Chris Stearns
Director & Editor
With a pioneer computer scientist as a father and a librarian and historian as a mother it was inevitable that I would find myself where I am today. From a young age I had my hands on every type of computer and motion picture technology available to me. This led me to documenting family history and telling narrative stories with photography, film and animation. At Emerson College in Boston, I pursued a film education, and it was there I discovered my entrepreneurial skills by setting up a production unit and creating a nationally televised public service announcement.
After college, as the field of film and technology was ever growing I also found myself continuing to grow by telling stories and documenting history through the creation of Talon Films, Inc., a broadcast production company. This company allowed me to push myself as a Director and Editor through the creation of a full-length feature film ADVISING MICHAEL and a feature length documentary BENEDICT ARNOLD: HERO BETRAYED. Through this company I also had the opportunity to work on numerous industrial and commercial projects as a Producer, Director and Editor, which enabled me to develop innovative ways of relaying the message of my clients.
Although my film career was growing I also found myself fascinated with the new emerging medium, the Internet, and found my niche in website creation and development. This led to my co-reation of Webolution Media, a full service digital and broadcast production company offering multimedia, video and web content services. This company has allowed me to push technology to the limits and create new platforms for communicating the stories of my clients. Now fully equipped with a powerful toolbox to tell and document stories I am ready to continue on this technological and creative journey. This adventure just gets more interesting every time I power up my computer.
Tom Mercer
Producer & Writer
Tom Mercer grew up steeped in Revolutionary War history. As a youth he enjoyed riding his bicycle around the Saratoga Battlefield — a truly magical place on the bluffs overlooking the Hudson River. Typical family outings during childhood were visits to historic sites and museums all around the region where the northern campaign of the Revolution was fought. He and his mother shared a fascination with the paradox of Benedict Arnold, hero and traitor. Indeed, a frequent topic of dinner table conversation. If there was ever any doubt, his classmates got confirmation Tom Mercer was a history geek when he gave an award winning address about the Battle of Saratoga at his High School graduation.
Mercer studied film at Ithaca College where he graduated with a dual major in History and Politics. A twenty-year career in government gave way to a second career as an independent filmmaker. He wrote and directed the feature film UNCIVIL LIBERTIES, a highly acclaimed political thriller, and several short films shown at festivals in the US and Europe.
Tom has found the long commitment to making BENEDICT ARNOLD: HERO BETRAYED with his two principle partners to be an incredibly rewarding endeavor. If this film helps give his home region and its local hero the proper respect deserved for their contribution to the founding of the nation Tom says it will have been worth the years of effort and sacrifice.
Anthony Vertucci
Producer & Writer
After graduating from Geneseo State University, he began a career as an advertising executive, working in the ad agency and cable television industries around the Albany region. In 1993, Anthony co-founded the motion picture company, Talon Films, Inc. with Chris Stearns. He produced Talon Films’ first feature ADVISING MICHAEL by raising over $250k in private funding, and negotiated both the domestic and foreign distribution agreements for the film. Subsequently, they have been developing numerous other feature motion picture and documentary projects in addition to BENEDICT ARNOLD: HERO BETRAYED.
Moving to Brooklyn in 1999, Anthony worked as a Digital Account Director, Marketing, Sales & Content Strategist and Multimedia Producer at some of New York’s most prestigious advertising agencies including Deutsch, Foote, Cone & Belding, Draft Worldwide, and LLKFB. He has managed global accounts for such brands as U.S. Postal Service, JPMorganChase and Pfizer. He has both managed and provided marketing strategy for several multi-million dollar global accounts at McCann Worldwide, a division of McCann WorldGroup on businesses such as Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Ortho-McNeil, ExxonMobil, U.S. Army, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, and Avaya to name a few. Anthony was also a key member of the MRM new business development team, a specialized division of the agency that competes in the global and domestic marketplace for new business.
Recently, Anthony moved back to Saratoga Springs and started The Vertucci Group, a marketing consultancy and Co-founded the Vertucci Career Academy, an online education platform helping job seekers grow and manage their careers. He currently works in learning technology as a Senior Client Success Manager.
His interest in education and history is inspired by his father, a Marine in the Pacific theatre during WWII, who served with distinction during campaigns on the islands of Tinian, Roi-Namur, Saipan, and Iwo Jima.
James Kirby Martin
Executive Producer & Chief Historian
Martin is a nationally recognized scholar of Early American history, especially the era of the American Revolution, and he is also well known for his writings on various aspects of American military and social history. He received his B.A. degree from Hiram College (summa cum laude) and then earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He began his teaching career at Rutgers University, where he earned the rank of Professor of History and also served for a period as Vice President for Academic Affairs. In 1980, he moved to the University of Houston, having accepted the assignment of serving as Department Chair of History with the mandate to foster the development of a cutting edge program fully devoted to excellence in teaching and the production of high quality scholarship.
Martin helped found the Papers of Thomas Edison project at Rutgers University and for a few years was a member of its board of advisers. He also served on the advisory board of the Papers of William Livingston project. He was the general editor of a book series on the “American Social Experience” (New York University Press) and likewise was a consulting editor for a book series entitled “Conversations with the Past” (Brandywine Press). Martin is currently serving on the advisory board of editors of the “Critical Historical Encounters” book series sponsored by Oxford University Press. He has done consulting with some of the nation’s most eminent law firms in regard to the history of various consumer products, including alcohol and tobacco, and has both appeared on and advised on television programs aired by the History Channel and American Heroes Channel. He advises on historical issues with Talon Films of New York and has become involved in the development of screen plays designed to bring major historical events and personalities to movie audiences. Recently he began serving as historian adviser to the Oneida Indian Nation of New York.
Ray Raymond
Executive Producer
Dr. Ray Raymond, is a former British diplomat and adviser to then British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. He is now Professor of Government and History, State University of New York, and Adjunct Professor of Government and International Relations, United States Military Academy, West Point. Dr. Raymond has served as the Thomas Hawkin Johnson Distinguished Visiting Professor at West Point and Abraham Lincoln Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at the University of Maine.
He has lectured at leading universities, colleges and conferences throughout the United States on the Revolutionary War from a British perspective and advised the US National Park Service on the reinterpretation of the conflict. He has written a history of the Purple Heart, “Some Gave All” and published extensively on the history of Anglo-American relations from the 18th century to the present.
Dr. Raymond was honored by Her Majesty Oueen Elizabeth II, and by His Royal Highness The Duke of York for his contributions to Anglo-American Relations. Dr. Raymond has also received the civilian version of the US Army’s Distinguished Service Medal.
Christopher Rossiter
Cinematographer
As a graduate of American Film Institute Conservatory, Christopher earned a Master of Fine Arts degree while fine tuning his abilities as a cinematographer and storyteller. During the span of Christopher’s career he has worked as a production manager, gaffer and still photographer. The skills he developed working as a gaffer, key grip and still photographer proved beneficial to becoming the cinematographer that he is today.
His recent cinematography credits include the documentary BENEDICT ARNOLD: HERO BETRAYED for Talon Films, the CHALLENGE featuring Linh-Dan Pham (Indochine), the short film drama NOWHERE featuring Hong Kong celebrity Teresa Cheung and the NEW YORK TELEVISION FESTIVAL selection THE BAND.
Christopher lectures on cinematography, most recently at National University’s graduate program. Has has a strong passion for promoting the arts and recently became a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Steve Lettieri
Co-Producer
Steve Lettieri is an experienced, digital strategist, writer-producer, and entrepreneur. During his 20 year career, Steve has helped make compelling, award-winning content for leading organizations such as IBM, Reebok, Pfizer, Hasbro, Scholastic, Priceline, Nickelodeon, the University of Connecticut, AIG, United Technologies, and many more.
Steve currently works as a Content Strategist for the global toy company the LEGO Group.
Ever since his grandfather took him on the Boston Freedom Trail, Steve has been interested in the Revolutionary War and Colonial American history. A BA in history from the University of Miami further cemented that interest. And even though Steve grew up near Benedict Arnold’s birthplace of Norwich, Connecticut, it wasn’t until he was doing research for a screenplay that he become fully aware of the General’s dramatic, myth-shrouded tale. He’s proud to be part of the talented team seeking to tell this important American story.
Mike Camoin
Co-Producer
Associate Producer, Mike Camoin has been involved with independent filmmaking for over 20 years. As a writer, producer, director, he is best known for his documentary series on Adirondack history INSIDE THE BLUE LINE, HOW TO MAKE AN ADIRONDACK PACKBASKET and FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOP: THE HISTORY OF ADIRONDACK FIRE TOWERS, the latter in process. His company, Videos For Change Productions, distributes the DVD THE BATTLES OF SARATOGA.
In 1995, Camoin co-founded Upstate Independent Filmmakers Network with Tom Mercer and where he first met Talon Films. Today, Camoin serves as director of the Capital Cinema Cultural Exchange northeast filmmakers lab.
