Our Team
Adele Shepherd: Founder
A professional ballerina for most her life, Adele (the Metal Swan Queen herself) burst into Hollywood, finding early success in major shows, movies and shorts; from Star Trek: Picard, to the My Chemical Romance short film ‘A Summoning’.
Her experience on these sets inspired her to put ballet themes to film. While working on a few self-produced projects, she found her voice by mixing her metalhead roots with her passion for pointe.
“Music drives my projects direction first, just like dance”
Justin Reich: Director of Photography
While he was still in the servitude of Black Label Society and Zakk Wylde’s minions, MSQ Productions were able to steal Justin away and use his alchemy for our devious purposes.
Reich has worked with an impressive lineup of headbangers in the Southeast and beyond. He embraces the weird and makes whatever he touches metal AF.
We HAD to enlist this Midas of Metal, and are forever grateful that he helped get this crazy train rolling.
Thayne Jongeward: Director of Photography & Photographer
Everyone needs a Viking on their team. As luck would have it, we didn’t have to look hard. Thayne has been Adele Shepherd’s personal photographer, and of course closest friend, since the beginning of her career; documenting her life’s work through his lens.
He has had a hand in nearly all of her self-produced projects. His background in film photography (and shared experience growing up in the same small town as Adele) give an immediacy and rawness to his portraiture, while his constant travels mean he’s always finding some new layer to add to the mix.
Tony Collins: Camera (and Smooth) Operator
Don’t let the photo fool you. As much as this man doesn’t take MOST things too seriously; tracking, pulling focus, and getting the right shots is always done with meticulous intent.
We were lucky enough to get a hold of him through Justin Reich. Turns out, they’re sort of a big deal. We’re talking Dynamic Duo, Dream Team, Wonder Twins, Bandit and Snowman, etc. When hes not running a marathon to keep up with the dance sequences using just a handheld, he has a great foodie account to follow. Plating is also pretty metal y’all.
Scott Crain: Writer & Director
Scott’s acclaimed short, ‘Hair of The Dog’, was Adele’s first-ever speaking role, and the beginning of their creative collaboration.
His ability to write darkness into anything light, while making you laugh as you overthink your life choices is a vexing gift. This blessing/curse has led to extensive credits in film, and he’s just getting started. If it’s sexy, scary, or both, Scott’s all about it. Clearly the horrors of ballet were a draw for him.
He is currently writing our first feature, ‘The Red Shoes’. (Yes THAT ‘The Red Shoes’). This means he is currently learning to play violin for inspiration because…well, writers. He assures us he will finish it this winter while he is in residence at the Overlook Hotel in Colorado….
