14 Days - About - Road Trip 2005 - Map of Tour - Artists & Management - Crew

Educational Crew - Sponsors - Friends of the Program - Opening & Touring Schedule

A photographic journey of discovery exploring the awakening of a new generation

Artist and Management

D. William Gibbons
Executive Producer, Creator, Writer & Director

This last year took me by surprise. The Face of Freedom project, which I worked on for so many months, finally came alive. Fourteen Days in America became its first real test of strength and token of viability. I had no real expectations except that it would be special for all of us. It far exceeded any preconceptions I had. It was hard, exhausting, and emotional; but most importantly life changing. I experienced something that indeed took me far beyond those creative boundaries I had searched for. It led me down a path of exploration and discovery. My crew and I were tormented by fourteen days of fatigue both physical and mental. Creative roadblocks and regular conflicts became overwhelming and yet we never retreated.

Looking back, it appeared quite impossible at the time. We are now welded together with the memories of something quite inexplicable. That is, the creation of a record in time. A record capturing so many people who were graceful, lovely and like all of us, just children finding their way; just as we were ourselves. They taught all of us humility, understanding and tolerance. I could never thank enough all those wonderful people we came across.

You forever changed us with a courage and perseverance that is immeasurable. Even now when I continue to review the portraits and film work that we collected, it still takes my breath away. Fourteen Days in Great Britain will continue this pilgrimage. I can hardly wait to continue a quest that will never end.

D. William Gibbons
October 2004

Paul Skiera - Producer

From the first draft, through all stages of production, success or failure on the road rests largely in the hands of the producer. Experience in this field does not come overnight, rather it is born out of many years of creative and management experience. Above all it is a love for the job and all that goes with it, together with the ability to choose the right talent with which to be surrounded. As a location producer Paul Skiera is as an earnest and consummate professional, not to mention a true believer in the the Face of Freedom project. For the executive producer these attributes bring enormous opportunities and advantages in ensuring dedication to the project's firm objectives.

Paul Skiera is an internationally acclaimed speaker, producer, consultant, and designer in the critical areas of digital media in education and learning. Paul’s professional focus has been on using digital media in the learning process by combining the motivation power of video with other engaging instructional technologies. In his early yearly years he was recognized by "A/V Multimedia Magazine" as one of the Top 100 Multimedia Producers in the World. Currently he is named as one of the top 10 "visionaries” in educational media by Who’s Who for 2005. Paul holds graduate degrees from Arizona State University where he is currently the director of Technology Based Learning and Research (TBLR) the number one digital media educational center in the country. To his credit, Paul Skiera has produced over 500 world-wide video projects for education, commercial, government and non-profits sectors, including the world's first accredited, college-level instructional digital media CD-ROM for Intel in 1991. His partnerships include IBM, CISCO, APPLE, DELL, State and Federal Government agencies just to name a few. The Face of Freedom project furthers this experience, with diverse and extraordinary participation in a long term historical event . Here educational involvement in terms of curriculum and student interaction can be assured by the enormous experience brought to the program by Paul's position in the education sector.

Matthew T. Kertman - Documentary Camera/Assistant Producer

A graduate of North High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he studied in the International Baccalaureate program, Matt has been fascinated by our differing perceptions of reality most of his life. Instilled with a love for theater during high school, a critical moment in his career arrived with his decision to study Film at Wesleyan University. An avid cineaste these days, this student filmmaker cut his teeth crewing on 16mm shorts. Since then, he has enjoyed varying experiences within the production sector, as well as a fascinating internship with the Phoenix Film Festival. Matt graciously thanks his family for their continued belief in one more starving artist, in addition to Lighthouse Productions and David Gibbons for this exciting opportunity. Currently in Post on his senior thesis, a 12-minute, 16mm short he wrote, produced, directed and is now editing, Matt will graduate with a BA in Film Studies in May.

Artists:

Richard Knapp, Stills Photographer

America and Americans, nothing has inspired me more as a photographer. My wife and I spend most or our free time during and between shoots traveling the back roads of our great country to discover who we are as a nation. My passion for photography began with a road trip through the Pacific Northwest in 1992.

When David Gibbons extended the invitation to me to photograph "the face of freedom", it was like continuing the journey that I had already started. To photograph a hundred people a day cast in full light against the same backdrop is how I plan to expose the differences and the similarities that unite us. I want to capture my subjects at the moment they enter the studio, before I get a chance to project my own conceptions of who they are into the image. A stark and immediate portrait of a nation is what I will produce.

Dana Hursey - Stills Photographer

As a graduate of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California, Dana Hursey comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Dana has been shooting professionally for over 18 years. But he has also been dedicated to giving back and guiding the next generation of professional photographers for nearly as long.

Dana returned to Art Center as an instructor a mere two years after graduating, creating a photography program for high school students at the college. Although the college had seen programs for teens in other disciplines, up until that time there had been no avenue for them to explore the world of photography. This class was an all encompassing general introduction to photography and served as a natural segue to the bachelors program at the college.

Since 1988 Dana has taught a variety of courses, workshops, and private seminars at Art Center as well as UCLA and other venues as well as being and invited guest speaker. The varying topics reflect his broad range of knowledge and experience, and include such courses as Basics of Photography, Fashion, Black & White Lab Techniques, Portraiture, Digital Photography, and “The Business” of Photography.

Dana has served on advisory councils, and was a member, vice-president and president of the Art Center Alumni Council, which created and fostered a variety of support programs both for Art Center alums as well as current students, most importantly generating mentorship programs between the two groups. And Dana also traveled to Asia as a representative of the College and Alumni.

View shooting with the pros/master class - Cable TV Segment featuring Dana Hursey.


Ben Pritchard - First Assistant to Richard Knapp

Ben brings enormous talent and vigor for life to this project. His background and passion for photography is wonderful. As a dedicated professional Ben Pritchard supports this production with experience and vision. As a talented technician and photographer with experience in all stages of the photographic process Ben Pritchard supports the creative spirit developed by photographer Richard Knapp. Ben is based in New York and currently studies at University while working at the same time in the commercial and production environment.


Amanda Miller - Interviewer

Hailing from California, Amanda has been following stories in one form or another since she was a kid. When she was little this meant creating small books about the animals she found living in the canyon behind her house. Presently her natural curiosity and imagination has lured her far from home, to Glasgow Scotland. Amanda received her B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Studio Art from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Creative instincts and a strong sense of ambition then guided her through to lend her skills to book publishing firms Melcher Media and St. Martin’s Press in New York followed by worldwide advertising agencies BBDO, Ogilvy and McCann-Erickson.

Her desire to find more fulfilling stories to tell led her to leave the security of the corporate world behind a year and a half ago. Working freelance as a strategic brand planner and writer, Amanda has been travelling everywhere from Africa to the U.K. gaining inspiration from the unique people she meets. She brings extensive experience conducting qualitative and ethnographic research and brings a dedication and loyalty to anything she pursues. Her super powers include her insightfulness and compassion for other people and her nimbleness with the written word. She may have memorized a dictionary or two. Amanda also enjoys reading, photography, painting, surfing, considers skipping a lost art form and she really wants a dog.