team

WRITER-DIRECTOR-PRODUCER
​Autumn McAlpin

​A graduate of USC’s Master of Professional Writing program, AUTUMN McALPIN is a filmmaker and owner of Side Gig Productions. She recently co-wrote and produced the feature film, Waffle Street, starring James Lafferty and Danny Glover, which won several awards on the festival circuit and is now available worldwide on Netflix, DVD and VOD. She has also directed two award-winning short films, PSA campaigns, and has two other feature films in development.
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The former actress and model is the author of Real World 101: A Survival Guide to Life After High School, and Autumn worked for several years as a columnist for The Orange County Register, writing about the chaos and conundrums of life as a mother of four. Beyond creative storytelling, Autumn runs the nonprofit Aspire Higher, which connects south Orange County families to volunteerism causes, and she actively supports Operation Underground Railroad and Welcome Inn.

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Producer
​Deanna cooper

DEANNA "DE" COOPER is an award-winning producer with over twenty years experience in the film industry, including time as a Senior Executive at both Twentieth Century Fox Studio and New Line Cinemas.  She has produced six independent films and an Emmy award-winning commercial.

As a studio executive, De generated title-specific estimates on films such as TITANIC, X-MEN, THIN RED LINE and ICE AGE, while handling financial modeling, contract negotiations, marketing and estimate analysis for both in-house productions and acquisitions.  Her past producing projects include:  I HEART SHAKEY in 3D (2012), distributed by Entertainment One and awarded the Dove Foundation's "Family Approved" seal; THE PAINTER (2013), distributed by PBS and screened in academy-qualifying festivals around the world, PRECIOUS METTLE (2015), starring Paul Sorvino, and the animated film THE GO CART (2016), which is currently on the festival circuit.

In 2015, De formed Elston Films with Emmy Award-winning actor/ producer Billy Dec. In their first collaboration, the team won an Emmy for their Rockit Relaunch video. Under the Elston Films banner, De acquired the Black List script BURY THE LEAD which is slated for 2018 production.

De received her MBA in Finance from the University of Connecticut and is an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago in the Masters of Fine Arts and Cinema Art + Sciences undergraduate programs.