ANDRZEJ BARTKOWIAK Director ANDRZEJ BARTKOWIAK made his directorial debut with Romeo Must Die, starring Jet Li and Aaliyah, and followed that smash success with Exit Wounds, starring DMX. Bartkowiak began his career as a cinematographer working on commercials and independent films before collaborating with director James Ivory on the PBS adaptation of John Cheever's short story, The 5:48. His long affiliation with director Sidney Lumet includes his work on the Oscar-nominated drama The Verdict and ten additional features, Prince of the City, Deathtrap, Daniel, Garbo Talks, Power, The Morning After, Family Business, Q & A, A Stranger Among Us and Guilty as Sin. Bartkowiak has also photographed the Academy Award-winning Best Picture Terms of Endearment and the Oscar-nominated John Huston classic Prizzi's Honor. His other credits include Good Man in Africa, Jade, Species, Dante's Peak, Speed, Losing Isaiah, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Hard Promises, Twins, Nuts, Falling Down, The Devil's Advocate, U.S. Marshals, Lethal Weapon 4 and Thirteen Days.                                                        Back to Top

JOEL SILVER JOEL SILVER (Producer) is one of the most successful producers in the motion picture industry today. His films have earned a combined gross of over $3.85 billion worldwide, averaging over $100 million per picture. His 1999 production The Matrix grossed over $456 million worldwide, earning more than any other Warner Bros. Pictures film in the Studio's history at the time of release. Universally acclaimed for its groundbreaking storytelling and visuals, The Matrix also won four Academy Awards, including the award for Best Visual Effects, and was the first DVD release to sell one million units. Silver is currently producing the next two highly anticipated chapters in the Matrix trilogy, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. The Matrix Reloaded is scheduled for release on May 15, 2003, with Revolutions to follow in November 2003. Silver is also producing The Animatrix, a groundbreaking collection of nine short films inspired by the visionary action and innovative storytelling that power The Matrix. This spectacular fusion of CG-animation and Japanese anime features Final Flight of the Osiris, a nine minute short that serves as an explosive prelude to The Matrix Reloaded. Final Flight of the Osiris will accompany the worldwide release of the film Dreamcatcher on March 21, 2003. In addition, Silver also supervised the release of The Matrix Revisited, a special-edition DVD that includes extensive behind-the-scenes footage of the making of The Matrix, as well as an exclusive preview of The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Silver is currently producing Gothika, directed by Mathieu Kassovitz and starring Halle Berry and Penelope Cruz, through his Dark Castle Entertainment division. Gothika is scheduled for release in October 2003. Silver and Robert Zemeckis launched Dark Castle, the production entity they formed in the spirit of the late horror impresario William Castle, with the record-breaking release of House on Haunted Hill, which opened at number one on Halloween of 1999. This was followed by the successful Dark Castle releases Thirteen Ghosts and Ghost Ship. Most recently, Silver produced the hit films Swordfish, starring John Travolta, Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry; Exit Wounds, starring Steven Seagal and DMX; and Romeo Must Die, featuring Jet Li and Aaliyah. Silver began his career at Lawrence Gordon Productions, where he ultimately ascended to president of motion pictures for the company. He associate produced The Warriors and, with Gordon, produced 48 HRS., Streets of Fire and Brewster's Millions. Silver's first independent production under his Silver Pictures banner was Commando, followed by Jumpin' Jack Flash and Predator. Silver then produced Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3 and Lethal Weapon 4, as well as Die Hard, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, The Last Boy Scout, Demolition Man, Richie Rich and Conspiracy Theory. He executive produced, with Richard Donner, David Giler, Walter Hill and Robert Zemeckis, eight seasons of the award-winning HBO series Tales From the Crypt, as well as two Tales From the Crypt films. While a student at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey in 1967, Silver and a group of his friends invented a game called Ultimate Frisbee. The fast-moving team sport has since become a global phenomenon supported by tournaments in 42 countries. One of the fastest growing sports in the world, Ultimate Frisbee was played as a medal sport in the 2001 World Games held in Akita, Japan. In 2002, well over two thousand players representing twenty-four countries competed in the World Flying Disc Federation's World Ultimate Club Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii.                                                        Back to Top

HERBERT W. GAINS Executive Producer HERBERT W. GAINS most recently worked with director Jake Kasdan on the comedy Orange County, served as executive producer for the Tollin/Robbins production Hardball, starring Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane, and executive produced Summer Catch, starring Freddie Prinze, Jr. His past work includes serving as co-producer for the highly successful Varsity Blues, Ready to Rumble, Daylight and Dragonheart. Previously, Gains was production manager for films such as The Negotiator and Mouse Hunt. As assistant director, he worked on a variety of films that included Natural Born Killers, Heaven & Earth, Point Break, Pacific Heights, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, Dirty Dancing and The Fan. Gains is currently completing work as producer on Michael Tollin's Radio, with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ed Harris. Over the past two decades, Mount Vernon has distinguished itself as a music mecca. Affectionately referred to as 'money earnin' Mount Vernon', this Westchester county has produced some of the most prolific producers, songwriters, singers, music industry executives of our time, and boasts an impressive list of music pioneers who have made invaluable contributions to the genre of Rap/Hip Hop music.                                                        Back to Top

RAY COPELAND Born in Mount Vernon, RAY COPELAND (Executive Producer) attended Mount Vernon High School. Amidst an atmosphere of creativity and change, he shared classes, and dreams, with the likes of Eddie E., Heavy D., Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth, Sean 'Puffy' Combs, and in turn, witnessed the evolution of Rap/Hip Hop first hand. And while he enjoyed and was enthused by the emergence of this bold new sound, he decided that his career would take a different path - in academia. Completing high school, he went on to college to pursue undergraduate studies in Psychology. Upon graduation, he commenced his career in education as a provisional teacher and guidance counselor. His concern for others and innate sense of community service compelled him to offer tuition services to the incarcerated youth program for Westchester and the inmates at Rikers Island. And while Mr. Copeland arduously toiled in the classroom, molding the minds and nurturing the dreams of our youth, Rap/Hip Hop music was forging new frontiers, breaking down barriers and making an inroad into Middle America. Many of his friends and associates from Westchester had found great success as artists, producers, executives and entrepreneurs in the music business. One such team was the Ruff Ryders Records camp, headed by the Dean brothers and their sister Chivon. Also from the Westchester area, the Deans had always been close friends to Ray Copeland - and their premier artist DMX (who incidentally is Ray Copeland's nephew) had firmly established himself as a strong musical force of contention. Along with the Dark Man X, the Ruff Ryders team had amassed an impressive roster of artists that included Drag-On, Eve and Parle. They needed someone who cared enough about the artists and the music, and who possessed the street savvy and the business acumen to guide and direct the careers of their clients. Ray Copeland was the obvious choice. So he left behind a world of classrooms and chalk and set his sights to the creation of a management company that would have one basic goal - the education and well-being of the artist. As the CEO/President of Bar Entertainment, Ray Copeland has created a home for his artists. Known as "Uncle Ray," he is proud of the environment of genuine care and concern that exists in his company and Copeland has successfully transferred his training in helping his students realize their full potential to helping his artists reach for their dreams. I look at the artist/manager relationship as a partnership, in which each entity has a certain responsibility. As long as both partners remain committed to their individual responsibilities, the relationship thrives as a whole, states Ray. Bar Entertainment currently handles the careers of DMX, Drag-On, Parle, Yukmouth and A+. And just for the records, A+ is not only the artist managed by Ray Copeland, it is the passing grade that each of his clients has awarded him.                                                        Back to Top

JOHN O'BRIEN Cradle 2 the Grave marks screenwriter JOHN O'BRIEN's first produced screenplay. Going into production next for O'Brien is the Warner Bros. picture Starsky & Hutch, starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, which begins lensing in early 2003. O'Brien's other feature projects in development include Jack's Night and Stroke.                                                        Back to Top

CHANNING GIBSON A graduate of Yale University, CHANNING GIBSON (Screenwriter) was raised in Iowa and Nebraska. He began his career as a freelance writer for television series such as Family before becoming a story editor and, eventually, producer on the series St. Elsewhere, for which he received multiple nominations for the Emmy, Humanitas and Writers Guild Awards. Gibson went on to write and produce for the series Tattinger's and Nick and Hillary. Gibson began a collaboration with Steven Bochco in 1991 with prodigious results: he wrote and co-executive produced Civil Wars for two seasons; co-created and executive produced The Byrds of Paradise; wrote and co-executive produced one season of NYPD Blue (he won an Emmy for Best Drama Series) and co-created Murder One. Cradle 2 the Grave marks Gibson's second collaboration with producer Joel Silver following their blockbuster success with Lethal Weapon 4, Gibson's first produced film script.                                                        Back to Top

JOHN FRIZZELL In 1993, JOHN FRIZZELL (Co-Composer) orchestrated for Academy Award winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto on Oliver Stone's landmark miniseries Wild Palms. After hearing his aggressive integration of synthesized sounds with traditional orchestra, Los Angeles producer John Sacret Young hired him to score the Fox television series VR5. After moving to Los Angeles he met composer James Newton Howard, who became an encouraging mentor to John's young film scoring career. Howard composed the main themes, which Frizzell incorporated into his scores for The Rich Man's Wife, starring Halle Berry, and Dante's Peak, directed by Roger Donaldson. These scores led to John's work on Alien Resurrection, starring Sigourney Weaver and directed by France's esteemed filmmaker, Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Twice he has collaborated with director Mark Rydell, scoring HBO's Crime of the Century and James Dean, the latter featuring the Golden Globe winning performance by James Franco. John has also worked with writer/director Mike Judge on the hit animated feature, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America and the cult comedy classic, Office Space, starring Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston. In addition, John scored Sally Field's romantic comedy, Beautiful, Kevin Williamson's Teaching Mrs. Tingle, and Mafia!, a comedy from director Jim Abrahams. John's recent credits include Josie and the Pussycats starring Tara Reid, Rachael Leigh Cook and Rosario Dawson; Scorched, a comedy directed by Gavin Grazer and starring John Cleese, Woody Harrelson and Alicia Silverstone; Lockdown and Ron Maxwell's Civil War epic Gods and Generals. Cradle 2 the Grave marks John's third film with producer Joel Silver, following their collaboration on Thirteen Ghosts and Ghost Ship.                                                        Back to Top

DAMON "GREASE" BLACKMAN Cradle 2 the Grave marks DAMON "GREASE" BLACKMAN's (Co-Composer) second collaboration with producer Joel Silver and director Andrzej Bartkowiak, following his work with them on Exit Wounds.                                                        Back to Top

DARYN OKADA, A.S.C. DARYN OKADA, A.S.C. (Director of Photography) began his film career at age sixteen working in almost every department on the low-budget independent feature Phantasm for writer/director Don Coscarelli. Pursuing his interest in cinematography, by the early eighties Okada was working as a cameraman on independent projects including Phantasm II and Survival Quest. 1989 marked Okada's first collaboration with director Steve Miner, on the mini-series Elvis: Good Rockin' Tonight, which lead to future work with Miner on the feature films Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, My Father the Hero, Big Bully, Halloween: H20, Lake Placid and Texas Rangers. Okada's other film credits include Dr. Doolittle 2, Joe Somebody, Captain Ron, Black Sheep, Airborne, Senseless, Anna Karenina and Martin Lawrence Live: Runeldat. For television he was nominated for the American Cinematographer's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in a Mini-Series for his work on In a Child's Name, and shot the movies Separated by Murder, the pilot for A Mother's Instinct and Vanishing Point. He also worked with Miner and Kevin Williamson on Dawson's Creek.                                                        Back to Top

DEREK G. BRECHIN DEREK G. BRECHIN's (Editor) previous collaborations with director Bartkowiak and producer Silver was as editor on the fast-paced action movies Exit Wounds, starring Steven Seagal and DMX, and Romeo Must Die, starring Jet Li and Aaliyah. Prior credits include his work as an editor on Thirteen Ghosts for producer Joel Silver, Deep Blue Sea, Breakdown, and Roland Emmerich's sci-fi adventure Stargate. Brechin's additional editing credits include assisting on the blockbuster films Die Hard, Total Recall and Basic Instinct as well as serving as second editor on Executive Decision.                                                        Back to Top

SUSAN LEVIN SUSAN LEVIN (Co-Producer) began working at Silver Pictures in 1999, when she joined the company as Vice President of Production, overseeing the development and production of such projects as Ghost Ship, Thirteen Ghosts and Swordfish. In addition to her current role as Executive Vice President of Production at Silver Pictures, she also oversees development for Dark Castle Entertainment, the production entity formed by Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis to produce a diverse slate of horror films. Prior to her tenure at Silver Pictures, Levin worked on the hit films Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, spearheaded the development of its spin-off live action and animated TV series, and associate produced the feature film Beowulf for Dimension Films. Levin is a graduate of the University of Southern California's School of Cinema/Television.                                                        Back to Top

MELINA KEVORKIAN Cradle 2 the Grave marks MELINA KEVORKIAN's (Co-Producer) first producing credit. An alumnus of the University of Southern California, Kevorkian has previously worked with producer Joel Silver on film projects including Exit Wounds, Swordfish, Thirteen Ghosts and The Matrix Revisited, as well as the next two highly anticipated chapters in the Matrix trilogy, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. The Matrix Reloaded is scheduled for release on May 15, 2003, with Revolutions to follow in November 2003. Currently in pre-production, Kevorkian's next project will be Gothika, starring Halle Berry and Penelope Cruz.                                                        Back to Top

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