JASON JUDE HILL
MANAGING producer
Originally from the tree-filled state of Michigan, Jason comes from a deep background of theater arts and producing. Always the "drama club kid", he was usually found painting sets, looking for props and costumes and trying to solve logistical "talent" issues…little did he know he was producing all along. Colleagues have described him as a "master communicator" as well as an "organizational task-masker" with a talent for discovering issues before they happen (huge proponent of running orders).
Notary Public
Superhost on AirBNB
His hobbies include cooking, cocktails, and heavy sarcasm.
DANIEL SEARS
CREATIVE pRODUCER
Raised on re-runs and mail-order VHS tapes of classic TV shows, Daniel has always relied on classic entertainment tropes for his work, constantly seeking out how to make them work in a 21st Century format. He’s also a veteran director/producer from the Chicago storefront theatre scene, and an escapee from agency broadcast advertisingland. Maybe it’s because of the time he was moved to the back row in that production of “Brigadoon”, but he’s always championed those struggling to be heard and balked at the expected and the conventional.
He has a strong dislike of Butter Pecan ice cream.
It took 21 years for him to convince Jason to use an
Oxford Comma.
OUR STORY: When we met during a production meeting at a small, storefront theater back in Chicago, neither of us could have guessed where we would end up. Certainly not as a husband-husband-duo of creative producers whose body of work runs the gamut from high-quality, bite-sized podcasts to corporate videos charting the food buying habits of cat owners. Our move to New York was spurred by a desire to open GrumpyFILMS, inc, our very own boutique production company. GFs has allowed us, for over 12 years now, to work on way too many projects to list in a variety of media. And all the while we’ve been refining our ethos: to seek out unique voices from under-represented segments of the community who are creating something different, surprising, and delightful in their chosen genre. GrumpyFILMS has now morphed into Grumpy Entertainment - an all-encompassing company that allows us to keep developing projects for digital media, longform narrative, and (to flex old muscles) exciting and special live performance. At the forefront of this live work is our critically-acclaimed, modern salon revue, "RSVP". Folks often ask how we’ve been able to work as producing partners while remaining happily husbanded. We’re not sure, but we’re grateful for the trip so far, and look forward with joy to what comes next