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Cast / Crew / Characters 
Monica Surrena (Writer/Director)Monica, like her characters, is from the back woods of Western PA. Growing up, she was too young to drink, too small to cow tip, and didn't own a tractor. With neighbors few and far between, she had to rely a lot on her imagination for entertainment. When she graduated high school and went to college, she continued to explore, embracing art, literature, and music. At the University of Pittsburgh she focused her efforts on film studies, film production, and graphic arts as well as literature and ancient language. In 2005, she joined the production program at the University of Southern California where she has performed a multitude of roles including writing, producing, directing, cinematography, editing, production design, and casting. Though her true heart lies with writing and directing, she understands and appreciates the importance of every role and what it takes to achieve a successful film. Melanie Wagor (Producer)Melanie was born in Long Island, New York and since moving to Los Angeles in 2003, she has worked as an Assistant Director, Unit Production Manager, Producer, and Director. The short film Golden Afternoon, which she directed, received the Wonderland Award in 2007, awarded by the heirs of Lewis Carroll. She produced BROWN, a film directed by Chris Groban, which screened at USC's First Look Festival as well as the DGA in March of2008. While working closely with Dylan Reynolds, she was the Producer and Unit Production Manager on the multi award winning feature film Chain Link 2007. Wanna Be Me! the 2008 television pilot Melanie assistant directed premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2009. Melanie graduated magna cum laude from USC School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angles, with a concentration in Production and Screenwriting in December of 2008. She is currently working as a Line ProducerlUnit Production Manager on the television pilot The Genesis Files 2009. And will soon join the team of Producer Simon Johnson and Director Steven Monroe moving into pre-production on the feature film Love and the Texas Sky 2010, shooting on location in Austin, Texas.
Tess Ortbals (Producer)Tess began her love affair with the arts at the age of 10 as a child actress. From commercials to the stage, all aspects of performance captivated her. She excelled in school with numerous leadership positions along with several distinguished awards in theater, history, and writing. Excited not only to participate in both academic and performance-based showcases and competitions, she also organized them. She focused her studies in ancient storytelling and mythology, obtaining her BA at UC Berkeley where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Anthropology, emphasis in Archaeology. In 2004 she continued her education outside University walls by studying underwater excavation techniques in Sicily and as the Staff Photographer of the Tel Dor Archaeological Expedition in Israel unearthing a Roman palace from 200 AD. She specializes in Near Eastern marine cultures of the early to late Bronze Age. Tess has won filmmaking competitions and produced award winning short films, music videos and commercials. She has made ethnographic documentaries, delivered award winning public speeches, and shot and developed photographic installations for community awareness. Most recently, she has assisted in training young producers at USC for the past two years.
Rick Drapkin (Director of Photography)Rick has been involved in the film industry his entire life and has worked on many big budget films such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Dark Knight, and Best in Show, as well as television shows, including Medium, True Blood, and Twin Peaks. His commercial work ranges from BMW to Harley-Davidson to Coca-Cola. He is one of the few operators of the Ultimate Arm and is also proficient with underwater and aerial photography. His diverse skills and experience have given him a refined understanding of both light and movement which enabled him to bring Monica's vision of "King of the Road" to celluloid in a creative and masterful way.
JR Burningham
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