Directors, Producers, and Editors
Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren are Emmy-winning, married documentary filmmakers based in Richmond, Virginia. They have spent a decade shining light on African American history through character-driven documentaries about history and struggles for justice.
Their 2017 film, An Outrage, premiered at the Smithsonian and is distributed to a network of 500,000 teachers via the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program.
Hannah and Lance also direct and produce a history-on-location series, The Future of America’s Past, presented by VPM on most PBS member stations nationwide. The series won a Capital Emmy Award in 2020.
Story advisor and cast member
Christy Coleman was CEO of the American Civil War Museum for 12 years, leading a transformation to incorporate Civil War history from Union, Confederate, and African American perspectives. She also directed the museum’s report and community engagement on the history of Monument Avenue. She leads the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.
Story advisor and cast member
Julian Hayter is a historian at the University of Richmond, where his research and teaching focuses on mid-20th-century voting rights in Richmond. His courses include “Reimagining Richmond,” a history of the city’s role in the national Black freedom struggle. Julian received the University’s Distinguished Educator Award in 2018.
Story advisor and cast member
Joseph Rogers is a public historian and community organizer working as the Education Programs Manager at the American Civil War Museum. An ancestor, James Apostle Fields, escaped slavery and later won election for Delegate in the Virginia General Assembly. Joseph’s ongoing study of history includes research and teaching to share this story.
Story advisor
Enjoli Moon is founder and creative director of the Afrikana Independent Film Festival, Co-founder of The JXN Project, Assistant Curator of Film at VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art, member of the Public Awareness Committee at The Valentine, and chair of Richmond Region Tourism’s BLK RVA initiative. A lifelong Richmonder, Enjoli studied sociology at VCU.
Outreach Producer
Todd Waldo is a communications consultant and community booster for art and social action. He serves on the Board of Directors for Better Housing Coalition, is President of the Board of the Robinson Theater Community Arts Center, and is a board member for the Afrikana Independent Film Festival and the Richmond Symphony Community Council.
Executive Producer for VPM
Mason Mills is an Executive Producer in Science, History, and Special Projects for VPM. With more than 30 years of experience in public media, he develops content with local and national producers for digital and television broadcast. A lifelong PBS fan, Mason helps fulfill VPM’s drive to produce more local and national content than ever before.
Executive Producer for VPM
Steve Humble is Chief Content Officer for VPM. Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer at The Martin Agency, where he helped transform the agency from an advertising shop to a television and digital powerhouse. Steve’s commitment to VPM’s mission and audience drives his work with an ambitious and expanding roster of new programs.
Cinematographer
Blaire Johnson is an Emmy-nominated cinematographer and FAA-certified drone pilot with 15 years of experience in television and film. Her work includes the PBS hits A Chef’s Life (2012-18) and Somewhere South (2020) as well as The Future of America’s Past (2018-present). Blaire studied filmmaking at Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies.
Cinematographer and Colorist
David Muessig is a Steadicam-trained cinematographer and DaVinci Resolve-certified colorist whose years of work with Richmond’s SpangTV have involved dozens of major brands and several Field Studio productions, including The Future of America’s Past and Woke Vote. David was born and raised in the Richmond area.
Lighting Designer
Randall Taylor, Jr. has contributed his filmmaking vision to a wide range of organizations and initiatives, including: Bloomberg, Essence, The Future of America’s Past, NASA, National Geographic, National Institutes of Health, PBS, VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art, and Voice of America. A graduate of William & Mary, Randall was born and raised in Richmond.
Archival Producer
Charlotte Juergens is a filmmaker, archival producer, and history scholar based in Brooklyn. Her archival experience includes two years at NBC News, collaborating with documentarians and curators to research and license footage for films and exhibitions. Her scholarly research explores how Americans commemorate contested history, focusing on reenactments at museums and historic sites. Charlotte holds degrees from Yale and the University of Chicago.
Motion Graphics Designer
Chris Salvador graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. His many screen credits include design and title sequences for major motion pictures and television series, such as Amanda Knox, Jack Ryan, The Knick, and The Girl on the Train, as well as The Future of America’s Past. Chris was born and raised and is based in Mexico City.
Composer
Osei Essed is a multi-platform musician, performing and writing for screen and stage. Recent film composition credits include Always in Season (2019 Sundance Special Jury Award), Period. End of Sentence (2019 Academy Award winner), TOWER (2018 Emmy winner) and Jim: The James Foley Story (2016 Emmy Winner). Osei is based in Brooklyn.
Audio Editor and Mixer
Andrew Uvarov, a classical guitarist from age 9, specializes in audio post-production and recording with extensive experience in sound editing, mixing, and design for commercials, corporate videos, television, and feature films. His clients include ESPN and HGTV as well as The Future of America’s Past. A Richmonder for many years, Andrew was born and raised in Latvia.
Curriculum Writer
Rodney Robinson is the 2019 National Teacher of the Year. He has spent his entire career in Richmond Public Schools advocating for the most vulnerable students. A social studies teacher for 19 years, Rodney works with city leaders and local colleges to recruit men of color into teaching. The Root named him #8 of 100 most influential African Americans of 2019.