Our Team | GreyHawk Films

Robin Grey
Joanne Hock
Sara Wilfley
Chris Walters
Julia Cody
Heidi Dove
John Disher
Phyllis VanCleave

Robin Grey

CEO/Partner

Robin is a lifelong list maker always wanting to put one more check mark on her list. In fact, her early years were spent checking off her professional bucket list;

Working on Madison Avenue

Working on feature films

Working on TV series

Going to law school at night

VP of Business Affairs for Scholastic Entertainment

Adjunct professor at NYU's Tisch School

COO of R/GA, the agency for the digital age

Producing a feature film

And the list goes on and on. But yet, with Robin's curiosity, intelligence and drive, her list will only continue to expand. Robin's Charlotte resume alone earned her the 2009 Charlotte Business Journal, Women In Business Achievement Award and recognition as a 2012 Business Leader, Top Entrepreneur.

In 2006 Robin met Joanne and floated the idea of a partnership. Joanne has the creativity and technical skill. Robin has a wealth of knowledge in entertainment, finance, film production and a lot of creative opinions. Both saw tremendous opportunities to diversify.

Robin serves as Executive Producer on GreyHawk Film's long form corporate projects and commercials. And with a passion for films, she supervises GreyHawk's day-to-day operations while developing their feature film and television business. She produced Redneck Roots, GreyHawk's first feature film currently winning awards on the film festival circuit, written and directed by her partner, Joanne. Robin is also developing and producing Joanne's award winning screenplay Wednesdays at the Gem, a drama set in the Depression Era South that has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in their prestigious Nicholl Fellowship screenplay contest.

With a commitment to help at risk children, Robin is a volunteer Guardian Ad Litem for the NC courts and serves as Vice Chairman for Arts Empowerment, a non-profit which funds arts programs for victimized children.

One of the most unexpected aspects of Robin is that on paper she sounds "all-business", while the real Robin is accomplished and detail oriented, she is also relaxed, fun and a dog lover with two rescues of her own, 3 great children, and a helpful husband. Need we say more?

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Joanne Hock

Partner/Director/Cinematographer

Joanne's passion for storytelling is figuratively and literally in her blood. Her great grandfather was an actor on the NYC stage. And her grandfather managed a star-studded vaudeville theater for Warner Bros. Both men were on the cutting edge of the industry in their respective eras. Joanne cheerfully carries on the family legacy. She started in film production 30 years ago and has never stopped looking anywhere but forward since.

Joanne is the founding partner of GreyHawk Films and one of several award-winning directors within the company's arsenal. She loves getting behind the camera and lensing and lighting shots, working with talent and crew and putting it all together in post. Her other passion is writing. Her impressive body of film work includes commercials, screenplays, feature films, television series and documentaries.

Over the years Joanne's creative has been recognized by the prestigious New York International Film Festival with the Gold Medal Award for direction as well as the coveted Grand Prize Award.

Currently she is directing commercials, multiple television shows for the Discovery ID Network in the true crime genre, and serving as the director of photography on a new 13 episode series with Dr. Maya Angelou for the Hallmark Channel.

In a world of primidona directors, she is compassionately passionate. And while her days are long, Joanne doesn't consider what she does "work." As long as she is creating and knows that her Scout and Aly are equally as spoiled by the unique GreyHawk culture, Joanne is happily ever after.

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Sara Wilfley

Associate Producer

Sara's career in film, if scripted, would play out as one of those fortuitous accidents in life; the kind that starts by happenstance but turns in to a lifelong adventure. She graduated college with a degree in Journalism & Mass Communication and an overwhelming desire to live in NYC. As luck would have it, the assistant casting director on HBO's Boardwalk Empire left her Uncle's Casting company with only a days notice. A week later, Sara was in NYC casting background performers for one of HBO's hit series. The rest is movie magic.

Today Sara boasts an impressive casting background in both TV and motion pictures. Beyond several critically acclaimed HBO series, she has worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as Get Him to the Greek, The Adjustment Bureau and Men in Black III. She's worked with every level of production crew, helping cast projects of all scopes and sizes.

Skipping ahead in her screenplay, in 2011 Sara decided to rejoin the South and moved back to Charlotte, her 'hometown'. Another fortuitous accident in life, she found a posting on Craigslist (of all places) for a project manager position; two years later she continues to work with the GreyHawk team. Sara has been able to blend her passion for film and her organizational talent with an enjoyable Southern quality-of-life. That life is enriched by her sidekick, Leila, who hasn't missed a day of work since being adopted into the GreyHawk K9 family. Sara diligently manages productions, budgets and client logistics - with Leila never far away. Leila is often seen pushing Sara to the edge of (or off!) her chair so that she can sleep behind her. We are amazed how well Sara can concentrate with Leila snoring.

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Chris Walters

Editor

Chris' fascination with creating started at an early age. Whether it was violin practice or making stop motion films using his toys and a camcorder, he found ways to keep himself entertained. This fascination transformed into passion and eventually, a career. As both a musician and a filmmaker, Chris has found ways to explore both of his creative outlets. He attended college at Western Carolina University, first as a music major, but eventually graduating in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in Motion Picture and Television Production. While still in school, he took an internship with GreyHawk Films (formerly Emulsion Arts). After graduating, he booked his first freelance gig on GreyHawk's feature length film, "Redneck Roots". This led to three years of continued freelance work, ranging from audio to camera to post production. Chris has worked on productions for BBC, Nat Geo, NASCAR, and Raycom Sports and has edited projects for ACC Network, Charlotte Bobcats, Carolina's Healthcare System, Freightliner, and Sunbrella, amongst many others. He continues to write, perform, and produce original music and has recently joined the team at GreyHawk Films. He enjoys disc golfing with his good buddy, Pupperton and looks forward to future opportunities for various forms of creative storytelling.

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Julia Cody

Project Manager

Julia was born in the small town of Sylva, NC. From an early age, she loved going to the theatre to see plays and movies. In high school, she got her first job at the local four-screen movie theatre and learned to build film reels. At 15, she had the opportunity to sit in the green room for SNL and decided at that moment that she wanted to work on films and television. She was part of the first graduating class in the Motion Picture and Television Production major at Western Carolina University. She's been in Charlotte since 2008, working on a little bit of everything, including three seasons on Everyday Edisons, a PBS show, live sporting events, Inside NASCAR, corporate commercials (including Lowes, Husqvarna, Rubbermaid). In her free time, she enjoys gardening, writing and reading. She has a fiancé (Corey), two dogs (Montana and Stewart) and a cat (Lily).

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Heidi Dove

Editor/Cinematographer/Producer/Director

Heidi is not one to stand still in her career, or life. As one insight into her multifaceted personality, Heidi's "passion project" is a documentary detailing her summit to Mount Kilimanjaro. She's outdoorsy, very curious, creative and, in many ways, a real Renaissance woman.

Among her many talents, Heidi is a seasoned voice-over talent and composer of music. In fact she loves music. When asked to describe what drives her, she recites the lyrics of a Barbara Streisand song:

I want to learn what life is for
I don't want much, I just want more
Ask what I want and I will sing
I want everything (everything)

Heidi began her industry journey in 1983, working for companies such as WSOC-TV, INSP the PTL Television Network, her own production company and as a partner of Emulsion Arts. A self-taught talent, she parlayed her knowledge, ambition and creativity into a lengthy career as a Writer, Editor, Producer and Director, While a strong woman who can wear a lot of hats, her directorial sweet spot at GreyHawk is corporate work. She has consistently created and produced award-winning videos for several of the country's largest financial institutions. Of course, it goes without saying that she's a person who cannot be easily typecast. She can do everything while making it all look easy.

Heidi is also very nurturing and loves her dogs, Aly and Scout. And to hear her describe her pooches you have to stop for a minute and wonder if she's describing her pets, or herself: Energetic, Curious, Insatiable. These are all qualities that make Heidi invaluable to GreyHawk and our clients love her.

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John Disher

Editor/Cinematographer/Producer/Director

John's first "Director" position was as the Executive Director of a nonprofit agency where he also oversaw marketing.

But John always had a passion for film production. So it was no surprise when he made the leap. However, before transitioning, John made a promise to himself that philanthropy would continue to be a priority in his work. As a Cameraman, Director and Editor, he has since created powerful and moving stories for documentary and philanthropic projects.

John has been in the production world for more than 18 years now. His inquisitive mind, creativity and respect for others in his field have helped him sharpen his skills. He is a dedicated professional that has a joyful enthusiasm for his craft. And, John's work ethic is second to none. With a watchful eye on all story elements, John works collaboratively with the GreyHawk team to make certain that our films achieve the superior quality we have become known for. In addition, John gets consistent accolades from all of our clients.

John is equally at ease behind the camera as he is behind the editing console. He embraces the belief that editing makes him a better shooter; shooting makes him a better editor. His diverse body of work includes commercials, corporate videos, feature work, television and documentaries. John is an award-winning Director on GreyHawk's roster. His skills and insights into multiple aspects of filmmaking allow him to be conscientious of client' needs, their budgets and subjects while delivering exceptionally high quality films.

Since John's once-feral cat, Jenny B adopted him; John has been a loyal cat owner. But John is, by nature, a dog lover and gets his fix with his canine friends at the GreyHawk studio.

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Phyllis VanCleave

Accounting Manager

In most creative companies, the "bean counter" is the odd one out. However, with a Master's degree in Theatrical Production and Costuming, Phyllis is a rare find.

In her studies at Western Kentucky University, she learned a lot about production - including the fact that she did not want to be on stage. But she could sew and had a definite knack for wardrobe. Phyllis was strongly encouraged to pursue that talent. After college, she was off to the Pennsylvania Stage Company and became an assistant costumer. From there a stitcher with the Boston Ballet. Eventually she expanded her repartee. She's been a script supervisor/continuity for production shoots and an agent with two talent agencies.

So how did this left brained lady transition into a very right-brained career? Crazy things happen when you take some time off to have a child (now two). After her brief hiatus, Phyllis wanted a job but without the unpredictable hours. Of course, she had lots of connections in the industry. She landed a position in accounting at a film production company here in Charlotte. She worked with Joanne and hasn't stopped since. Phyllis has been helping Joanne manage her companies since Joanne started her first company in 2002.

As GreyHawk Films' Accounting Manager, Phyllis is responsible for tracking the company's expanding business ventures. Her authority is respected by all staff members as she monitors GreyHawk's job and corporate costs with the ethical integrity and confidentiality essential to her position. She works through issues with objectivity and the attention to detail essential to her corporate financial responsibilities. Working closely with Robin, she keeps us on budget and fiscally responsible. In fact, the only thing to "trip her up" is the menagerie at GreyHawk. Phyllis now laughs about a spill she took that ended in a visit to the dentist.

At home Phyllis has a husband, two children and two pooches named Lilly and Juddah.

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