Mission Statement:
Rant n' Rave Productions is dedicated to making unique, interesting,
socially-conscious films with mainstream appeal.
We hope to
inspire, enlighten, and empower people everywhere.
Bios:
Darby Doran - Actor, Writer and Producer
 Darby was born and raised in Georgia. After attending the University of Georgia, Darby and her sister moved to New York City and started selling their hot, handmade Amigos jewelry line on the streets of New York. Because of the immense popularity of Amigos, they expanded their business nationwide; selling to stores all over the country. Yearning to return to her retail roots, Darby, with passion, hard work, determination, and one strong vision, set up a single push-cart at South Street Seaport in New York City and started a highly successful teenage retail jewelry business. Today, the family business shares locations in popular tourist areas such as Hollywood and Highland (Home of the Oscars), Universal Studios (Hollywood/Orlando), Planet Hollywood (Las Vegas), Underground Atlanta, and several International Airports such as Miami International, Orlando International, Boston Logan International and Reagan International Airport in Washington D.C.
As Darby talked with teenagers from various parts of the country, she became concerned when she began noticing a kind of brokenness and loss of innocence, especially among young teenage girls. It wasn't until she moved to Los angeles to expand her business and pursue her passion for acting that she felt she must act on her convictions. After volunteering at a couple pregnancy crisis center and spending countless hours listening to stories from hundreds of heartbroken young women, she felt a calling, and thus a determination to do something. Out of her passion grew a story, along with a clear vision, that led to VIRGIN IN THE CITY.
Darby, using her business and marketing experience, began by researching information concerning the movie industry. She joined the Actor's Network, studied at UCLA and Film School and took countless independent film seminars in writing, producing, directing and marketing. In addition, Darby studied with award-winning film-makers such as Justin Lin, Lance Weller, Kurt Inderbitzin and Suzanne Lyons. She found a writer to collaborate with and began to write VIRGIN IN THE CITY while talking with producers. Darby realized the only way to stay true to her original vision was to produce the film herself. She set up Rant n' Rave Productions and is now in the process of pre-production, as she reviews the script, surrounding herself with a talented cast and crew. Darby's ultimate goal, above all, is to share her vision of VIRGIN IN THE CITY with those who share her vision.
George Pitt - Producer
George Pitts is an Emmy-award winning film editor with 48 years of experience in the television industry. He got his start at NBC and worked as a production assistant on The Steve Allen Show. He gained valuable experience behind the camera for such programs as The Dick Clark Show and Good Morning America. George joined the the Film Exchange Department in 1961, eventually becoming a film editor. In 1976 his work on The First Fifty Years, celebrating NBC's golden anniversary, won him an Outstanding Individual Achievement Emmy for film editing. George Pitts has been involved with several major network productions which include General Hospital and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Recent projects have included the feature film, Our Lady of Fatima, in addition to other religious documentaries.
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Brian Smith - Producer
 Brian Smith is originally from Malta, Ohio, a small Midwestern town in
southeastern Ohio. In 1995 Brian moved to Germany where he taught
English. Upon returning to the United States, he decided to pursue his
life-long ambition to make movies. In 2004 Brian packed up his Chevy
Cavalier and headed west to sunny Los Angeles where he was hired as an
intern at Universal Studios, Hollywood. Brian has worked as a
production manager for the last few years. Currently he is working as
a producer with Rant n' Rave Productions. Brian inherited his passion
and drive for movie making from his friend and owner of Rant n' Rave
Productions, Darby Doran. He says that while it's a bit scary and a
lot of work, he is enjoying his experience and looks forward to making
many movies that make a difference in the lives of young people;
changing the direction of their lives in a positive way.
Devin Thomas - Writer, Music Composer
 Devin Thomas was born in Pasadena, California and educated at California Institute of the Arts where he earned a degree in Music in 1980. He began his professional career by landing the position of chief audio engineer at SouthWest Sound Recording in Sierra Madre. There, Thomas recorded many local bands before founding the successful Doors tribute band Wild Child which toured India in 1985. Returning to Sierra Madre, Thomas took over operation of SouthWest Sound full time and began expanding the business and turning it into a state of the art digital facility. In 1987, Thomas toured the USA with Oingo Boingo as a keyboard tech and the following year founded an Oingo Boingo offshoot group called Night School which received critical acclaim from LA critics and was invited to perform at the Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase. Soon, he began teaching classes in recording and MIDI production at SouthWest Sound and served as an advisor for the Pasadena City College telecommunications department where he helped develop a recording program for the college and taught an advanced course in digital recording that proved popular with students. Thomas next moved to a larger facility and began an expansion of the services offered at Southwest Sound. Starting from scratch, he designed and built a main control room surrounded by additional mixing, scoring and mastering rooms. Along with two partners, he formed a record label called Natural Elements and began producing albums for the label as well as its publishing arm Red Pyramid Publishing. Two years later, Thomas returned to teaching, this time at Citrus College where he taught classes in record production, synchronization, digital editing, and the music business.
Thomas has written film and television scores including theme songs for ESPN sports network (Surfer and Snowboarder) and scored “The Desilu Story” which aired as a special 90 minute presentation on the Bravo Network as well as on French television. Thomas is a member of BMI and has served as President of Natural Elements Records, Inc. He is a recording artist, producer, composer, studio owner, writer and audio engineer. He has written product reviews for New York-based Gig magazine and has recently released a solo piano album (First Light) as well as an original world jazz collection (The Extraordinary World Band) with special guest saxophonist Eric Marienthal (both CDs currently available on iTunes). Along with Virgin in the City, he is currently writing an original screenplay (Open Lines) about a young woman struggling to make her way to the top of the male-dominated world of professional chess.
Phil Perrier - Writer
Phil grew up in Atlanta, where his family still lives. Since
moving to Los Angeles in the 90's he has built an impressive
extensive writing resume. Currently, Phil is a longtime
contributing writer for the Jay Leno and The Tonight Show.
He also has written for David Letterman, Craig Ferguson,
George Lopez, Martin Short and Arsenio Hall. Phil.s column.s
also appear regularly in The Huffington Post, The LA Daily
News, and The Atlanta Journal Constitution. In addition to
being a writer, he is a stand-up comic and radio personality.
Phil brings his passion for writing and performing to
everything he does.
Jasmine Sturgeon - Social Media Strategist
 Jasmine was born in Southern California amid the hustle and
bustle of the beginning stages of the technological
revolution. Growing up in the fast-paced life of L.A. county,
where social media expoded during that time, Jasmine had a
great affinity for computers, so she mastered the skills
associated with social media. She started an online blog in
her early teens, and honed her writing skills as she excelled
in her English, writing, and language classes.
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