Zach Baliva

Produced and directed award-winning historical documentary backed by the Russo Brothers with Executive Producer John Turturro.

Scouted locations as episode Fixer, assisted EP on set, took story notes, operated Cut Notes.

Provided input and direction in all phases of pre-production, production, and post. Hired crew, secured locations, all logistical support, equipment deals, casting, etc. Translated between English & Italian, etc.

Co-created, co-hosted, produced, and edited 657 episodes of a very popular Chicago Cubs fan podcast well before the podcast boom. Responsible for all aspects including booking guests, creating artwork, writing ad copy, producing and editing, promotions, listener interaction, etc. Also created and managed a network of 5 Chicago sports-related podcasts.

Guided entire feature film from the early stages of pre-production to a successful festival run and DVD/Netflix release. Responsible for fundraising, hiring, casting, vendors, travel, legal issues, scheduling, budgeting, etc. Film stars Doug Jones (Shape of Water) & Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead). Won major awards at The International Filmmaker Festival and The Route 66 Film Festival and screened in The Tacoma Film Festival, The Grand Rapids Film Festival, and The Heartland Film Festival.

Assisted writer/director and managed writers' office. Acted as a liaison to Warner Brothers and NBC in areas of Legal Clearances and Network Standards. Oversaw successful completion and timely delivery of weekly TV promo spot. Assisted writer & producer in all professional capacities such as proofing scripts and performing research. Responsible for generating, distributing, and maintaining various production documents. Sat in on all creative meetings including producers’ meetings, episode concept meetings, casting sessions, and production meetings. Provided creative input and wrote ADR copy. Managed daily operations in writers’ and producers’ offices and supervised all production assistants.

General office PA duties.