Shade of Grey

JAKOB BILINSKI - Director, Writer, Editor, Producer

A native of southern Indiana, Jakob's had an obsessive, fervent passion for all things cinema since he can remember. He went on to study at Indiana University, constantly throwing himself into indepedently produced projects. Over the years, he's written and directed over 20 shorts (including the award-winning 48 hour project Foxxy Madonna vs The Black Death) and several independent features (though you'd be hard pressed to get him to show you all of them). Shade of Grey marks his third feature-length directorial effort.

Jake on IMDB

CHRIS WILKERSON - Producer, Director of Photography

Not much is known about Chris. He is believed to be currently roaming about the plains of Texas, in search of adventure.

CHRISTOPHER JOHN De MORY - Original Score

Chris is a maestro of many talents, playing drums, guitar, bass, and piano. He's previously scored Jakob's previous two short films Mime, and Foxxy Madonna vs The Black Death.

SCOTT GANYO - Evan

Born in North Dakota, Scott spent much of his childhood in a semi-nomadic lifestyle. Having lived on every border of the United States by the time he was 10, he spent the remainder of his school years in small towns across the Midwest as his father pursued his calling as a Presbyterian minister. After graduating with honors from Eisenhower High School in Decatur, IL, Scott entered Millikin University on a full vocal performance scholarship and toured with the University Choir.

Long appreciated in theatre productions where he breathed life into such fantastic characters as Smudge (Forever Plaid), Chauvelin (The Scarlet Pimpernel), and Snoopy (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown); Scott began to find himself performing less on stage and more on Indie film sets. A new and exciting medium, Scott eagerly embraced acting on the small and silver screens. Proving himself a versatile and dynamic actor, he enthusiastically took on such diverse character roles as a campy caped crusader (Star Trek Vs. Batman), super spy (Foxxy Madonna vs the Black Death), repentant drug addict (Dependence), fatherly priest (A Time For the Heart), and even an unconventional serial killer (Pit Stop) in addition to his many leading man film roles.

A dedicated, hard-working actor, Scott continues to aggressively pursue film, television, and commercial work from his home in the Los Angeles area.

Scott on IMDB
scott.ganyo.com

KATELYN COYNE - Samantha

BEN SCHMITT - Bryan

Ben Schmitt was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and was raised in Boston and New Jersey, before finally settling down with his family in Chicago. Raised on a steady diet of sports and theatre, Ben grew to love acting more than the former and has since pursued it while attending college at Indiana University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Currently he resides in Los Angeles, California where he is continuing his acting success in the mecca of the entertainment industry. Ben Schmitt has acted in many films ranging from low budget indies to major studio movies, including The Break-Up starring Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn. He co-starred in the dark drama QUENCH where he played a goth with a deadly secret. QUENCH was accepted into the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival and premiered on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, CA in October 2007. QUENCH went on to win the coveted Best Director for a Feature Film award. He has appeared in plays as well, holding lead roles in productions from the same playhouse. Ben's concentration is on film acting but he still enjoys performing and growing as an actor on stage and continues to not only entertain the audience, whether it be movie or theatre, but to take them 'out of reality' and into the wonderful world of make believe. He's often quoted as saying that, "I act because I love for audiences to forget about their lives, troubles and problems for a couple of hours and enter the land of make believe. If I can make them watch and be moved then I have done my job well."

MONICA BARAJAS - Sarah

Monica Barajas was born on May 14, 1986 in Columbus, IN. She was raised there by her parents, along with her four brothers. She became comfortable in front of the camera at an early age when her brothers and her would film little comedy skits for the family each Christmas. She started playing the clarinet in elementary school and performed with The Sound of North during her high school years, with such accomplishments as performing in the 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade. It was during her senior year that the secret desire to be an actress pushed her to give up music and go into theatre. Shortly after graduating from Columbus North High school, she moved to Indianapolis, IN to attend IUPUI. It is there that she and Edward Hatfield started Tao Films.

JENNIFER BERKEMEIER - Nicole

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Jennifer Berkemeier has done a little bit of everything to further develop her talent of acting. Over the last 10 years Berkemeier has lent her talent in films, theatre (on stage and backstage) and has continued her training and increased her special skills to be the best she can be in the dramatic world of acting.

Film
Berkemeier has had supporting roles in Loss (2006), Reunion (2006) and the upcoming Shade of Grey (2008). She has appeared in award winning films Foxxy Madonna vs. The Black Death (2007), Quench (2007), and Dependence (2007).

Theatre
Currently, Berkemeier is Elizabeth in an adaptation of Frankenstein. She has worked on several theatre projects including her roles in From Dark Pages, Daughters of the Lone Star State (Ima Jean), The Foreigner (Catherine Simms) and has been nominated for best supporting actress and best song performance as Lady Larken in Once Upon a Mattress and nominated for best Cameo as Nicole in The Baker’s Wife. In addition to her various roles on stage, Berkemeier is experienced in roles backstage including costumes, set building, choreography, and makeup.

Additional training and skills
Berkemeier has taken professional acting, dance, speech and voice production, and improvisation courses over the last 10 years. Her expertise in swimming, horseback riding, tennis, marching, violin, acrobatics, singing (G3-A5), accents (British and southern), bowling, PADI advanced open water scuba diver, manual vehicle driving, experience with ADR, flare bartending, character voices and much more only deepens and broadens her talent as a dedicated thespian.

LEAH WINKLER - Ashley

DALE TONEY - Pedro

Dale is the son of a Caucasian father and a Korean mother. He grew up playing classical piano, starting at the age of 3 in Korea, and moved to the U.S. and continued on to play with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra as a senior in high school. Since that time he has dabbled in the arts, from singing in rock bands to acting at Theatre on the Square. To date the only independent film work he has participated in is "Be Good". He works in the computer industry as a network engineer. Currently he is involved in a housing project for the homeless of Indianapolis, affiliating with a local charity. His overall goal is to develop a deeper understanding of people and to eventually write and produce music.

NICK BRUNNER - Morgan

JOMAR 'DEZ' BANKS - Dacx

Jomar has been an actor sense birth. A little off of his rocker, his mother always told him, "Boy, act like you got some sense!" He took her advice and has never looked back since. Jomar's first role was in the play, Sleeping Beauty. He played the role of "King" when he was in Kindergarten. In high school Jomar won many awards for the many roles he took on from Captain Keller in The Miracle Worker, to Prof. Marvel/The Wizard, in the musical The Wizard of Oz. Jomar's proudest moment is when he portrayed Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun, while attending Indiana University, Bloomington. Jomar has worked on a few independent films as well. Most recently he starred as The Black Death in Cinephreak Pictures and Tao Films award winning collaboration, "Foxxy Madonna vs. The Black Death." Stayed tuned because this man is not ready to end his career.

ANTHONY WENTZEL - Steve

Anthony's claim to fame is being seen in the distant background and out-of-focus as a pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3. His hard work and dedication in portraying a douche-bag in Shade of Grey earned him what he calls a PS* while trying to scream excitement in the motel.

"When Jake called me asked me drive up to Indy to be a douche-bag for a scene, I never questioned his direction, but I was curious as to why I needed to bring a change of pants..."

*PS: stands for pant-shitter.
www.myspace.com/wentzel
www.anthonywentzel.com

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