Gabriel Campisi

Gabriel Campisi is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker who shot his first movies on Super-8mm and 16mm as a kid, the more elaborate ones going on to win national competitions. Proficient in creating practical and optical special effects at a time when computer-generated imagery was not yet prominent, he was recognized early on by national film festivals and magazines for his stop-motion animation and split-beam cinematic techniques. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Campisi spent many years dealing in the high-stakes world of motion picture finance, subsequently writing the bestselling The Independent Filmmaker's Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Investors (McFarland Publishers), presently in its second edition. His book contains interviews with independent as well as high-profile filmmakers, including Oscar-winner Gerald R. Molen (producer of such notable hits as Jurassic Park, Minority Report, Twister, Hook and Schindler's List). His newest book, The Independent Filmmaker's Guide to the New Hollywood - Success in the Era of Netflix and Streaming Video (McFarland Publishers), contains interviews with industry executives and veteran filmmakers, including Val Hill (Blade Runner 2049, 12 Strong), Larry Kasanoff (Terminator series, True Lies, Mortal Kombat series), and Pen Densham (Harriet, The Last Full Measure). Campisi studied with UCLA's screenwriting professor Richard Walter, and has written for industry publications and genre magazines, including Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Fangoria Magazine. He is a partner at Traplight Pictures and a member of the Producers Guild of America (P.G.A.).