Faculty

Miller has worked in virtually every aspect of the film and television business as a director, writer and producer.

Upon graduating from high school in his hometown of Westfield, New Jersey, Miller enlisted in the United States Navy. After leaving the armed forces, he attended Northeastern University in Boston, where he worked as an editor and director for the school's television station. Miller graduated with honors and left for California to attend the MFA program at the University of Southern California.

Miller began directing music videos while in graduate school, and has directed hundreds in all genres, including Garth Brooks', “The Dance”, The Smithereens, "A Girl Like You", Eazy E and NWA, "Easier Said than Dunn", The Goo Goo Dolls, "There You Are", The Fat Boys and Chubby Checker, "The Twist", Joe Cocker, "You Are So Beautiful" and Vince Gill, “Go Rest High on That Mountain.”

He also played tambourine on The Kentucky Headhunters, “Blue Moon of Kentucky” recording from their album, “Rave On.”

Miller is a 7 time CMA nominee, a CMA Video of the Year Award winner as well as winning countless Video of the Year awards from the ACM, Billboard Magazine, Cine Golden Eagle and many more.

In 1999 Miller collaborated with country music star Mark Collie to create the short film, “I Still Miss Someone,” the first film portrayal of Johnny Cash. The film won awards from festivals around the world and was the only short film shown in the Woodstock Festival's "30 Greatest Films of the Last 30 Years," alongside "Blue Velvet", "Easy Rider", and "Pulp Fiction."

Miller has directed TV shows for HBO, VH1, FX and many more.

He is the founder of The AV Squad, his production company in Tennessee, and a co-creator of Beacon Bay Creative, with offices in Los Angeles, Hilton Head and Nashville. Miller is the father of twin teenagers, an alumnus of Leadership Music, and a member of the WGAe.

As editor, producer, and storyteller, Jennifer is regarded as much for her understanding of the artistic and aesthetic principles of editing as for her even-tempered approach and knack for creating compelling content. Inspired by a class in high school, the Kentucky native found she enjoyed editing and graduated from Western Kentucky University with a BA in Television Production.

In a career spanning over three decades, Jennifer’s work runs the gamut from music specials, commercials, music videos, variety shows, and live award shows to documentaries, trailers and presentations. While her focus has been primarily rooted in the music industry, she’s also edited many sporting events including drag racing, rodeos, NASCAR, and the PBR. Among her clients, Jennifer counts companies like CMT, Netflix, GAC, The Tennessee Titans, The Nashville Predators, PBS, United Methodist Communications, Rock Productions, Elite Post, ESPN, CBS Sports and TNN.

Jennifer is deeply committed to her community and has volunteered with Hands on Nashville, the Make A Wish Foundation and as a Girl Scouts leader for eleven years where she led her scouts to achieve the Gold Award, the organization's most prestigious honor. A member of the Nashville Filmmaker’s Guild and Nashville Women in Film and Television, Jennifer has a passion for teaching and sharing her knowledge and unique experience with students. Outside the edit bay, Jennifer enjoys hiking, watching movies, reading and spending time with her family.  

Jennifer Duck is an Emmy award-winning producer and instructor of journalism in the department of Cinema, Media and Television. She is the co-education chair and serves on the Board of Governors for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences MidSouth Emmy chapter. Prior to her work with Belmont University, Jen was a producer for CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 and Katie Couric’s syndicated show in New York. Additionally, she worked as a talent and development producer for Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in Los Angeles.

Jen began her career at ABC News in Washington, D.C. During her time with ABC, she traveled around the world aboard Air Force One as White House producer covering President George W. Bush and reported from the campaign trail as President Barack Obama and Senator John McCain canvassed the country in 2008. She earned her stripes as a local reporter and anchor at the NBC News affiliate in Bakersfield, California. Jen has also worked with non-profit organizations to spread awareness about important social issues. She produced educational campaigns for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and produced a live event for the David Lynch Foundation.

She received her bachelor's degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and her master's degree from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. Jen continues to produce and write and gets some of her best content from her husband, two daughters and the most stubborn yet lovable creature in the family – her beagle Gracie.

Robin Foster’s roots are in the Mississippi Delta, but his passion for motion pictures as personal expression began in his first film course at Phillips Academy, outside Boston. Forty-plus years later, his experience ranges from the art and theater scene of the 70’s, the music video boom of the 80’s and 90’s through over twenty-five years as an independent filmmaker, shooting and lighting, writing and directing documentaries, corporate productions, commercials and entertainment.

A core component of Foster’s professional experience consists of developing and producing educational and training films for healthcare, manufacturing, faith-based and educational institutions. Locations have included: surgical suites at Vanderbilt; factories in Mexico; hometowns across Tennessee; blues clubs back in the Delta; the floor of the New York Stock Exchange; and the rain forest of Peru. Production credits include documentaries for ITV London and Discovery Channel, news for ABC and CNN, entertainment television for CMT, Tangible Vision and Deaton Flanigan Productions, music videos for Ruckus Films, Taillight Pictures, Scene 3 and Tacklebox Films, commercials for Running4Cover, Filmhouse and Rink Entertainment, and corporate/educational for Envision, Inc., United Methodist Publishing House, and Arts & Sciences.

Evident in the cameras, lights, strips of film and digital memory is Foster’s drive to organize, evaluate, and communicate information and experience through his productions, one-to-one mentoring and classroom teaching.

He has a BA in Fine Arts from Vanderbilt University with an interest in film and a MS in Information Science from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with an interest in film and arts information management.

Richard Gershman began his career in theatre where he served on the Artistic Staff of two of the most prominent theatres in America, the Mark Taper Forum and the Seattle Repertory Theatre.  He has over fifty stage productions to his credit.  Among his credits as a director are: GRANDMA MOSES with Cloris Leachman (Elitch Theatre), THE WRONG BOX (Catalina Productions), BODIES with Lawrence Pressman and Cristina Pickles (South Coast Repertory), DEAD WRONG and AGNES OF GOD (Stage West), SPOKESONG (Seattle Repertory Theatre), LUCKY LINDY (Mark Taper Forum), and as an assistant director: CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD (Broadway, London, National Tour), FOOLS (pre-Broadway), THE LADY AND THE CLARINET (pre-Broadway), CHEKHOV IN YALTA, PAL JOEY, SAINT JOAN, THE TEMPEST, TERRA NOVA and TWELFTH NIGHT.

Mr. Gershman's work in television and film includes his direction of multiple episodes of JUDGING AMY and CHICAGO HOPE, and the award winning short subject, JONI & THE WHALES (HBO, A&E Network).  He has also worked as an assistant director on the features, THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, QUEEN’S LOGIC, ONCE BITTEN, ZOOT SUIT, THE LAST MOVIE STAR and on numerous TV shows as a UPM or 1st AD including LOST, UGLY BETTY, CLOSE TO HOME, NIGHTSTALKER, BONES, JUDGING AMY, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, CHICAGO HOPE, L.A. LAW, ELVIS, THE OLDEST ROOKIE, CHINA BEACH, and COLUMBO.

Mr. Gershman's work has earned him grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Film Institute Center for Advanced Film and Television Studies.  His theatre productions have earned him a total of 10 Dramalogue Awards including 2 for Best Direction, and his film, JONI & THE WHALES was a top award winner at the Chicago and Houston International Film Festivals.

Mr. Gershman is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds advanced degrees from New York University Tisch School of the Arts and the American Film Institute Center for Advanced Film and Television Studies.

Stephen has been working in Hollywood for over 20 years. He moved from Los Angeles to Nashville four years ago to help produce the TV show “NASHVILLE” for ABC, CMT and Hulu. During his three-season stint on the show, Stephen began teaching Screenwriting Fundamentals at Belmont and now teaches Screenwriting and Production full time.

After growing up in St. Louis and graduating from Wheaton College outside Chicago, Stephen began his career in Hollywood reading scripts for Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter Barry Levinson. He assisted Mr. Levinson on the NBC show “Homicide: Life on The Street” and the Warner Brothers films, DISCLOSURE (starring Michael Douglas) and SLEEPERS (starring Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, and Kevin Bacon).

During this time, Stephen adapted his first screenplay based on the Michael Crichton novel, SPHERE, for Warner Brothers, directed by Mr. Levinson and starring Dustin Hoffman and Samuel L. Jackson.

Over the last 15 years, Stephen has written and sold original screenplays and been hired to adapt books and doctor scripts on projects for Miramax, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, the Weinstein Company, Paramount Pictures, and financiers in the independent film world. He’s represented by the Paradigm Agency in L.A. and Writ-Large Management.

Stephen’s passion lies in helping students develop their creative process and hone their unique voice for the marketplace.

Jake Mahaffy enjoys teaching students the technical and creative aspects of filmmaking to help them execute the best versions of their concepts and develop a solid discipline. Focus is on visual narrative, story structure and naturalistic performances so that students can apply their skills in whatever career, practice, genre or platform they pursue.

Mahaffy's films have won awards including Orizzonti Prize for Best Film at Venice and Grand Jury Prize at SXSW along with other screenings (including Sundance (2004/05/06/08/09/15), prizes and nominations from the IFP Independent Spirit Awards, Gothams, Moas, Stockholm, Munich, Seattle, Nashville, Malatya, Rotterdam, AMPAS Student Academy Awards, Newport... among others. He has been awarded grants and fellowships from Guggenheim, Belaggio, Annenberg, Sundance Institute, Cannes Atelier, Rome New Cinema, Shanghai Market, Creative Capital, LEF, NZFC, Kodak, Verizon, NHK and others.

Mahaffy's self-produced, low-budget shorts and features were made single-handedly, featuring untrained actors in rural settings. War was shot on a 16mm, hand-cranked, silent movie camera over five years in northwest Pennsylvania and premiered at Sundance. The no-budget feature Wellness, about a man trying to succeed in a business that doesn't exist, was shot on digital video and won Grand Prize at SXSW.

Coming to filmmaking from the visual arts and a no-budget, independent model, he is experienced in all aspects of production: writing, directing, cinematography, visual design, editing and production management. More recent projects combined with professional actors and crew have also screened internationally. His film Free in Deed, shot in Memphis and based on a true story about a man trying to perform a miraculous healing, won a Lion at Venice. More recently, Reunion, an esoteric story about a highly dysfunctional family, was produced in Wellington (NZ).

Mahaffy studied fine art and film at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), foreign languages at Brown University, and directing at the State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in Moscow. He also attended the Sundance Writer, Director and Producer Labs. As a professor he founded and led two new filmmaking programs at Hollins University and Wheaton College, as well as developing curriculum and a new BA degree program in Screen Production as Program Coordinator at Auckland University in New Zealand.

He has supervised dozens of graduate (MA/MFA) theses in directing, screenwriting, producing and non-fiction, including some award-winning student projects that were recognized at Sundance, Show Me Shorts, Berlinale Talent Campus, the Venice College, Taipei Golden Horse Labs, NZFC, Unishorts and the New Zealand International Film Festival.

University classes he's taught at the undergraduate and graduate level include Visual Storytelling, Production Management, Screenwriting, Advanced Directing, Advanced Project Seminar, Directing Performance for Screen, 16mm Film Production, Observational Drawing, World Cinema, American Cinema, and Russian Cinema among others. He has organized public speaker events, film series and workshops with guests including Werner Herzog, Jane Campion, Richard Linklater, Dennis Hopper, Andrew Bujalski, and Kelly Reichardt, among many other dozens of industry professionals (ADs, editors, writers, producers) and independent artists.

 He has been invited to consult, speak, teach and mentor internationally including at Cal Arts, RISD, AFTRS (Sydney), Central Academy of Fine Arts (Beijing), China Film Archive, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Bard College, Belaggio Research and Conference Center, University of Virginia, Beijing Film Academy, Museum of Contemporary Art (Warsaw), Advanced Director's Course (Moscow), Park Road Post (Wellington), Melbourne Accelerator Panel, South Auckland Writer's Lab, Big Screen Symposium (NZ), Toi Whakaari and others.

 Valorie Quarles has worked as a filmmaker and educator for more than three decades. She has spent her career focusing on bringing diversely talented individuals together and creating cohesive production teams to serve stories that matter. 

Her love of storytelling stems from an undergraduate degree in English and teaching creative writing. Here, she also discovered the power of film when asking her students to develop their short stories into films. This led her to pursue an MFA in Motion Pictures from Florida State University. After graduation, she started a non-profit film company where she wrote and produced projects for the educational market and received grants from the Florida Department of Cultural Affairs to do so. 

Valorie relocated to Nashville where she continued to write, direct and produce projects. For her work, she received grants and recognitions from the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Southern Arts Council and film festivals. As a leader in the film community, she served as the president of the Nashville Film Festival and a guest speaker for film festivals, universities and conferences. Furthermore, she had the opportunity to serve as the unit production manager on the distributed faith-based feature film Love Again. 

Valorie has taught both undergraduate and graduate students at the Watkins College of Art and Lipscomb University. Her current work at Belmont allows her to mentor students to create quality motion pictures that lead students to meaningful and successful careers. 

She is a member of Women in Film and Television, Catholics for the Creative Arts, the University of Film and Video Association and an ongoing volunteer for the Nashville Film Festival. This allows her to collaborate with other creatives and to remain current with industry trends. 

Valorie enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and their dog, traveling and learning about other cultures, and pursuing her interests in adoption advocacy. She is active in her church which directs her moral compass in her personal and professional life. 

Nancy McGuire Roche grew up on a family farm in Western Kentucky and now lives in an historic house in East Nashville. Film is both her passion and her profession. She holds a Ph.D. in English with Concentrations in Film Studies and American Literature 1930-Present from Middle Tennessee

State University, as well as a B.S. degree from Vanderbilt University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Brown University. Her academic awards include The Arnstark and Rome Prizes for Poetry and the Feldman and Harris Awards for Fiction, while at Brown, and a Provost Writing Fellowship from MTSU. She has been a university professor for almost two decades and has taught film studies for twelve years.  

Dr. Roche specializes in film genres, Women in Film, Cinemas of the 1960s, and American Independent Film, with an emphasis on culture studies, narrative, and gender and identity performance. Her recent publications include a chapter in Modern American Drama on Screen from Cambridge University Press and the book Conversations with Edmund White from

University Press of Mississippi. A chapter on Mike Nichols in The Other Hollywood Renaissance and her book Cinema in Revolt: Censorship Reform in 1960s British and American Film are both forthcoming from Edinburgh University Press. She also writes the column “Film Beat” for the East Nashvillian Magazine. Her passions include travel, gardening, yoga, and challenging herself to see how many movies she can view at the Belcourt Theatre in one week.

A graduate of The New England School of Photography, Lawrence's in depth knowledge of technical photography - color and black & white - gave him the experience to work as Quality Control Engineer for Pako Photo Labs Inc., a world wide photo processing corporation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Utilizing his second major, Documentary Photography, he continued to build a strong resume while working freelance for two years as a 16mm news film Cinematographer / Editor with the NBC and ABC affiliates in Bangor, Maine.

After accepting a staff position at the ABC affiliate, his skills in studio lighting became evident as he designed and implemented lighting for live news programs as well as studio and remote television programs. In less than a year, he was directing live News and live and taped Entertainment programming.

In 1979, his move to Nashville began a long successful career as a Director / D.P. / Operator with the area's largest film and video production company. In two years he was promoted to Vice President in charge of Production while still involved as Director / D.P. on countless national and regional commercials and over 100 music videos. His work included 35 and 16mm film and video tape.

In 1992, his decision to free-lance as an independent was well received coast to coast.

As his experience grew, so did the demand for his talents. Lawrence has had the privilege to shoot feature film projects and programming for HBO, Cinemax, NBC, CBS as well as other major cable networks. Special projects have required his skills in a variety of locations such as Italy, Austria, England, Ireland, Taiwan, Mexico and Canada.

His feature film, TV programming and commercial work has been viewed around the globe.

After twenty years in the industry, Lawrence has developed a reputation for delivering quality and creative vision. Whether the project is a feature film, prime-time network special, syndicated television series, commercial or music video, he is committed to the philosophy of providing excellence and innovation to his clients.

From initial extensive technical preparation through wrap, Lawrence places a trademark emphasis on integrity and a thoughtful approach to theory, lighting design and craftsmanship for each project. The execution of compelling, intelligent, state-of-the-art direction and cinematography is a constant goal. His award winning work is the result of meticulous planning, attention to detail and singular vision which ensure the creative technical and visual excellence his clients have come to expect.

Today, his award winning performances continue while he appreciates the honor of being, “a person you enjoy working with.”

More importantly, it is his honor and privilege to have the opportunity to share his vast experience and expertise with the new generation of future filmmakers attending Belmont University.

PT Gazell’s working career is a study in two disciplines. He has logged over 20 years as a location audio engineer, a post production engineer and sound designer. He also has a solo music career as a jazz and swing harmonica instrumentalist that includes 7 solo releases and spans a 25 year period.

His film industry credits include postproduction SFX editing and Foley work on successful indie features including FIREPROOF, COURAGEOUS and WAR ROOM. For a decade, he was lead sound designer and mixer for in excess of 300 commercial spots per year for Armed Forces Radio and TV. Other credits include Blue Cross Blue Shield, O’Charley's, Vanderbilt Hospital and Tennessee Department of Tourism.

ADR credits include “Double Jeopardy,” and “Second Chance.”

From the early days of his career, his musical credits include extensive touring and Gold Records with Johnny Paycheck and Mel McDaniel. Studio work on jingles and CDs for artists including Jerry Douglas and Christian music producer and artist Mike Waldron. More recently, two of his 7 solo CD’s, “2 Days Out” & “A Madness To The Method,” were in the initial round of Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Engineered Album - Non Classical.

Gazell owns golf clubs and is punctual for his tee times. In addition, no one has ever been emotionally injured during one of his rounds of golf.

Starting piano at age 6, songwriting at 10, and guitar at 12, Lisa was blessed with musical gifts at a young age. Knowing that she, “wanted to make people feel the things I felt when I heard great music,” led her to songwriting, then composing. After graduating from the University of Miami School of Music with a bachelor’s degree in Music and a minor in Electrical Engineering, Lisa moved to Los Angeles and began her career in the Television & Film industry.

In a career spanning almost 30 years, Lisa has written music for TV and film (both score and songs), and worked as a music supervisor and music editor. Her experience has given her a unique understanding of how music pairs with picture from many perspectives.

Some of Lisa’s credits include Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Two Guys Talking About Girls, ER, Criminal Minds, Against The Tide, Finding Carter, and Justified, to name a few. She has received 16 Golden Reel Award nominations and won twice. Outside of TV and film, her band, Twist Of Faith, has produced two records and toured across the country.

In teaching Music Supervision and Music Editing, Lisa’s mission is to develop in her students an understanding of the practical aspects of these positions and the powerful role of music in film and television.

William Lowery has 20 years experience at the highest level as a consultant and sales agent in the global entertainment space.

He is founder and chief operator at Brigade Media Capital as well as the sitting chairman of the Tennessee State Entertainment Commission.

BMC financed three feature films in 2021 and owns or consults for a roster of entertainment ventures that include Blockchain Creative Labs, Fivestone Studios, FarmJournal and AtoZ Sports network.

After initially enrolling at Yale University, Lowery transferred to, and graduated from, Vanderbilt where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and was a varsity football letterman and contributing writer to the Vanderbilt student newspaper and various alumni magazines.

During his 20 career as a film finance strategist, most recently at William Morris Endeavor, he has represented over a hundred film and television transactions for development, finance and/or acquisitions at various film studios and networks.

In 2016, Lowery relocated to Nashville as a Senior Associate for Endeavor Content. As the sole advisor in the Nashville office, primary responsibilities included consulting for the Endeavor asset base on strategic opportunities for sales and content creation in the entertainment space. These assets include William Morris Endeavor and IMG’s talent, sports, music and production departments with a unique focus on culturally middle-American assets.

Lowery sits on the board for the Nashville Film Festival and is a mentor at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. In 2019, he participated in Nashville’s “Music City Rumble on the Row” charity boxing event. He is an Eagle Scout.

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Will Lowery Joins Endeavor Content