Faculty Directory

Liz Fania Werner

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MFA in TV and Screenwriting, USC
Liz Fania Werner, originally from the Bronx, NY, got her MFA in TV and Screenwriting from USC where she earned an Annenberg Fellowship. She went on to write on television drama RPM MIAMI for Mun2 network, a member of the NBC/Universal family; to develop the feature adaptation of the novel Babylon Sisters by Oprah Book Club author Pearl Cleage and to pen a biopic about WNBA player Abby Bishop for Sentient Entertainment. “Into the Uncanny Valley,” the award-winning short film that she wrote and co-directed with Carlos Montaner, was featured in 11 film festivals, including L.A.’s Screamfest and HBO’s New York Latino Film Festival. Most recently, she wrote and co-directed her first feature film, WAKING KARMA, a psychological thriller starring Michael Madsen, distributed by XYZ Films. For the Screenwriting Department in LA, she teaches Thesis Workshops, Feature Workshops, Story Generation, Character Workshop, Adaptation, Script To Screen, and Genre Studies.

Naomi White

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Naomi White is a feminist, artist, activist, and educator invested in ideas at the intersection of political ecology and photography. She is the winner of PDN’s Objects of Desire award and has exhibited throughout North America and Europe, including the Center for Creative Photography, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, GE World Headquarters; CAMP Gallery, Scope Miami, and Photo LA. She has been awarded residencies at Jentel Arts and Artist Residencies in Motherhood.

Her work has been published in PDN, The Brooklyn Rail, Uncertain States, and On Art & Aesthetics. White holds an MFA in Photography and Related Media from SVA in New York, and a BA in English Literature from San Francisco State.

Mike Williamson

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MFA in Cinematography, AFI. Award-winning cinematographer living in Los Angeles. Shot four independent feature films, including “Bilal’s Stand”, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. Photographed TV & web series including “30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust” for Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures. Additional credits as gaffer on independent features, shorts and commercials.

Danielle Wolff

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MFA in Screenwriting, UCLA
Danielle Wolff is a writer of fiction, stage, and screen. Her credits include animated work (Kyle XY Continuum, Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers Assemble, Marvel Rising, Tarzan and Jane) and live action work (Wicked Wicked Games with Tatum O’Neal, and American Heiress). Her stage credits include Weightless, and she wrote the radio play Huntsville (broadcast on NPR). Wolff’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in publications such as the Chiron Review and Popcorn Fiction, and she recently published her debut Her Story collection, Mass Ave. For the Screenwriting Department in LA, she teaches TV Workshops, Playwriting, and Story Generation.

Natasha Wolfgang

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MFA, American Film Institute. Natasha is an artist, both traditional and digital. She started her career as a costume designer, and worked on period films in Europe. After moving to the US, she continued work in New York’s Off-Broadway theater scene. Natasha has also worked on shorts and features in various art department positions and has several years of experience working as an interior designer.

John Zuur Platten

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John is a creative director at Google’s Niantic Labs which makes Pokemon Go and Ingress. He is co-author of the acclaimed book The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design. He has extensive experience in the game industry and film industry. John was a producer on the Sega CDs Ground Zero Texas and Double Switch. As a result of his relationship with Sega, John designed, produced and wrote the highly successful Sega CD Tomcat Alley. John’s work as designer, writer and producer on Johnny Mnemonic for Sony Imagesoft lead to an overall production agreement with Propaganda Code, during which he developed several titles for Philips Media. His many other game projects include The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, (Xbox, PC), I am Alive (Xbox, PS3, PC), Scooby-Doo 2005, Constantine, Red Ninja and Taxi Driver.