Being that it is less romantic than other vital aspects of being a great film producer, some people may not see a background in finance as the typical jumping off point for a successful career based in creative expression. However, Mike Gut understands the value of striking a balance between his two seemingly contrary skill sets. He is comfortable and effective in his dual roles of both storyteller and money manager because he understands how producing successful films absolutely requires merging technical knowledge of the craft with real-life business experience.

When Gut made the decision to leave Canada and his lucrative job in the telecom industry to realize his dream of producing feature films, he began to realize just how much of an advantage his business sector experience actually gave him in his new endeavor.

 “My financial background definitely serves me well with my investors,” he explains. “I’m good with people and good with money. Producing is very entrepreneurial in the sense that each film is like setting up a small company every time.”

Armed with his solid background in finance and an inner calling to become a filmmaker, Gut originally left Montreal for Los Angeles when he was accepted to the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California, where he earned his MFA.  With an acceptance rate of only 13%, the Peter Stark Program is extremely selective, admitting only twenty-five applicants every year.

Gut remembers, “It was really the perfect program for me--- it really set the wheels in motion.”


His Masters in Fine Arts allowed him to continue honing his passion for filmmaking, something he had reserved as a weekend hobby prior to leaving the telecom industry, while also building on his expertise in finance.  Finding investors and arranging for his films to have the funding they really need and deserve can be difficult for producers who only have pure love of the cinema and no real knack for the sometimes harsh business realities that require close attention. True, being a great producer is undoubtedly about being able to tell a story artfully and supervising an array of creative counterparts-- but it is also about being able to secure serious investors, managing a feasible budget, and ultimately being able to sell the finished product as profitable in an ever-changing media marketplace. 

For Gut, the fact that the producer is the one who gets the last word on everything from the soundtrack to what ends up on the editing room floor is both a blessing and a curse. The producer’s key role in selling the film and arranging subsequent distribution rights means that even the smallest decision can make a world of difference.

Soon after completing his MFA, Gut was thrilled to be working on films alongside the likes of Harvey Weinstein and other heavyweight names in the world of film producers; he even had the pleasure of producing and directing the film Unfair & Imbalanced.

Gut says he loves to produce original features because the discovery stage can be a make-or-break moment for the success of the film. Sifting through the endless material to find a gem that is promising, both artistically and financially, is no small or easy task. Gut explains that when a film isn’t based on an original script, films often begin with just ideas, and no script; once a producer believes they have uncovered a novel idea, they must begin the search for the perfect screenwriter to bring it to life.  

Gut’s work as a producer is more than just the supervision of its construction; his role requires him to prepare the finished product to present to various financing entities or film distributors. This final step is undoubtedly one of the most challenging, as it entails deep collaboration with the creative production team as well as the film’s accounting personnel.    

As the producer and director of the original feature film Hollywood Hick, which he produced though his production company aptly named GellyGut, his efforts paid off as the film gained national attention being screened across North America. For Gut, the release of the film was a turning point in his career.

Today Mike Gut is a producer with Oracle Film Group, and with several upcoming projects still on the horizon and the release of Timber the Treasure Dog set for this year, he has attained his dream of producing features with worldwide theatrical release.

On Timber the Treasure Dog where Gut worked alongside director Ari Novak, he solidified his commitment to being the kind of producer that can turn out “quality feature films that cater to a specific market while getting a suitable return for the investors involved.” Something that separates the good producers from the really great ones, this kind of thinking is what facilitates the best possible films actually making it to the screen.

Although his keen financial background helps foster investor relationships and responsible decision-making, Gut never forgets his vision for a production, or the joy he gets from being a filmmaker.  “Nothing makes me happier than when I’m on set. When I used to make films as a hobby on the weekends, I remember thinking - If I could get paid to do this, it would just be icing on the cake,” Gut recalls.

Gut is clearly dedicated to each project he takes on, as he is responsible for the production of his films from conception to completion. He takes pride in his involvement in the early stages of a script's production all the way until the concluding stages, with special attention given to post-production efforts in order seal in the finishing touches. He is one of those rare producers that truly understands the “big picture” fate of a film, and with all the subpar films that hit the market on a daily basis, audiences can take comfort knowing that he will continue to produce captivating films with engaging for years to come.

 

 

After garnering the first prize Commercial Print Award at the well-known International Model and Talent Association Competition for men between the ages of 18 and 22 in 2013, Steven Van Nguyen went straight to the top of both the American and Canadian entertainment industries as a highly sought after model and actor. The IMTA competition has become a launch pad for the careers of a long list of today's celebrities including international supermodels Grayson Gettys, Branden Rickman, Tyson Ballou, Madeline Kragh and Mariah Watchman, and high-profile actors Katie Holmes, Jessica Biel, Eva Longoria, Elija Wood, Seann William Scott, Ashton Kutcher and Josh Duhamel. With the history of successful talents the competition has already been credited with discovering, Nguyen's rise to stardom comes as no surprise.  The IMTA recently asked Steven to be their spokesmen at the IMTA 2015 convention in New York City where he will talk about the success he has found as an actor and a model since competing in the competition in 2013. The 2015 IMTA convention will be held from July 20-24 at the New York Hilton Midtown Manhattan Hotel.

As an actor Steven Van Nguyen has starred in a long list of productions including the films Checkmate, The White Samurai, Add To Cart, Cheese The Musical, M.E.G.O, Deception and Social Media Critique, as well as the shows The Amazing Gayl Pile, Haphead and UNDERside. A testament to Nguyen's talents as an actor, the series Haphead, in which he plays the leading role of Leicester, was chosen as an Official Selection of the 2015 HollyWeb Fest and Vancouver Web Fest. He was also featured in a video for hip hop artists HOTB,which was directed by Manee Osman, and recently aired nationally in Canada on Globe TV. 

Nguyen is passionate about using his fame to defy global stereotypes surrounding Asian people, with a primary focus on Asian males.  Last year Nguyen was in the documentary film Project Gelb, which aired on Bell Fibe TV and focused on fighting Asian male stereotypes in North America.

Nguyen explains, "I was interviewed about my win on IMTA 2013 in NYC and how that broke a lot of stereotypes on Asian men not being attractive compared to other ethnicities, and I found the experience extremely fulfilling because everything I have done in my life and my career has been the opposite of typical Asian stereotypes, so I was able to debunk a lot of false perceptions and show that we are all human and success is based on the individual not on their ethic origin."

Project Gelb was directed by multi-award winning artist and director Francis Luta, whose work as an artist has appeared in galleries across Germany and Canada, and has garnered him the 2013 IIDEX Silver Innovation Award, the 2010 Bezpala Brown Gallery Jury Award and the Bezpala Brown Gallery People’s Choice Award, the 2010 Motorola Webber Seavey Award, as well as an Advertising Award from the School of Design at George Brown College in 2008. About Nguyen's work in the film, Luta says, "[Steven] was a delight to work with on the documentary Project Gelb with his high energy and an “I’ll do what it takes” type of attitude. He was a key contributor that represented a younger demographic with a fresh point-of-view on the subject matter."

While Steven Van Nguyen has created a reputation for himself as a versatile actor whose capacity for playing roles across various genres ensures that he will never get pigeonholed into playing the same role over and over again, a common pitfall for many of the best actors currently working in the Hollywood entertainment industry, Nguyen admits there are some roles he won't play.  "I won’t play any roles that support Asian stereotypes like the nerd, kung fu master, low life, anti social etc."

In addition to his acting career, Nguyen has had great success as a model as well. After winning the coveted award at the 2013 IMTA Competition Nguyen was featured in a four-page spread in Boss Magazine. The talented young model went on to be featured in a nationwide print ad for the Canadian Aids Society, as well as several campaigns for companies including AskforTask, Arroware Anti-privacy, Maniwonders, Onyx Barber Shop and others. Aside from his spread in Boss Magazine, Nguyen has been featured in FrameInn, Atomic Poison, Jahlmar, as well as several other magazines.

Steven Van Nguyen has also become a highly recognizable face in the Canadian public due to his roles in several television commercials. Some of the advertising productions Nguyen has been featured in include commercials for Emerald City Condos, Clipter, Emoteplay, Voxx Sports and Tim Horton's. While Nguyen's commercial look is the perfect fit for print ads and TV commercials, he is also know for his ability to strut his stuff on the runway. Nguyen has walked in several shows including Moore’s Fashion Show, Niagara Bridal Fashion Show, Hamilton Bridal Fashion Show, Club Roma Fashion Show, Diversity Fashion Show, Culture Shock Fashion Show and others.

If it isn't already clear from his impressive repertoire of work as both an actor and a model that Steven Van Nguyen is one of the most diversely talented individuals working in the Canadian entertainment industry today, his work on the show Health Core, as well as his contributions to various podcasts serve as further proof. Nguyen wrote, produced and starred in the show Health Core, which was broadcast every week online through CIB 24.

He says, "I would educate the viewers on fitness, dieting, sleep and anything dealing with a person's well being. For example, I did an episode where I talked about how eating frozen or canned foods isn’t the same as eating fresh foods due to the high sodium content needed to preserve can food."

As this talented young actor and model continues to defy Asian stereotypes with his unparalleled international success in the entertainment industry, Steven Van Nguyen proves the sky is the limit.