Biographie
Wm. Alan Pezzuto, WGA, WGC, DG is a North American writer and producer that truly exemplifies the storyteller mindset. One could say that his career began somewhere between the age of 9 when he won an essay contest through Boy's Life Magazine thereby winning a new .22 rifle and had his first paid job as a photographer at age 13. His early career ranged from street photography and photojournalism through three years as the staff photographer for United Concerts and Artists.
From the mid-1970s until about 1990 he was a sought after underwater and aerial photographer & cinematographer, working on everything from National Geographic to James Bond Pictures. In the Mid-1980s he was aboard both the Cousteau Societies turbo sailing research vessel the "Alcyone" and the converted minesweeper/research vessel "Calypso" for over a year as both a Sr. diver and underwater cinematographer/photographer and has dived with treasure divers Mel Fisher and Jack Haskins as they searched for the Atocha and the Concepcio'n.
Additional projects during this time included "The Adventures of Nellie Bly", Schick Sunn Classics "Story's of The Bible" series, and "Highlander, the series". His independent production "Outside the Inner Circle", a documentary/instructional film for the music industry, was the first production in this genre' to be certified by the RIAA as eligible for a platinum award.
As a licensed Sea Captain, NAUI dive instructor and underwater cinematographer, he was contracted to produce and shoot the Summit Entertainment feature film and television series "Sailing, Seaports & Shipwrecks" when an unexpected disagreement with a 670-pound Bengal Tiger left him unable to use either hand for over a year. During this time of reflection and rehabilitation, Pezzuto concentrated on the writing and production aspect of the business. In 1994 he co-founded Cougar Creek Productions, which he took to market in 1996 with a multi-million-dollar public offering (SEC file #24-3556). From 1996 until 2000 he was responsible for optioning and developing numerous projects with Saban Entertainment, Momentum Entertainment and Fox. Mr. Pezzuto divested himself of his Cougar Creek holdings in 2000.
Mr. Pezzuto and several other individuals founded Pezzuto & Associates, a business and legal consulting firm, which existed from 1986-2000. Their clients included The Netherland Antilles', Pepsi, Nikon and BIC, was contracted to coordinate and negotiate a number of WTO related deals between various Peoples Republic of China organizations and their US counterparts, while assisting in the management of a 30-billion-dollar industrial trade and investment portfolio.
During this time, Mr. Pezzuto and his firm were partners in the taking of Mainland Chinas' first three public companies to market (Nasdaq), as well as negotiating and coordinating Sino-American film and television ventures ranging from joint use of both US and Chinese satellites, and the production of feature films as art and entertainment, through the introduction (to government) of animation as a creative, acceptable form of communication which lead to the purchase of "Shanghai Animation Studio" and it's rebranding as "Golden Panda" (USPTO Reg # 78003596)
During 2010 Mr. Pezzuto was consulting with what at the time was the largest indoor marijuana grow in North America. Located at 54 & Peoria just outside of Denver. CO and covering 128,000sqft and was on the cutting edge of the new medical marijuana industry.
In 2011 Pezzuto came out of semi-retirement when then President of HBO Michael Lombardo expressed an interest in POTLUCK, a scripted television drama aimed at the lack of organization and worthwhile legislation of the marijuana industry and dealing with the rights of the people vs. the rights of the states vs the rights of the Federal government. The project was bumped three days before airing due to being too controversial and replaced with the HBO project "Luck".
Once called "The most purchased, least produced writer in Hollywood" by his manager George Grief of Grief-Garris management, Pezzuto spends a large portion of his time writing for several companies. Drawling on his experience at sea, in the military, with National Geographic, the Government of the United States and a licensed Investigator, he has the experience to make any topic both interesting and educational. Pezzuto currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with his wife and two daughters where he teaches workshops and does script consulting for a number of local productions.
