Creativity in Captivity

An award-winning foley artist at Skywalker Sound that has created and performed foley sound effects for over two hundred live action and animated films and TV series including such projects as Top Gun: Maverick, Jurrasic World Rebirth, F1, The Mandalorian, Andor, Toy Story 4, Inside Out 2 and Soul.   Her favorite projects include Black Panther:  Wakanda Forever and The Black Panther, Pixar’s Lightyear andTurning Red, Disney’s Encanto and Raya and the Last Dragon, and Glass Onion:  A Knives Out Mystery.  For a full list of credits, visit IMBD. Shelley has designed and conducted in-person and virtual foley presentations and workshops for college students to help them learn to listen, invent, and problem solve through the art of foley.  Roden has also led workshops for high school, elementary school, and at-risk youth and is actively mentoring two young foley artists. She is in the process of writing a non-fiction book featuring personal interviews with veteran foley artists.

An Academy-Award nominated, screenwriter, director and animator who co-wrote and co-directed the Pixar film Up in which he voiced the characters Dug and Alpha.  Prior to coming to Pixar, he wrote and illustrated the comic strip Loco Motives while attending Purdue.  He worked at Wavefront Technologies and Rezn8 Productions as a technical director and when hired by Pixar he started as an animator for commercials, then became an animator on Toy Story.  Peterson was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay for Finding Nemo. He also a voice actor that has provided the voices of Roz in Monsters, Inc., Mr. Ray in Finding Nemo,  as well as the Janitor in Toy Story 3. He also plays the voice of Chick Hicks in Cars 3 replacing Michael Keaton.  Bob serves as the narrator in the Finding Dory read-along book. Bob Peterson went on to write and direct  10 episodes of Forky Asks a Question, Dug Days and Carl’s Date.

A professional fine art photographer based in Austin, Texas, Candice is driven by the allure of the unseen and the enigmatic. Her work delves into the mysteries that lie beyond the veil, exploring the world through a metaphysical lens. Utilizing diverse mediums such as water, glass, mirrors, and fabric, she strives to create ethereal and moody imagery that evokes a sense of otherworldliness. These elements allow her to play with light and reflection, creating a visual narrative that transcends the ordinary. Her art seeks to uncover the depths of the human soul, journeying through various realms to bring the subconscious self to the surface. Each photograph is an invitation to step into a dreamlike state, where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur, revealing the profound connections between our inner and outer worlds. Through her photography, Candice aims to offer a glimpse into the intangible, inviting viewers to explore the mysteries that reside within and beyond.

Owen is the world record holder for the longest hang gliding flight out-and-return of 222 miles in Owens Valley, CA.  He has been selected to be a member of the US Men’s hang gliding team to compete in the World Championships this July in Ager, Spain. Owen is also member of the comedy juggling duo The Passing Zone with his partner Jon Wee. They began their professional journey by winning the Gold Medal at the International Jugglers' Association Championships. This lead to their television debut on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and and appearance in The Addams Family Movie, where they doubled for Raul Julia and Christopher Lloyd.  They have performed at the Royal Variety Performance in London for Prince Charles, on the Miss America Pageant, and at The White House. They were finalists on America’s Got Talent, made appearances on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Hell’s Kitchen, and regular spots on NBC’s Today, as well as providing on-air commentary for ESPN’s World Juggling Federation Competitions. 

A 30-year working actor and respected acting coach that has played roles in films directed by Mel Brooks, Clint Eastwood, the Coen Brothers, and Woody Allen. Gregg starred in the films Revenge of the Nerds 3 and 4 and served as the spokesman “Dan the Del Taco Guy” for six years with 58 commercials. He portrayed Don Knotts in the NBC movie of week Behind the Scenes of Three’s Company. Later, he was cast as Kenny James in the NBC show My Name is Earl. Two years later he was cast as Barney Hughes on Raising Hope on Fox for 71 episodes. Recently, Gregg directed shows for Pure Flix including Hitting the Breaks, Malibu Dan and The Beverlys. His more recent acting credits include guest starring roles on NCIS: Los Angeles, Young Sheldon and NCIS. In 2017 he founded Gregg Binkley’s “Working Actors Workshop.” In 2024 he released the inspirational book Get Your Act Together: Finding Success in Acting and Life.

A pair of New York City based playwrights & performers that create absurdist physical theatre and clown content.  This two-person theatre company is a three time consecutive recipient of the prestigious Fringe First Award for Outstanding New Writing for their plays "And Then The Rodeo Burned Down" (2022), "What If They Ate The Baby?" (2023), and “A Letter To Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First” (2024) at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Xhloe and Natasha have been called “the most promising young theatre-makers to emerge from Edinburgh in recent years” by Everything Theatre and “The most compelling performers on the fringe” by Scotsman Theatre Editor, Joyce Mcmillan. They’ve also been called “broke,” and “desperate” by many others.  Pay close attention to these names and faces as they rise through the theatrical ranks. 

The founder of TheOnion.com, a best-selling author with over 30 published books including the million-copy #1 bestseller Our Dumb Century, and a creative catalyst and coach. In his 20s, he created the comic strip Jim’s Journal, which ran in over 100 college newspapers and spawned a self-published book collection that made the New York Times bestseller list. He helped create The Onion and led it from small college newspaper to internationally known humor brand. He founded The AV Club. He won the Thurber Prize for American Humor and a Peabody Award.  Scott has authored over 30 books,. Entertainment Weekly placed him on their “It List” of the top 100 entertainers in Hollywood. He amassed millions of social media fans, performed on Saturday Night Live and on stages around the world. His video shorts are viral hits online with millions of views. He founded How to Write Funny in 2014 in partnership with the Second City training center in Chicago, sharing his signature method for unleashing creativity and writing humor. His students have gone on to win Emmys, Grammys, and Oscars.

A bestselling writer, public speaker, gender equality advocate, cofounder of the acclaimed Iceland Writers Retreat and former first lady of Iceland. She was born and raised in Canada but has lived in Iceland for over twenty years. Eliza’s first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland’s Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World, was an instant bestseller in Canada and Iceland, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Pick, and translated into numerous languages. Her first novel, an Iceland-set mystery called Death on the Island (Death of a Diplomat in Europe), is now available worldwide. From 2016 to 2024, Eliza served in the unofficial role of First Lady while her husband was President of Iceland, during which time she served as patron of numerous organizations and was named a United Nations Special Ambassador for Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals. Passionate about inclusion, belonging, and equality, she wielded her influence through poignant op-eds, a compelling TEDx talk, and dozens of keynote addresses to audiences of hundreds around the world, including presidents and royalty. Eliza has degrees from the University of Toronto (Trinity College) and Oxford University (St. Antony’s College). She lives in the outskirts of Reykjavík with her husband and four children.

An Internationally acclaimed visual variety artist from Adelaide, Australia who excels in humor, magic, ventriloquism, and physical comedy. His hand shadow act has been seen by over 5 million people world-wide. Raymond’s beguiling bewitchery has delighted audiences on Broadway, the Royal Variety Performance, the Sydney Opera House and the London Palladium, to name just a few. You might also recognize him from appearances on both Australia’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent. 

A singer-songwriter and former frontman of The Ugly Americans and The Scabs, Bob Schneider is one of the most-celebrated musicians in Austin. Combining diverse styles, Schneider’s music spans genres, blending elements of folk, rock, rap, funk, bluegrass, reggae and country with the more traditional singer/songwriter aesthetic. Schneider has won more than 59 Austin Music Awards including: Best Album, Best Songwriter, Best Musician, and Best Male Vocals making him the most decorated artist in Austin’s music history. He started gaining national recognition with his major-label debut Lonelyland. A fiercely-independent artist, Schneider opted to start his own label, Shockorama Records, which has afforded him the freedom to make the music his fans love, on his own terms. Schneider’s live performances, both solo and with the band, are legendary. He has two appearances on the Austin City Limits television show and is also in the 20th year of his residency at The Saxon Pub. Bob is also an accomplished visual artist who transforms found visual media into thought-provoking works of art that challenge the viewer's perceptions of contemporary and popular culture. He juxtaposes iconic figures from comic books and other mass media and places them in everyday situations, leaving the viewer to interpret the meaning of the artwork. By appropriating old and valuable books, often intended for mass consumer consumption, Schneider creates something unique and personal for each viewer.