ABOUT

Matthew Helderman is the CEO and co-founder of BondIt Media Capital and Buffalo 8. Helderman founded Buffalo 8 in 2010, while an undergrad student. Buffalo 8 has since premiered projects at Sundance, SXSW, and Berlin, as well as producing the Netflix original film “Rodney King” directed by Spike Lee. In 2013, he co-founded BondIt Media Capital and has led BondIt in the deployment of over $210M of capital in over 380+ film, television, and media opportunities, while raising $30M of equity and debt for a partial sale to Accord Financial (TSX: ACD) in addition to expanding the company’s credit facility to $75M in 2020. BondIt projects include Oscar nominated Loving Vincent, the Roland Emerich directed war epic Midway, and the Indie Spirit winner The Peanut Butter Falcon. Helderman also co-managed the acquisition of 30-year-old entertainment payroll firm, ABS Payroll and serves as an Executive Director, Partner, and Board Member. Helderman graduated from Lake Forest College with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and has been a featured TED speaker and profiled in the New York Times.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ella is the Distribution and Acquisitions Coordinator for Buffalo 8. She manages and supports new distribution relationships and B8’s existing library of titles. Ella has written extensively about the independent film distribution landscape, including as part of her senior-year thesis, and is committed to making the distribution process transparent and accessible for independent filmmakers. She graduated from Babson College in 2021 with a B.S. in Business Administration.

Tims Johnson is a 25 year veteran post-production and digital technology specialist having worked on hundreds of titles ranging from studio content to micro-budget indies.

Grady Justice was born in San Fernando, Philippines and is a seasoned indie film producer, packager, and developer with 15 years of on set experience ranging from PA through Producer.

John has over 27 years of experience in feature film, television, documentaries and pre-visualization as a senior compositor, illustrator, and Emmy winning VFX Supervisor.Today John oversees the VFX team across dozens of Buffalo 8 projects.In 2013 he won the Emmy Award for “Best Graphics and Art Direction” for VFX Supervision on “Big History” at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

Yagmur Kaplan is a veteran featured film mixer and an integral part of the Buffalo 8 audio team. With over 150 credits, he has worked on award winning feature films, documentaries and TV shows. As a seasoned Re-recording Mixer he takes a unique and innovative approach to film audio. Being a Berklee College of Music graduate, he’s also a composer and music producer signed with multiple labels.

Brian Berger joined Buffalo 8 in 2018 and is an integral part of the post-production sound team. As a supervising sound editor and re-recording mixer, Brian oversees a talented mix of sound editors, designers, and foley artists. With his team, Brian emphasizes close collaboration with every filmmaker towards their sonic vision as the top priority. Brian was born and raised in Chicago, and graduated from Indiana University with a degree in audio engineering and sound production.

Lawrence He started his audio journey with a piano at the age of 5 and never looked back. He has a strong passion for anything audio-related and discovered his love for cinematic sound in college. He enjoys the collaborative nature of sound teams and uses every project to push his own creative and technical limits to benefit the final form. In his downtime Lawrence can be found experimenting with different sound recording techniques, styles, and technologies.

Vivian Williams is the head foley artist at Buffalo 8. She enjoys experimenting with sound in unique and creative ways, dubbing herself a “sound scientist”. Her foley work is known for detail and nuance, bringing to each project – whether a large scale feature or low budget short – a handmade foley soundscape and helping to being the film itself to life.