SOMETHING BETTER

A Blu Fly Production

About the Filmmakers




Laurel Hunter (producer/co-director/writer)
Laurel Hunter was raised in Denver, Colorado where she studied acting and theatre arts. She continued her studies after moving to Los Angeles, where she worked in film and studied acting at the Odyssey Theatre. She then moved to San Francisco where she received her degree in playwriting from San Francisco State University and was the recipient of multiple playwriting awards, including the Lawrence and Lee Playwriting Award, the Highsmith Award, and winner of the Bay Area Women's Playwriting Competition. She is also a published writer of fiction in addition to being the author of numerous stage and screenplays. She has an extensive stage directing background with her work receiving critical acclaim in the Los Angeles Times, The LA Weekly, The San Francisco Chronicle Gate, and many others.

JP Allen (associate producer/co-director)
JP Allen has worked extensively as a writer, director and filmmaker. He is currently working on an independent film, GAMBLING, which was originally produced on the stage at the Victory Theatre in Burbank, California, and then adapted to a novel and screenplay. His recent film COFFEE AND LANGUAGE appeared in the 2002 Victoria and Hampton Film Festivals. He has had plays produced at Pacific Theatre, Vancouver, Canada; the Edmonton and Vancouver Fringe Festivals; New City Theatre, Seattle, Washington; and the Changing Scene Theatre, Denver, Colorado. He is the author of numerous works of fiction and poetry, many which have been published in various literary journals. He studied theatre at University of Texas in Austin, studied briefly at Cal Arts, and then received his MA in playwriting from San Francisco State University.

STEVE KANG (director of photography)
Steve Kang had just completed shooting SOMETHING BETTER when he was accepted into the UC Los Angeles film program. He worked on another film during his first semester there before his untimely death in an automobile accident. He was an incredible talent with enormous potential in film and music. He is missed greatly by his San Francisco based band, Spaghetti Western, and all who knew him.

RICK NIEMETZ (editor)
Rick Niemetz has been the Associate Managing Editor and Post-Production Manager with Lucky Dog Films since the founding of the company in 1999. His editing credits include a feature length film and numerous video productions. He serves a dual role as the financial and business manager of the company. He has studied filmmaking, with emphasis on cinematography, at the University of Colorado at Denver.

LANCE BENDIKSEN (composer)
New York born Lance Bendiksen is a Denver based musician and producer whose credits include a Silver Telly Award for the PBS production THERE WAS A TIME, and an Emmy Award in the category of "Best Theme Music" for the PBS production, LIFEWISE. He is a highly accomplished musician and producer whose dedication has landed him Concert Artist endorsement contracts with Baldwin Piano and Hohner performances in top venues including Carnegie Hall. He has worked in conjunction with KBCO to produce studio performances such as Sara McLachlan and The Cowboy Junkies, and he has overseen the production of numerous recordings for MTV.