Kirk Shaw
Chief Executive Officer

CEO of Insight Film Studios since the company's inception in 1990, Kirk Shaw shifted Insight's main producing focus from factual television to drama in 2001, in the process emerging as one of North America's most prolific film and television producers. Kirk's Producer credits now list over 100 MOW's, a dozen independent features, four dramatic series and a sit-com, as well as, five documentary series. Kirk attributes this success to Insight's ability to put together unique financing structures catering to each project's specific budgetary needs. In 2007, Insight achieved the company’s most successful year ever in terms of revenue, $177 million. In 12 months, the company’s 135 full-time staff financed, produced and delivered 44 separate productions including three US and Canadian broadcast series, 22 made for TV movies, seven feature films as well as factual and reality television series. Looking to the year ahead, Kirk has put in place a production slate that will match last year’s milestone. Among Kirk's most recent film credits are, "Battle in Seattle" with Charlize Theron, "While she as Out" with Kim Bassinger and “Personal Effects” with Michelle Pfeifer, and Ashton Kutcher.
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Tim Brown
President of Insight Film Releasing

Tim began releasing feature films for Malofilm Distribution in 1993 and has not looked back since. After three years at Malofilm, he moved on to become the National Sales Manager for TVA (formally Astrall Distribution). There Tim spent five years growing the Astral video business in Canada before moving to Vancouver to join Keystone Distribution as VP of Worldwide Sales. Tim spent six years working at international distribution for Keystone before joining Insight in 2007.

With over fourteen years in the film industry Tim has worked on every aspect of production from pre-production through post production and finally distribution and marketing. In 2006 Tim got behind the camera and directed his first feature film “The Cradle” starring Lukas Haas.

Tim sits on the advisory board of WIFVV and the Vancouver Film Festival Trade Forum.  
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Rob Word
Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs

Known for his flair for creative marketing, Rob Word has built a successful career as a producer, writer, programmer, packager and network executive.  Prior to joining Insight, Rob held senior management positions with Pax TV, Orion, ITC, Qintex, Hal Roach Studios, Filmways, CST Entertainment as well as being a senior consultant for Columbia TriStar, Lion's Gate, MGM-UA, and Starz/Encore Media. 

Rob Word's producing credits include the top rated CBS movie, Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone, the 2-hour NBC comedy special, Attack of the Killer B Movies, two action series for the Family Channel, T and T starring Mr. T and Crossbow and the Emmy nominated 2-hour special, An Ozzie and Harriet Christmas.  Other TV movies include: The Adventures of William Tell starring Robert Forster, Bush Doctor, Peking Encounter and Robin Hood: The Movie.  For Universal Television, Rob wrote, produced and directed the pilot presentations of Hercules, Bandit, TekWar, Midnight Run and Dragon, which launched the popular weekly first-run series, The Action Pack Network. 

Based in Los Angeles, Rob solicits and develops original programming for Insight.  
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Udo Herke
VP of Finance

A Chartered Accountant, Udo has been with Insight Film Studios since 2003. Over the years, Udo has worked on many Insight projects, including several film and television productions. In accordance with the company’s growth, in 2006 Udo took on the role of Vice President of Finance. In this new capacity, Udo oversees the myriad of critical paperwork associated with the close of production financing for television movies. Udo also ensures contracts and financing criteria meet Canadian content criteria and works as a liaison with various financiers and funders. Udo’s recent credits include “Veiled Truth” and “Lesser Evil” for the Lifetime Network and the theatrical feature, “Sisters.” Prior to Insight, Udo Herke was the Secretary-Treasurer of the Western Greenhouse Growers Co-operative Association.
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barryBarry Gray
Creative Head of Factual Programming

Barry Gray is a veteran producer, director and writer who has been in the business for close to thirty years producing countless hours of documentary television for most major broadcasters in the world. Recently Barry has produced, directed and written “Raven in the Sun” a one-hour documentary on the life and art of Bill Reid for APTN and CBC (as a Life and Times). It was honored with two Leo Awards for best documentary and best cinematography. He also recently directed the four-part mini-series “Girl Racers” for Global Television and A & E, as well as producing 52 episodes of the highly successful documentary series “Vanity Insanity” also for Global Television. He directed and wrote “Bloodsucking Cinema” for Starz and Global Television, and produced the documentary “Keeping It Real” for W Network. Currently he is Creative Head of Insight’s Factual Programming Department and is producing the first season of a new reality program “Get Dirty with Evan” (starring Evan Marriott of “Joe Millionaire” fame) for Lifetime and W, as well as “Keeping It Real – The Series” for W Network. He is also producing “Karl May and the Wild West” – a one-hour documentary for APTN. In addition, he was the supervising producer on “Beauty Detectives”, “Shop Like A Man” and “The Straight Goods” – all high energy lifestyle pilots.
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Brad McAfee
Executive Producer – Insight Film Studios Ltd.

In 1999, Brad produced and directed U&ME On-Line, an information series about the Internet for Shaw Cable. He is also the Creator and Executive Producer of the cheeky series Club Mingle, licensed in February 2002 by CHUM Television. In August 2003, Brad Executive Produced the Lifestyle series pilot Men’s Room.

More recently, Brad Created and Executive Produced of the 52 x 30 minute High Definition hit series Vanity Insanity for Global Television Network and Keeping it Real for Canada’s W Network. Brad is Associate Producer on The Two Corey’s starring Corey Feldman and Corey Haim for A&E and Global Network. He is also Associate Producer of the movie of the week Deadly Skies & Force of Impact produced for Regent Entertainment and CHUM Television, starring Antonio Sabato Jr., Rae Dawn Chong and Michael Moriarty and the movie of the week Brotherhood IV.

In 2007 Brad Created and Executive Produced three Lifestyle / Information pilots for Canadian Broadcasters; Beauty Detectives, Shop Like a Man and The straight Goods.

Brad enjoys presenting courses and seminars on pitching and the business side of film and TV at various industry related events including the Vancouver Film Festival and for students and faculty at UBC, The Art Institute of Vancouver, Columbia Academy and BCIT.

In addition to his experience in television, Brad has held senior sales management positions with Shaw Cable Systems, Intrinsyc Software, NorthwesTel and GE Capital.
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Maryvonne Micale
VP Marketing and Communications

A founding member of Insight Film Studios, over the years Maryvonne Micale has contributed her unique creative and managerial skills to many facets of the company. As VP of Marketing & Communications Maryvonne takes an active role in almost every Insight production. Her team is responsible for managing movie stills photography, gallery shoots, creating poster and promotional artwork, graphic title sequences, writing and disseminating press releases and kits, organizing talent interviews, corporate public relations, generating marketing reports, online sales and creating and maintaining several Insight and related web sites. An award-winning documentary Director, Maryvonne continues to lend her creative behind-the-lens talent to Insight, directing and producing many of the Electronic Press Kits & DVD bonus extras accompanying Insight produced movies.
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Wendy McKernan
Producer

With a Bachelor of Education from the University of Victoria and a diploma from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Wendy's unique background and skill set have found a home at Insight. Wendy McKernan is currently producing a 10 part documentary series for W Network entitled “Keeping It Real”. Past projects with Insight include the 52 episode series “Vanity Insanity”; a one-hour documentary on Hollywood’s Love Affair with Vampires entitled “Bloodsucking Cinema”; the reality series “The Two Coreys”; and “Thirst” an independent feature.

Wendy joined the Insight team in 2002, quickly proving herself as a skilled Executive Assistant and Production Executive on many Insight projects including “Monster Island” for MTV, “Young Blades” for PAX and “Zolar” for Warner Brothers. From this success, Wendy stepped into the Producer’s role in 2004, taking on several Insight projects including the weekly series “Driver’s Seat”. Prior to joining the Insight team, Wendy started her career as a member of the programming department of the Knowledge Network, BC’s Educational Broadcaster.
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Michelle Samuels
Line Producer/Production Manager

Michelle began her broadcast career working in advertising for Palmer Jarvis DDB Canada. After five years at Palmer Jarvis, Michelle brought her skills to Vancouver's Insight Film Studios in 2001. At Insight, Michelle quickly rose from Assistant Production Manager on Insight's first three films to Production Manager -- taking the PM reins on the 90-minute HDTV dance special, "Faerie Queen," for the CBC. Michelle next went on PM several MOW's for the Lifetime Network including "Home for the Holidays," "Chasing Christmas," and "Veiled Truth" and most recently Michelle Samuels has lent her unique managerial talents to two dramatic television series for Insight as PM for "Young Blades" and "Blood Ties."
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Tia Buhl
Line Producer/Production Manager

While working toward her Applied Communications Diploma at Victoria's Camosum College, Tia embarked on a career in broadcasting, hosting her own arts and entertainment series on radio station, CKMO. Following graduation, Tia was awarded the Women's Television Network Technical Internship. This notoriety brought Tia to the attention of Insight Film Studios, joining the Insight team as an intern. Successfully managing every challenge sent her way, Tia was soon hired fulltime. Since starting at Insight, Tia has succeeded in a variety of challenging roles including production coordinator for a HDTV dance extravaganza and production manager for a television series. A full member of the DGC, between 2005 and 2006, Tia PMed eight television movies and Line Produced five more. An integral member of Insight's production team, Tia Buhl's first project for 2007 is Production Manager for the theatrical feature film, "Christmas in Wonderland."
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Rob Lycar
Line Producer

With over 20 film and television movie productions to his credit, Rob is an integral member of Insight Film Studio’s production team. After graduating from the Interior Film and Television training centre in 1999, Rob packed his bags and headed for Vancouver. On the coast, Rob quickly found work in the production industry as an Assistant Director for a variety of locally produced television commercials. In 2003, Rob’s talents found a new home at Insight Film Studios where he was hired as the Assistant Director for the HD production, Dance of the Faerie Queen. From dance, Rob moved on to Drama as the Production Coordinator for the Insight movies: Third Man Out, Stranger in My Bed and Too Cool for Christmas. Rob’s unique abilities soon had him taking on the Production Manager reigns on the movies 12 Hours to Live, Lesser Evil and Double Cross as well as moving into the Line Producer role on the films Family in Hiding and Max Havoc: Ring of Fire. In 2006, Rob co-produced the movies, Ties That Bind, Mother Behind Bars and Valentine Carol.
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Richard Mintak
Special Effects Supervisor

Richard has been Insight's Special Effects Supervisor since 1999. During those years, Richard has contributed his talents to nearly every Insight project, including the award winning documentary, Secret War, the vampire thriller, Thralls and the sci-fi movie, Deadly Skies. Prior to joining Insight, Richard honed his skills working for clients that included Disney World and Holland America Cruise Lines. He also taught motion graphics and web design at the Trebas Institute where he passed on his knowledge to a new generation of artists and designers. As Insight's head graphic designer and special effects supervisor, Richard oversees Insight's full time graphic artists to insure the highest standards of CGI are attained.
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Keith Shaw
Screenwriter/Script Editor

With a BA in History and certificate in video production, Keith was one of the founding members of Insight assisting with the development and writing of the company’s first eight part documentary series for History Television, “A World in Celebration.” Keith next developed and co-produced the Life Network series, “Automotive Morning.” In 2000, Keith was part of the development team (as well as head writer and story editor) for another Insight produced History Television doc series, “Ghost Towns of Canada.” In 2001 Keith developed and wrote “Easter Island, Children of the Moai” for CBC’s Nature of Things, Discovery HD and NHK Japan. This feature length doc grew out of Keith’s “one-page pitch” winning the 2000 Banff TV Festival’s HD doc competition. In 2001, Keith Shaw took on new challenges jumping from factual writing to dramatic, conceiving and writing the script for Insight Film Studios’ first movie, “Maximum Surge.” Keith next penned six more MOW’s. In 2006 Keith Shaw was part of the writing/development team for the television series, “Vanity Insanity” and worked in LA at Universal/NBC as a member of the development team for Insight’s new dramatic series, “Painkiller Jane.”



Laura Brooke Toplass, C.S.A.
Casting Director

Before joining the Insight team, Laura worked in several areas of the Arts and Entertainment industry, including Music, Print and Management. Not long after her arrival at Insight, her diverse skill set combined with her focused work ethic landed her the position of Head of Casting for the studio. Soon thereafter she created and developed Insight’s in-house Casting department, which she continues to run with her associate Judy Lee.

In the past few years, Laura was responsible for casting over 40 projects, including When a Man Falls in a Forrest, Numb, Battle In Seattle, a variety of Movie of The Weeks and two television series, Sci-Fi’s Pain Killer Jane and Lifetime’s Blood Ties.

Up to any challenge, Laura is dedicated to providing a comfortable and effective casting experience for actors, producers and directors. As of January 2008, she is a member of the Casting Society of America.
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