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Matthew HeldermanCEO and co-founder
Matthew is the founder and CEO of both Buffalo 8 and BondIt Media Capital. With a background rooted in media production, finance and digital technology he leads the team of both businesses on a daily basis. Helderman is a regular speaker at international media and technology conferences. Helderman graduated from Lake Forest College with a B.A. in Philosophy.
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Luke TaylorCOO and co-founderExpertise: Media, finance, film producing, startups
Luke is the co-founder and COO of both Buffalo 8 and BondIt Media Capital. Taylor oversees the financing operations and client management of both businesses on a daily basis. Taylor graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Music Industry and Business.
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Jordan GarrettHead of B8 Services / Production
Jordan is the head of B8 Services / Production. After spending a number of years being heavily involved in a variety of productions, from big-budget features and TV, to smaller independent features and documentaries, Jordan finally decided it was time to take his production expertise to the development sector.
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Jonathan SheldonPost-Producer
Jonathan Sheldon has worked professionally in film and television for over 15 years. Starting in film development, Sheldon produced several well-regarded independent films and co-authored a seminal book on filmmaking titled “The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking”. As post production entrepreneur, Mr. Sheldon boot-strapped a post production company from a desk in Beverly Hills building it to contribute post production expertise and services to over 100 feature films and several network television shows.
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Lee McIntoshHead of B8 Branding Services
Lee is head of B8 Branding Servicess at Buffalo 8. He has had extensive experience in creative projects ranging from feature film key art all the way to video game art direction. Lee is the producer, engineer and drummer of the alternative rock band Oddepoxy as well as the co-founder of Dyad Games who has produced successful titles such as the card game “Kamakura: A game of feudal Japanese warfare”.
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Kyle RyanHead of Freewater Creative Development
Freewater Creative Development is led by Kyle Ryan, a veteran of both the media and development worlds. Kyle spent 20 years in the journalism one, much of it at Onion Inc., where he led The A.V. Club (the internet’s premier pop culture site) and served as managing editor of legendary satire site The Onion. He also worked at Entertainment Weekly before returning to Onion Inc. to build its development department from the ground up. He quickly established the company as a force in development and sold projects to Hulu, YouTube, AOL, Lionsgate, Fusion TV, Rooster Teeth, and more. He has drunk complimentary water during pitch meetings at just about every network, streaming service, and OTT in existence.
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Robert DeanHead of Buffalo 8 New Mexico
Robert Dean, a native to the sprawling landscape who has been working professionally in the NM film business for the past nine years doing everything from Directing to Production Manager (Dead of Night, Wander). Witnessing first-hand the many pitfalls that independent filmmakers face, Robert and Buffalo 8 joined forces to create Buffalo 8 New Mexico, a full-service division that will server producers, projects and companies looking to shoot within the state of New Mexico.
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Tyler GouldExecutive Producer
After working with BondIt part time in 2018, Tyler graduated in 2019 and joined BondIt as a full time team member. Now the VP of Finance and Development, Tyler is an integral member of the deal team, taking point in negotiating, structuring, and contracting deals in addition to risk analysis, business development, and other ongoing operations. Gould also oversees the internal development slate of projects by reviewing, developing, and packaging projects for original productions. Gould has a background in film production and finance, graduating with degrees in Radio/Television/Film and Economics from Northwestern University.
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Grady CraigExecutive Producer
After selling the company that put him through college, Grady joined BondIt Media Capital in 2018 as the first employee in company history. Now, the VP of Business Development and Operations, Grady is responsible for investment structuring and analysis, business development, and supporting the company’s financing, accounting, operations, marketing, and administration. His versatility serves indie screenwriters, producers, and filmmakers alike, as he’s packaging and pitching a number of feature films and episodic series on his Executive Producing slate. He holds degrees in Economics and Film Studies, with a concentration in Entrepreneurship, from Boston College.
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Nikki SchwarerB8 Services Coordinator
Nikki Schwarer assists within the Buffalo 8 service divisions (both B8 Studios and B8 Services) generating comprehensive client materials from budgets, schedules, creative overviews/decks, and content. Schwarer graduated from Clemson University with a B.S in Marketing and Film studies — and interned for Buffalo 8 / BondIt Media Capital in summer 2019 prior to joining the team.
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Nikki Stier JusticeHead of Buffalo 8 Distribution
Nikki Stier Justice is an independent producer and seasoned entertainment executive with a background in film production and distribution. In 2014, she moved to start-up production company Good Deed Entertainment (GDE), where she helped grow the company into a multi-million dollar studio. As Chief Operating Officer she oversaw development, financing, production, distribution, corporate branding and marketing on a slate of 7-10 releases a year. In addition to her role as Head of Distribution for Buffalo 8, Justice teaches at UConn in the Digital Media & Design Department as a Visiting Assistant Professor.
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Genesis JeffersonMarketing and Services Coordinator
Genesis Jefferson is the Marketing and Services Coordinator for BondIt Media Capital and Buffalo 8. Daily, Genesis assists with overseeing and designing marketing content for BondIt and its Family of Companies. Additionally, she helps potential clients identify the best BondIt and Buffalo 8 services for their projects. Genesis has a background in film production and journalism and will be graduating from Loyola Marymount University in 2022 with a BA in both areas of study.
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Tara TovarekHead of Production | Buffalo 8 New Mexico
Tara enjoys a career of production on feature films, television, indies, and also Broadway. Tovarek serves with the Advisory Board for New Mexico Film Foundation. She began her movie career loading trucks and building 4-wire banded at PC&E in Atlanta, Georgia. Tovarek is a graduate of Second City.
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Recent projects include Ira Sach’s Little Men, starring Greg Kinnear and Alfred Molina, which premiered domestically at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and internationally at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival — and was released by Magnolia Pictures theatrically across the US.
As You Are, which also premiered at the Sundance 2016 winning the Special Jury Prize and was acquired for release by Amazon Studios.
The Brits Are Coming starring Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Sofia Vergara, Parker Posey and Stephen Fry was co-produced with legendary producer Cassian Elwes.
The Netflix Original film Rodney King starring Buffalo 8 Management client Roger Guenveur Smith and directed by Spike Lee.
On the digital and creative services side Buffalo 8 has produced creative content for brands such as VH1, Viacom, Blinds.com, PetNet, Dolby, Love Begins At, Sony Studios and Sniff and Barkens releasing both national campaigns as well as branded content.
Buffalo 8 Video Series
Buffalo creates educational experiences to better serve producers, projects and companies with their production needs.
Division Contacts
Buffalo 8 Productions
1639 11th St. Unit 160
Santa Monica, CA 90404
213-204-6552
Buffalo 8 Post-Production
6500 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, California 90028
Office: (323) 691-6655
Buffalo 8 Distribution
1639 11th St. Unit 160
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(646)549-9227