Milena Merrill
New Orleans, LA | Box Canyon, CA | Florence, Italy
T 985.789.7082 F 985.727.0084 milena_merrill@yahoo.com

Employment History

Advance Internet, LLC | January 2006 – present
North Shore Bureau Chief | Content & Community Strategist

• Responsible for production, execution and packaging content for Nola.com by integrating Times-Picayune reports, wire reports with video, audio, live chats and community-originating blogs.
• Responsible creating and managing relationship with bulk of site’s content creators (i.e, WWOZ, Levees.org and multiple communities of interest).
• Write, edit and produce multimedia content for site.
• Create and produce special project for multimedia (i.e., 13 episodes of the Prep Gridiron Report that aired on WLAE and on demand at Nola.com).
• Mentor mass communications students in conjunction with Nola.com internship I established at SELU and other local universities.

St.Tammany.com | March 2005 – December 2005
Reporter | Producer

• General assignment reporter and multimedia producer for fledgling local on-line news site that was undercapitalized and short-lived prior to joining Nola.com

Isis Films, LLC | 1992-2006
Executive Producer

• Developed, produced and distributed a handful of feature length motion pictures including award-winning Other Voice, Sterling Chase (a/k/a Graduation Week) and Mel which continue to air on HBO.
• Produced and guest hosted 13 episodes of Prep Gridiron Report that aired on primetime on WLAE and is available on demand at Nola.com.

Redwood Communications, LLC (and successor company, BlueVision Media, LLC) 228 Main Street, Venice, CA | 1993 – 2001 | Executive Vice President

• Instrumental in raising initial capital for both companies and in acquisition of documentary, film and episodic properties for global distribution in all markets and media.
• Produced multiple feature films for company. (See www.imdb.com for filmography)
• Performed duties of chief operating officer of company with primary responsibility in creating strategic alliance, co-production partnership and global output licensing deals

Summary of earlier employment:

Mass Communications | Chief financial writer, The Hollywood Reporter; general assignment reporter, Daily News (Los Angeles); contributing writer, Billboard Magazine and summer replacement at United Press International (Los Angeles).

Media/Entertainment | Vice President, Distribution, Omega Entertainment from 1987 through 1991, responsible for licensing library of 200+ feature films, documentaries and episodic programs to theatrical, cable and television outlets throughout the world. Responsible for creation of trailers and all marketing materials for library as well as organization of company’s attendance at the American Film Market, NAPTE, Cannes Film Festival and other similar events.

Lecturer and educator at multiple universities in California and Louisiana in the fields of independent production, global distribution and convergence media.

Education:

B.A., Mass Communications, California State University at Los Angeles
Minor, Political Science 3.74 GPA

Universita di Firenze, Sorbonne University

Languages:

Fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, Serbo-Croatian. Conversant in Portuguese.

Special Skills:

• Producer | Director | Editor
• Documentarian | Journalist
• Videographer
• Post-production supervisor
• Writer
• Global distribution expert
• Versed in convergence media, SEO, multi-media packaging

Affiliations:

Sigma Delta Chi, Society of Professional Journalists; New Orleans Press Club, Louisiana Press Association, NAPTE