Bass guitar
  • Vocals
  • Synthesizer
  • Rhythm Tracks
Years active1986-present

Jeffrey D. Erb (born June 5, 1969, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania) is an American film producer, director, actor, musician. He is also the co-founder and co-president of the film production company Framelight Productions, the co-founder of Invivid Media and the CEO of Feverpitch Pictures. He has produced or executive produced a wide range of films, including The Speed of Life (Directed by Ed Radtke), which won an award at the Venice Film Festival. [1]

Contents

Erb is known as a founding member and bass player of the gothic rock band Sri Lanka, which he founded in 1986 with his longtime collaborator Lee Daniels. In 1995 Erb and Daniels formed the industrial rock band Needle where Erb was singer, songwriter, bassplayer, keyboard player and wrote rhythm tracks.

Early life

Erb was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, the oldest of two children, with sibling Pamela. Erb's mother, Susanne Gresh, is a real estate agent, and Erb's father, David Erb, was an managing operator at a power plant owned by Philadelphia Electric Company. His parents divorced in 1977. His father is of German ancestry, and his mother is of Irish, English, and German descent. Erb's ancestors on his father's side emigrated to the United States in the early 1700s and fought in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.

Erb spent the first four years following his parents' divorce living with his mother in Reading, Pennsylvania, and the next several living with his father in Malvern, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Great Valley High School. He attended college at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

Musical career

Mr. Erb started his musical career in 1987 as the founder and bass player of the band Sri Lanka, a gothic rock band from the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band was originally formed by Erb and Lee Daniels, whom Erb had known since they were 15 years old. After a tumultuous series of interactions with other members, including the death of original lead singer Brett Turner, the release of two EPs and a full-length album entitled "Here" the band split up.

In 1995 Erb and Daniels got back together to form the band Needle, (stylized as "[needle]") an industrial rock band combining edgy guitars with dance rhythms. The band obtained distribution through Sony Music Entertainment via its Ruffhouse Records label. The band's debut album "Lifeline" met with critical praise [2] [3] and the band proceeded to perform live with major acts in cities throughout North America. Jeffrey Erb and Lee Daniels write all of the music for the band, with Erb performing lead vocals and Daniels on lead guitar. Their live sets include several additional band members on bass guitar, drums and keyboards.

Film career

Mr. Erb has produced numerous films, including Just Add Water (film) (Danny DeVito, Jonah Hill, Dylan Walsh, Justin Long), which was the first film ever to receive a Green Seal from the Environmental Media Association. [4] Erb has also produced Southern Gothic (Yul Vazquez, William Forsythe (actor)), [5] The Speed of Life (Directed by Ed Radtke), Tooth and Nail (film) (Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones, Robert Carradine, Rider Strong, Rachel Miner), and Let the Game Begin (Thomas Ian Nicholas, Adam Rodriguez, Lisa Ray, Lochlyn Munro, and Stephen Baldwin).

In 2008, he founded Framelight Productions with partner Robert L. Robinson, Jr., a company focused on the theatrical production of comic book properties and novels and television shows. Some of the first properties optioned by the company included Deadworld, published by Caliber Press and Image Comics, and created by Gary Reed, and Dr. Deth With Kip and Muffy, published by Marvel Comics and created by famed GI Joe author, Larry Hama; [6] as well as 8 others. He brought Bill Mechanic, former CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment on board to produce Deadworld with Framelight and David Hayter to write the screenplay. [7]

Prior to founding Feverpitch Pictures, Mr. Erb was President of Kindred Media Group, where he had overseen the release of a number of films, including Game 6 (film) (Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Griffin Dunne) [8] and Jailbait (Michael Pitt, Stephen Adly Guirgis). [9]

In 2011, Jeffrey Erb launched Invivid Media, a company focusing on developing, producing and distributing branded entertainment across an emerging converged media landscape. His partners in the project include former Johnson & Johnson Global Media Director, Michael Giarraputo as well as Howard Nelson, former Vice President of Worldwide Promotion, Marketing and Publicity for 20th Century Fox. The company's Board includes Patricia Wyatt, former President of Hit Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Consumer Products; Hal Sadoff, senior partner at International Creative Management; Ray Rotolo, COO of Aegis Media–owned Posterscope; Jason Piette, founding partner of Stealth Media, Spice Factory, and Arclight; and Mort Goldberg, CEO of Gamma Communications.

The company's projects include a web-based reality show called "Making the Squad with the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders" which Erb directed, as well as two other web-series including "Eye on Celebrity" which Erb directed and "Knerd Knews" which Erb executive produced.

In 2015, Erb launched Ironbound Studios Minnesota with political fundraiser and businessman Jerry Seppala, in order to establish a base infrastructure for the burgeoning film industry taking place in Minnesota's Iron Range. The studio provides 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) of studio space and 34,000-square-foot (3,200 m2) of support space including offices, dressing rooms, screening rooms, green room, food services lighting & grip equipment, post-production facilities and a vocational school to train film & media students.

Selected Credits

Producer

Actor

Related Research Articles

<i>Cryptic Writings</i> 1997 studio album by Megadeth

Cryptic Writings is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth. Released on June 17, 1997, through Capitol Records, it was the band's last studio album to feature drummer Nick Menza. His departure would mark the end of the band's longest lasting lineup to date, having recorded four studio albums. Megadeth decided to produce the record with Dann Huff in Nashville, Tennessee, because they were not satisfied with their previous producer Max Norman. The album features twelve tracks with accessible song structures, specifically aimed for radio airplay. The lyrics were also altered, in order to make the music more inclusive for wider audience. These changes were met with mixed opinions from music critics, who noted the band moving away from their thrash metal roots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading, Pennsylvania</span> City in Pennsylvania, United States

Reading is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown. Reading is located in the southeastern part of the state and is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area, which had 420,152 residents in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Danzig</span> American rock musician

Glenn Allen Anzalone, better known by his stage name Glenn Danzig, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the founder of the rock bands Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He owns the Evilive record label as well as Verotik, an adult-oriented comic book publishing company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mildred Davis</span> American actress

Mildred Hillary Davis was an American actress who appeared in fifteen of Harold Lloyd's classic silent comedies and eventually married him.

<i>Square Pegs</i> American television sitcom (1982–1983)

Square Pegs is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the 1982–83 season. The series follows Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson, two awkward teenage girls desperate to fit in at Weemawee High School.

The Butcher Bros. is an American music production team made up of brothers Phil and Joe Nicolo, originally based out of Philadelphia in the mid-to-late '80s. Together and individually, the brothers have produced albums for a wide variety of bands, including Urge Overkill, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Amy Grant, Cypress Hill, Nine Inch Nails, Dog Eat Dog, Anthrax, Rett Smith and Luscious Jackson. While Joe Nicolo was the original "butcher" he later paired briefly with his brother as Butcher Bros. Joe continues today as Joe the Butcher. The brothers began their music careers as teenagers, fixing speakers and rewiring amplifiers at a local drive-in movie theater. After earning a B.S. in Science from Temple University, Phil returned to Philadelphia and the brothers founded the Studio 4 recording studio. Using the name "Butcher Bros.", a reference to their father's trade, they quickly established themselves in many genres of music production. Sometimes they would work together and other times, individually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Ross</span> American stand-up comedian

Jeffrey Ross Lifschultz is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known as the "Roastmaster General" for his insult comedy, his multiple appearances at celebrity roasts held by the New York Friars Club, the Comedy Central Roast television series, and the Netflix historical comedy series Historical Roasts. In 2009 the Chicago Tribune called Ross "the new millennium Don Rickles." His directorial debut, the 2006 documentary Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie, won the prize for Best Film at the Comedia film festival held at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schaefer Music Festival</span>

The Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park was a recurring music festival held in the summer between 1967 and 1976 at Wollman Rink in New York City's Central Park. It featured a number of notable performances. The sponsorship was taken over by Dr. Pepper in 1977 and the name changed to the Dr. Pepper Central Park Music Festival until the location of the festival was moved to Pier 84 in 1981 and the Wollman Skating Rink ceased being used as a concert venue.

<i>Slade in Flame</i> 1975 British film

Slade in Flame is a 1975 film starring the British rock band Slade. It was directed by Richard Loncraine and written by Andrew Birkin with additional dialogue by Dave Humphries. The film includes supporting roles by Tom Conti, Alan Lake and Johnny Shannon. In November 1974, the band's soundtrack album of the same name was released prior to the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elkins Estate</span> American 42-acre (170,000 m2) estate

The Elkins Estate is an American 42-acre (170,000 m2) estate located in Elkins Park, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The estate contains seven buildings, the most notable being Elstowe Manor and Chelten House, mansions designed by Horace Trumbauer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lifeline (Spandau Ballet song)</span> 1982 single by Spandau Ballet

"Lifeline" is a song by English pop band Spandau Ballet, released on 24 September 1982 as the first single from what would be their third album, True (1983). The song confirmed the band's intent to transition from dance music to pop that was hinted at with their previous single, "Instinction". Some band members found an enjoyable chemistry with "Lifeline" producers Tony Swain and Steve Jolley that was lacking in recording sessions with previous producers. The new song received mixed reviews but reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also their first single to chart in the United States, missing the Billboard Hot 100 but charting on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 at number 8. The music video for the song received airplay on the U.S. cable channel MTV.

<i>Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver</i> 2011 film by William Butler

Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver is a 2011 American science fiction slasher comedy film by Full Moon Features and is the third main installment in The Gingerdead Man franchise and a direct sequel to Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust. It was co-written, directed, and produced by William Butler and was released on September 13, 2011, by producer Charles Band.

Universal Warning Records is a record label and video production company located in the greater Philadelphia area. Universal Warning produces and releases independent music from local and national bands, as well as produces music videos, live concerts for DVD and digital transmission as well as music documentaries, primarily from the indie, punk, and hardcore genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying Merkel</span>

The Flying Merkel was a motorcycle of the American company Merkel in Milwaukee, which relocated later to Middletown, Ohio. The motorcycle was produced from 1911 to 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronny Moorings</span> Dutch musician (born 1961)

Ronny Moorings is the stage name of Ronald Moerings, a Dutch musician best known for his work with darkwave band Clan of Xymox. Moorings has been the band's principal singer/songwriter since the early 1990s.

Matthew Postlethwaite is a British actor, writer, singer, artist and entrepreneur. He produced, created and starred in the 2020 short film The Great Artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice S. Campbell</span> American journalist, Broadway producer

Maurice S. Campbell was an American journalist, Broadway producer, Army officer, silent film director, and enforcer of Prohibition in a long and varied career.

Needle is an American industrial rock band formed in Philadelphia in 1995. The group's musical style primarily consists of aggressive electronic dance music. [needle] has seen extraordinary popularity in the Philadelphia and New York City underground music scenes with original distribution through Sony Music via Ruffhouse Records' Contract Records sub-label.

Jeremy Culver is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He wrote, directed, and produced the indie film No Postage Necessary (2018) and the holiday film An Evergreen Christmas (2014). No Postage Necessary holds notoriety as the first film in history to release via blockchain technology available to stream using cryptocurrency.

Jeff Ayars is an American filmmaker and actor known for writing, directing, and performing in the comedy duo Cannibal Milkshake alongside Dan Rosen. He is also known for the film Philadelphia, Ti Amo (2011) starring Rebecca Rittenhouse, his Tribeca Film Festival selection The Snapstory, his acting in FBI: International and his horror feature This Is Our Home.

References

  1. "'Speed,' 'Darjeeling' take early Venice nods". hollywoodreporter.com. 8 September 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  2. "100 Review: Lifeline by Wrapped in Wire". wrappedinwire.com. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  3. "100 Review: Lifeline by Sonic Boom". sonic-boom.com. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  4. "'Water' came to desert via decade old images by The Hollywood Reporter". hollywoodreporter.com. 21 March 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  5. "Southern Gothic Ready to Roll for Kindred Media Group by Screendaily". screendaily.com. Retrieved 21 Aug 2018.
  6. "Dr. Deth with Kip and Muffy Gets Writer Paul Soter by Movieweb". movieweb.com. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 22 Aug 2018.
  7. "Dark Hero Teams with Pandemonium for Deadworld by Comingsoon.net". comingsoon.net. 11 June 2009. Retrieved 22 Aug 2018.
  8. "Sundance Pic Game 6 Finds Kindred Spirit by Variety". variety.com. 5 October 2005. Retrieved 22 Aug 2018.
  9. "Leonards Jailbait Finds Kindred Spirit by Screendaily". screendaily.com. Retrieved 22 Aug 2018.