On the Leesh
On the Leesh Productions is a New York City based company devoted to the production of innovative, energetic and challenging film, theater, webseries and instructional videos. Established and active since 2002, On the Leesh projects range from corporate/instructional videos, webseries, theatrical showcases, short and feature length films and documentaries. We are comprised of a core team of collaborators interested in new and provocative subject matter, in unhindered visual experimentation and in realizing the work of new and like-minded creative artists and writers. Currently we have a wide range of projects in our roster that are in all phases of production.
OTLP’s core team, along with the many collaborators that we’ve gathered over the years, have developed the capability to produce work in a variety of media. Thus, developing a project with OTLP includes both the evolution of the story as well as the identification of the medium that it should be told in: stage, film, web or beyond. We seek up-and-coming writers and directors who wish to experiment with this, who, like we are, are devoted to the essence of the story.
At it’s base, it is this garnering of long relationships with collaborators that lies at the heart of how we work; with the goal of producing quality work, in which content can be both moving and entertaining, without exploiting the story or the people involved.
On the Leesh has also developed a rapidly expanding instructional and corporate video library. We have worked with corporations and nonprofits big and small and specialize in catering to the client’s specific needs. Further, we can provide both a la carte and package pricing depending on what best suits our customer’s budget. Our experience with working within varied media (whether it be with film, live action or web broadcast), delivers a unique skill for any business looking to educate employees internally, promote their business or provide instructional videos for the public.
PRESS
On the Leesh has been featured in a number of magazines, websites and/or television, including: Variety, Craine’s NY, New York Moves, Nytheatre.com, the Pixelodeon Festival, Amanda Congdon’s blog on ABC’s website, G4TechTV in Canada, WWSB ABC7, Tampa Bay Media Talk, The Screening Room, Actorslife.com, The Barry Z Show, Tampa Bay Media Talk, WVOX radio in New York, The Worcester Telegram and Gazette and at over thirty-five film festivals worldwide.
Members
Alicia Arinella
President & CEO
For the past ten years, Alicia has worked in various aspects of Film and Theatrical production. Her credits include: stage management for regional and New York theater, publicity and promotional work for Fine Line Features and New Line Cinema, editing and production coordinating for terraNOVA Collective, Asset Pictures and cineBlast!, associate producing for Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Noggin and Granada Kids, and producing projects for Little Airplane Productions, Playhouse Disney, New York Stage and Film, terraNOVA Collective, Our Time Theatre Company and the Naked Angels Theater Company. Alicia founded On the Leesh Productions in 1999 with her documentary, Interval.
With On the Leesh, Alicia has been happy to produce the first work for many new writers including: Justin Spitzer of NBC’s “The Office”, Jenna Bans of ABC’s “Desperate Housewives”, “Private Practice” and “Grey’s Anatomy” and producing the directorial debuts of acclaimed New York theater writers and directors: Lucie Tiberghien, Michael Mastro and “Sex and the City” writer, Liz Tuccillo. Alicia has produced ten short films screening at over 30 film festivals worldwide including: Cannes, Sarasota, Atlanta, Nantucket, Durango Independent, LA Comedy Fest, Miami Short Film Festival and San Francisco Independent. Awards: The Muse: A Girl’s Delicious Daydream About a Dangerous Man – 2nd place Short Film Experimental, 2006 Indie Gathering. With OTL, Alicia has also produced a number of theater projects including: the Naked Angels Issues Project: Democracy, Help Me Help Myself, Our Time Theatre Company’s 3rd Annual Benefit, SIN: A New Fashioned Spectacle of Legendary Vice, and Masquerade: calypso and home with terraNOVA Collective. Alicia is the editor of Table for Three, Denim, The Things We Know, For Belly, Kung Pow Wow, Milestone and the hit web-series The In-Betweens of Holly Malone, In the Can and The Sexually. As a director, Alicia worked on the short films, Table for Three and Kung Pow Wow. She has directed most of the episodes of the popular web-series, The In-Betweens of Holly Malone, as well as all of the episodes for the web-series In the Can and The Sexually. For the stage, Alicia has directed the one-woman show, Belly and has most recently produced and co-directed the feature film, For Belly, with Matt Rashid.
Alicia’s latest undertaking is entitled What You Can Do 365. She serves as the project’s Executive Producer, Director, Director of Photography and Editor. This year-long project will feature a different video for each week day of the 2010 calendar year. Videos feature a different social issue and show viewers what they can do about it even if they only have one minute of time to give. The first 21 episodes of this project premiered on New York PBS affiliate WLIW Channel 21.
Alicia has taught a number of guest classes on producing at the New School and has appeared on various panels about film. She has been interviewed by: Variety, Craine’s NY, New York Moves, Nytheatre.com, G4TechTV in Canada, WWSB ABC7, Tampa Bay Media Talk, Actorslife.com, The Barry Z Show, WVOX radio in New York, Web Series Magazine and The Worcester Telegram and Gazette.
Alicia is available for guest panels and guest classes. For more information, email: info@ontheleesh.com
Jessica Arinella
OTL Producer and Creator: What You Can Do
Jessica serves at On the Leesh as an actor and a producer as well as heading up the Acquisitions Department. As an actor Jessica graduated with an award for excellence in theatre from Northwestern University, after working with such heavyweights as John Logan and Rosemary Harris. In NYC, Jessica has worked with the Naked Angels on numerous productions, notably in Tape directed by Geoffrey Nauffts, and Democracy costarring with indie legend Mark Margolis. With On the Leesh, Jessica worked at NY Stage and Film, costarring in Break opposite Tony Award Winner Frank Wood, and starred in On the Leesh’s first film, What are the Odds? which was a Selection of the 2006 Cannes Short Film Market. Other Film credits include, The Pink House with Heather Matarazzo and Cupidity, directed by John Gallagher which won the NY Independent Film Festival. She has also appeared on the TV shows, “Law and Order”, “Love Monkey” and “Six Degrees”. As an actor/producer, Jessica created and founded the Naked Angels Lab, producing and starring in their Premiere, The Opposite of Fear as well as joint On the Leesh/Naked Angels Lab production SIN. Jessica is currently producing and playing the title character in the On the Leesh web series, The In Betweens of Holly Malone.
Jessica is also the creator of On the Leesh’s new series, What You Can Do 365. This series made its premiere on New York’s PBS affiliate, WLIW.
Julie Tortorici
Director of Operations and Production, WriterFor the past 6 years Julie has worked as an actor, producer and writer. She both wrote and starred in the plays Committed and Belly. Belly was performed multiple times throughout New York City from 2003-2007. It was also an official selection of the 2003 NYC Fringe Festival where it was hailed as a “rare gem”. Her first short film Table for Three was produced by On the Leesh Productions and premiered at the Long Island Film Festival. Her screenplay, Waltzing Emily, was a finalist in both the Script P.I.M.P and the ScriptShark Insider Competitions.
Julie has been with On the Leesh since 2004. Her producing highlights there include “Sex and the City” writer, Liz Tuccillo’s short film Claire, The Stephen Belber/ Lucy Tiberghien short, The Things We Know, and Denim which featured Short Bus star PJ Deboy and Redacted star Rob Devaney. At On the Leesh, Julie helps produce and writes for the three popular web series: The In-betweens of Holly Malone, (featured on Amanda Congdon’s ABC.com blog), In the Can and The Sexually, all of which can be seen online or via TIVO, iTunes and Sony Bravia TV’s.
In 2007, Julie adapted Belly into her first feature film, For Belly. She produced, wrote and starred in this emotional drama that focuses on a woman suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is currently in post-production. In 2008, filming began on her documentary Best Laid Plans. The film questions what a person does when their life plan is thrown a major hiccup. The story has brought her to the New York area, Ireland and Ghana. In 2009, Julie made her directing debut with the short comedy Milestone, which has already screened in multiple film festivals throughout The United States and Canada. Most recently she is serving as a producer and a co-head writer of On the Leesh Production’s What You Can Do 365. This year long documentary project shows viewers what can be done to help solve pressing social issues with only one minute of time to give. WYCD premiered on PBS affiliate WLIW.
Julie has appeared in Variety, New York Theatre.com, The Barry Z Show, WVOX radio in New York, and Actorslife.com
Melissa Jernigan
Manager of Operations and ProductionMelissa is the newest addition to On the Leesh Productions. She got her BA in Technical Theatre from CSU Sacramento in 2005. At school she stage managed and designed over 15 shows, worked for CMT as head sound assistant and was lucky to PA the Pre-Broadway tour of Lennon. New York credits include PA positions for MTC’s Beauty of the Father, Broadway Meets Country at Lincoln Jazz, and involvement in both the Fringe and MITF festivals. She was the PSM for Incumbo Theatre’s production of Prvt Wars and Hotel Savant’s workshop of Artaud’s The Cenci, held at Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center in Southampton, OTL’s production of A Yorkshire Fairie Tale and Hotel Savant’s The Archery Contest at PS122. Most recently she helped to oversee the Alliance Theatre’s Kendeda Readings and stage managed for OTL and terraNOVA’s production of Masquerade: calypso and home at the Barrow Street Theatre.