Thomas Verrette

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Thomas Patrick Verrette (born February 14, 1985) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, director, producer, editor, and composer. He is the founder of Skylight Cinema, Inc., [1] an independent film production company located in Los Angeles, California. Verrette is best known for writing, directing, producing and composing the feature film, Implanted, [2] which is being distributed by Walking Shadows. [3]

Screenwriter writer who writes for TV, films, comics and games

A screenplay writer, scriptwriter or scenarist, is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.

Composer person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition

A composer is a musician who is an author of music in any form, including vocal music, instrumental music, electronic music, and music which combines multiple forms. A composer may create music in any music genre, including, for example, classical music, musical theatre, blues, folk music, jazz, and popular music. Composers often express their works in a written musical score using musical notation.

Los Angeles City in California

Los Angeles, officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in California and the second most populous city in the United States, after New York. With an estimated population of four million, Los Angeles is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of Southern California. The city is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, Hollywood and the entertainment industry, and sprawling metropolis.

Contents

Early life and education

Verrette was born in Englewood, New Jersey, but grew up in Alpharetta, Georgia, for most of his life. He attended Milton High School and began his music career as a trombonist and pianist, but quickly adapted his musical talents to composing and orchestration. As a lover of film music, he turned his focus to film making, with the sole intention to have an original film to score to. Verrette made his first film, In The Hands of the Enemy, an ambitious 55 minute war film about the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II, at age 16. The film was promoted by Verrette and the film's cast and crew around town, and was screened in the High School auditorium. Profiting off his first film, Verrette invested in his next semi-feature, The Lost Soldiers, [4] about AWOL soldiers in Vietnam, which he wrote, produced, directed, shot, edited and composed. For that film, he followed the same distribution model as his previous film, and with more screenings and a growing word of mouth, the film turned a much larger profit. Additionally, Verrette was awarded an artistic scholarship for his film work by the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Englewood, New Jersey City in New Jersey

Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147, reflecting an increase of 944 (+3.6%) from the 26,203 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,353 (+5.4%) from the 24,850 counted in the 1990 Census.

Alpharetta, Georgia City in Georgia, United States

Alpharetta is a city located in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States and is an affluent suburb of Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, Alpharetta's population was 57,551. The estimated population in 2017 was 65,799.

Orchestration study or practice of writing music for an orchestra

Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orchestration is the selection of different instruments to play the different parts of a musical work. For example, a work for solo piano could be adapted and orchestrated so that an orchestra could perform the piece, or a concert band piece could be orchestrated for a symphony orchestra.

His next directorial effort was Distant Walls, [5] the story of two young brothers escaping from an abusive household. The feature was shot just prior to Verrette attending the Savannah College of Art and Design, and over the next two years, was completed outside of the film program. While there, Verrette began relationships with a number of successful filmmakers, including Seth Iliff, Paul Gandersman, and Nabil Abou-Harb. Verrette also earned student awards for "Best Cinematography" and "Best Original Score. [6] "

Savannah College of Art and Design art school

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private, nonprofit, accredited university with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; Hong Kong; and Lacoste, France.

For his senior thesis film, Verrette wrote the screenplay for I Am The Bluebird, which would eventually become known as Implanted. The ambition, scope, and subject matter of the screenplay attracted many students and faculty members to dedicate their time and expertise to help Verrette turn his screenplay into a successful feature film. Verrette, along with producers Shaun Lynch and Katie Weiss, formed the production company Skylight Cinema, Inc. to finance and produce the film. Verrette directed the film in addition to taking on producing, editing, and composing duties. Verrette graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Film and Television from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Film career

Implanted

Implanted, [7] starring Justice Leak, Rob Pralgo, Jason Turner, and Tara Jean Verrette, is a sci-fi drama about a young man's struggle to uncover the truth surrounding an illegal medical operation performed on him by his own father.

Justice Leak American actor

Justice Adam Leak is an American film, television and stage actor best known for his portrayal of Harland Osbourne in the 2007 film The Great Debaters.

Arab in America

Originally a comedic short film directed by Nabil Abou-Harb and written and produced by Abou-Harb and Colin Ferri, Verrette became involved with Arab in America [8] after the short debuted at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. Arab in America is the story of Osama Abou-Bakr, an Arab-American post-grad, who changes his name to Samuel Adam Baker to pursue the American Dream, and in the process, discovers himself. With the short's success, Abou-Harb, Ferri, and Verrette adapted the short film into a feature screenplay. The team raised half of the films $2 million budget, but the film was put on hold [9] once Osama Bin Laden was killed.

Nabil Abou-Harb American film director, writer and producer

Nabil Zouheir Abou-Harb is an Arab-American filmmaker, writer, producer, and director. He is also co-founder of "Five on Fifty Films" and has directed and produced a number of commercials.

Cannes Film Festival annual film festival held in Cannes, France

The Cannes Festival, until 2002 called the International Film Festival and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries from all around the world. Founded in 1946, the invitation-only festival is held annually at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. It is one of the "Big Three" alongside the Venice Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival.

American Dream ethos of the United States

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, as well as an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.

Other work

In addition to directing, Verrette is also a film editor. He edited the promotional materials for upcoming Fox web-series, The Ropes, [10] written, directed, and executive produced by Vin Diesel. Additionally, he edited the feature film Reach, [11] starring Edward Furlong [12] and David Dorfman, the feature documentary River Of Life, and many short films, including The Promotion, which premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Verrette’s commercial and corporate work includes Frontier Airlines, Iams, Prilosec, General Mills, Sony Electronics, Fox, Comedy Central, and Break Media.

Verrette has composed music for a number of short films and features, including No Way Out, The Promotion, Blood and Water, Quiet Country, Number 74 in E-Flat, The Warden, among others.

Thomas Verrette on the Internet Movie Database

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References

  1. "IMDB Company Info".
  2. "Implanted IMDB".
  3. "Walking Shadows Entertainment".
  4. "Studentfilms.com".
  5. "IMDB Distant Walls".
  6. "Number 74 In E-Flat".
  7. "IMDB Implanted".
  8. "Arab In America Official Webpage".
  9. "Arab In America".
  10. Sneider, Jeff (February 22, 2011). "Variety | The Ropes".
  11. "Reach Official Website".
  12. "Reach Dread Central".