First Light Logo

Mr. Tom Russell had his lovely wife (and my longtime friend) Courtney (Schieber) Russell enlisted me to work a mark up for a startup movie production company, First Light Productions.

Tom, professor of cinematography at Brigham Young University, filmmaker, and ex-ad exec, is an absolute riot. As evidence, checkout Napolean Dynomite. I swear, on all that is good and right in the world, that when I saw the movie I turned to my wife in the musty darkness of a dollar theater in Bako and whispered, “Holy guacamolé! That has to be directed by Tom.” I was close. Some of his students put the cult classic together, but Tom's influence was impossible to miss.

Tom, if he were Hawkeye Pierce, would have as his Trapper John McIntyre role filled by Bill Nelson. The two, along with cousin Steve Gabbitas, have worked on a gagillion projects over the years with the full-length dramatic comedy, Mr. Dungbettle as their fractured-family jewel.

First Light can either be one of two things: 1. The big bang that brought you all to my blog, or 2. The first star a new telescope is trained upon. Either way, the metaphor is spot-on for what the production company is trying to do: Get young directors and writers funding to realize their digital movie making dreams.

Tom, Courtney (Bill and Steve), you light up my life.