Not Your Romeo and Juliet

Sean Gaffney, Writer

Sean Gaffney has authored thirty produced plays, three feature films, four commissioned television pilots, two published chapter books, as well as over two hundred produced videos, animation projects, YouTube series episodes and short films (including for Big Idea, SuperBook, Yake Films, CBN and Globalstage). He was the Story Administrator for Warner Bros. Features, editor of Drama Ministry Magazine, the Managing Director of Taproot Theatre (Seattle) and General Manager of Lamb’s Theatre Company (New York). Gaffney currently is an Associate Professor in Media Communication and Screenwriting at Asbury University, as well as Associate Dean of the School of Communications. He received his B.F.A. from Drake University, his M.F.A. from Columbia University, and studied with Act One: Writing for Hollywood.

See Sean Gaffney’s profile on IMDb. His feature films In-Lawfully Yours and Mary for Mayor are available on Amazon Prime.

Matthew Kistenmacher, Director

Matthew Kistenmacher – hailing from Baltimore, Maryland – holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Fairfield University, is a graduate of the Vancouver Film School and a recent recipient of the M.F.A. in Screenwriting from Asbury University.  

After stints as a dishwasher, journalist, cartographer and film processor, he found himself lighting films in Los Angeles for almost two decades. 

Currently, Matthew fights less traffic by teaching film production and cinematography at the Bluegrass Community & Technical College in beautiful Lexington, Kentucky. He adores his wife and their two greyhounds, his extended family, racehorses, film noir, skiing, cribbage and reading everything from literature to not quite literature. 

Finally, Matthew is very excited to be a part of this summer film project.

See Matthew Kistenmacher’s profile on IMDb.

Phil Jackson, Audio Specialist

Phil Jackson grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to Los Angeles, California, in 2014 to work as a production sound mixer and microphone boom operator. As a union member of IATSE Local 695, he works in scripted episodic television, feature films, documentary filmmaking and broadcast audio production.

He is the Co-founder of COGA Sound, a company that designs products for the sound community.

See Phil Jackson’s profile on IMDb.

Dan Madison graduated from Asbury with a BA in Media Communications in 1998, then again with an MFA in TV & Film Production in 2021.

“I enjoy the process of working on a project from beginning to end with other creative types. I work best in collaboration with others who are willing to go the extra mile to create with top notch productions while maintaining the heart of the project: the story. Specifically, my skill set best fits within the Video Editing and Audio Post-Production phases of video and film production. I’m a musician at heart and enjoy finding the connections between music, editing, and sound design, specifically as it relates to the incorporation of emotion into the decision making process.

“In 2021, when I earned my MFA in TV & Film Production from Asbury University, I was able to revisit some of the core elements of visual storytelling and provided ample opportunity to push beyond my comfort zone, especially as it relates to narrative and documentary story structure. Unexpectedly, it was the writing courses which most sparked my interest on this journey. I hope to further this skillset in the years to come.

“Most of all, I love working as a freelancer. I enjoy the freedoms and challenges it brings to daily life without fear of drowning in too much predictable routine. As a husband and father, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The freedom to deliver high quality projects on time without the boundaries of a 9-5 job allows me to schedule work around what’s most important to me: my family.”

Cooper Boss is an illustrator and storyboard revisionist living in Lexington, KY. Cooper graduated from Asbury in 2022 with a degree in Film & Television Production. For “Not Your Romeo & Juliet,” he is working on the animation credits.

The Not Your Romeo & Juliet cast includes four Asbury University professors, including theatre professor Carol Anderson as supporting character Lynda.

See her profile on IMDb.

The Not Your Romeo & Juliet cast includes four Asbury University professors, including theatre professor Catherine Gaffney as Toni, one of the lead characters.

See her profile on IMDb.

The Not Your Romeo & Juliet cast includes four Asbury University professors, including English professor Chuck Gobin in a supporting role as Chuck the Movie Goer.

The Not Your Romeo & Juliet cast includes four Asbury University professors, including journalism professor Rich Manieri playing the supporting role of Professor Murrow.

The Not Your Romeo & Juliet crew includes three alumni of Asbury University’s graduate programs in communication (in addition to Director Matthew Kistenmacher). One of these alumni is Shannon Callow, who is serving as the Second Assistant Director for this film.

The Not Your Romeo & Juliet crew includes three alumni of Asbury University’s graduate programs in communication (in addition to Director Matthew Kistenmacher). One of these alumni is Seth Conley, who is serving as the First Assistant Director for this film.

The Not Your Romeo & Juliet crew includes three alumni of Asbury University’s graduate programs in communication (in addition to Director Matthew Kistenmacher). One of these alumni is Diane Vermooten, who is serving as the PA for this film.

See her profile on IMDb.