Joanne Shen

Co-Producer

Joanne came to Crude Impact in mid-2005 and became a key part of the team. Joanne’s experience in filmmaking was invaluable, as was her tremendous work ethic.

Among Joanne’s many credits are the film King of Kowloon, a half-hour documentary about a crippled Cantonese graffiti artist, which she co-directed and co-produced and which won the Distinguished Award at the Hong Kong Independent Film and Video Awards. She also produced and directed Cricket Outta Compton, a half-hour documentary about an American cricket team. The film won first prize in the Black Maria Film Festival.

Joanne is a graduate of Princeton University where she received her bachelor’s degree in English literature. After working as a journalist in China and Hong Kong, Joanne completed a two-year program in documentary filmmaking at Stanford University.

Jennifer Jandak Wood

Co-producer

Jennifer Jandak Wood is the wife of the director and was instrumental in the creation of the film. She was the driving force behind the rainforest trip that inspired the making of Crude Impact. Jennifer was a key participant in the making of the documentary, attending many of the filming sessions, providing creative ideas, logistical support, research and much more. The title, Crude Impact, came from Jennifer.

Jennifer is a member of the board of directors of Search for Common Ground, the largest conflict transformation organization in the world, and a member of the board of directors of the Nezta Project, an organization promoting equal access to education in Mexico. She is also active with The Pachamama Alliance, YouthGive, and other social profit organizations.

She is a graduate of Smith College, where she earned a degree in Biology. She subsequently received her Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering from Brown University. Jennifer worked for over fifteen years in the medical device industry. She holds more than a dozen patents for devices used in both brain and heart surgery.

Steve Michelson

Executive Producer

Steve Michelson was Executive Producer of Oil on Ice, an award winning film which presents the beauty and grandeur of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge against the political backdrop of oil exploration and development, and its impact upon Alaska natives and the land. Steve’s work on Crude Impact is a continuation of his involvement in social issues arising from oil extraction and use.

In 2006, Steve launched Specialty Studios, a distribution service that handles all aspects of distribution for documentary projects including traditional, specialty, broadband and video on demand (VOD).

In 2001 he opened the Studio at Lobitos Creek Ranch, which offers video and digital media production, including development, co-production, editing, animation, DVD, web-enabled DVD, and multimedia design and authoring.

Steve was founder and president of One Pass, Inc. (1975-87), San Francisco’s largest production and post- production studio. He is a recipient of the Gilbert Award for outstanding contribution to Northern California’s film community and is a former board member of Film Arts Foundation, the country’s largest regional organization of independent producers. He has served four terms as a Governor with the National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

Steve is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he attended The Annenberg School of Communications and the Wharton School of Business.

Emily Perez

Associate Producer

Emily Perez came to Crude Impact in January 2007. She manages communications, film screenings, DVD distribution, the web site and more.

Emily is originally from Berkeley, California. For the past few years she has worked in educational publishing in New York City. A desire for more opportunities in film led her to return to California.

Emily is a graduate of Princeton University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature.