Meet the Team -
Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 5:58PM Andrew Shapter Writer and Director
Andrew Shapter (born William Andrew Shapter - Fort Worth, Texas) is an American filmmaker, writer and photographer.
After moving to Austin, Texas in 1986 and enrolling in college at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, he majored in Political Science and eventually found work in the U.S. Senate and the National Wildlife Federation in Washington, D.C. Despite the excitement of working in the nation's capitol, Shapter was still drawn to the arts. After realizing that his true talents had nothing to do with what he learned in college, Shapter began to collect cameras and experiment with lighting. After graduating from college in 1992, Shapter began career as a professional photographer specializing in music and fine art photography.
As Shapter began to garner recognition from magazine editors and ad agencies in New York and abroad, his career gained momentum that lead to work in other markets including Barcelona, London and Los Angeles.
After working no n-stop for nearly 15 years in the photography market, Shapter felt it was time to turn his attention to his very first passion, filmmaking. His first effort, the critically acclaimed 2006 documentary "Before the Music Dies" (featuring Dave Matthews, Eric Clapton, Erykah Badu, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Questlove and many other prominent musicians) was a hit with music fans worldwide. His follow-up film "Happiness Is" is an exploration of the truths and myths of "the pursuit of happiness" in America, opening across the U.S. in 2009.
Shapter lives in Austin with his wife Christina, daughter Faron, and three dogs. He enjoys staying busy, and is currently developing two new film projects, a music series for cable TV, and directing TV commercials while still taking on photography assignments.
Tracy Marino Producer
A native New Yorker, Tracy’s livelihood included marketing and networking in Manhattan and Austin before joining the Happiness Is team as Producer. Always inspired by creative vision and the beauty of road trips, Tracy’s singular talents were put to good use keeping the production on track and helping Andrew on this cinematic and provocative journey.
Jim Bruno Executive Producer
Jim Bruno is the Executive Producer of Happiness Is. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Latin American narrative (of all things! Go Badgers!), and his career has 
centered on storytelling, digital media, filmmaking, world languages, and educational media and technology. Jim wrote and directed the feature length digital film, "beyond words!" a decade ago, and has written a number of screenplays, songs, and musical compositions since. He currently has three new projects in the works: an animated musical film called "Maria" based on Jorge Isaacs’ 1867 Colombian novel of the same name; a yet-to-be-named documentary film about technology and learning in the year 2020; and a rock opera based on the life, times, and literary works of Mexico City’s Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz called "Soar, Juana!" In his free time, he's a DIY student of modern urban architecture, design, and low-impact building, and is still inspired by the Italian Renaissance and other great thinkers, artists, engineers, musicians, and storytellers, including the the members of the Happiness Is team.
centered on storytelling, digital media, filmmaking, world languages, and educational media and technology. Jim wrote and directed the feature length digital film, "beyond words!" a decade ago, and has written a number of screenplays, songs, and musical compositions since. He currently has three new projects in the works: an animated musical film called "Maria" based on Jorge Isaacs’ 1867 Colombian novel of the same name; a yet-to-be-named documentary film about technology and learning in the year 2020; and a rock opera based on the life, times, and literary works of Mexico City’s Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz called "Soar, Juana!" In his free time, he's a DIY student of modern urban architecture, design, and low-impact building, and is still inspired by the Italian Renaissance and other great thinkers, artists, engineers, musicians, and storytellers, including the the members of the Happiness Is team.
Main Website + Blog
Troy Campbell Executive Producer & Animation
Those who’ve followed Troy Campbell through his evolution over the years, from the punk-wired Highwaymen, to Americana-drenched Loose Diamonds, and now three albums into a stellar solo career, have always known he’s a restless soul. It’s written in his songs, which flit between a jumpy, let’s-blow-this-town urgency, and more sorrowful expressions of longing, hope, idealism. And it’s there in his remarkable voice, a uniquely expressive instrument comfortable with everything from jagged murder ballads to four-on-the-floor Chuck Berry rockers to candlelit love songs.
But now that restlessness finds new harmony in Campbell’s life: Rather than sit on his hands as the new century dawned, Campbell reinvented himself, emerging as one of Austin’s most promising filmmakers, a sharp mind delving into the spot where music, culture and film converge, a mover and shaker with a passion for his subjects.
Campbell first produced A Place to Dance, a documentary short about New Orleans big-band maestro Pat Barberot, which won the audience award for best documentary at the 2004 Austin Film Festival. Meanwhile, with his partner/animator Dano Johnson, he launched Collection Agency Films, exploring his love for storytelling in great clips covering Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman, songwriter du jour Ray Wylie Hubbard, and others. More recently, Campbell’s put his camera to good use filming something near and dear to the heart of any Texas rock ‘n’ roller–the astonishing return to live performance of psychedelic legend Roky Erickson.
Christina Fernandez Associate Producer
Christina (Fernandez) Shapter has been a member of the Happiness Is team since 2007, Christina wears many hats. During Happiness Is production served as Associate Producer. Her production responsibilties included financial, creative, and administrative responsibilities including raising money from investors, research, tape logging, interview transcription, script editing, photo licensing, festival submissions. In addition she helped to created the main artwork for the Happiness Is logo (DVD/website).
Christina is the Director of the events arm of Happiness Is, managing the Screening Tour, creating the e-newsletter, tour website, and shipping.
Also an actress, she is the female lead in the upcoming film “Conflict of Interest”. Christina has an MA in Film (RTF) from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BA in Communication Arts from Austin College. She worked in TV Production at Paramount Pictures and coached screenwriters for Santa Monica’s ‘Writers Boot Camp’
Eric Lyle Klein Associate Producer
After stumbling down a long and winding road, I have made it to a place where I split my time between interactive marketing and student ministry. I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and graduated from Texas Christian University and spent the first ten years of my career in technology – mostly designing and maintaining large computer networks in various industries. I wanted to see the world so I moved to Austin and spent the next ten years doing analytics consulting serving the Fortune 100 companies. After extensive travel and long hours and the realization that something was missing, I began to pursue my real passions. I love people who have a passion and gift for pursuing creative careers and I love connecting them to their fans. Since 2003, I’ve worked with creatives and their associated firms connecting them to and growing their fanbases using new digital and interactive marketing strategies. Along the way, mainly since I was always with younger musicians and their fans, I found a passion for serving high school- and college-aged youth. Putting their needs before mine as we all get to know Jesus better has been how I’ve finally found my happiness.
Sjon Ueckert Editor
I was born on the planet K’Tarr 10 cycles before the Great Migration. I led a happy life in the creche until the Hothra invasion. In the diaspora following the Migration I ended up halfway across the Galaxy in a remote backwater system named after its sun – “Sol.” On the third planet out, I found my calling cutting strips of cellulose and pasting them together to tell a story. And I have been doing that ever since. Ergo: Editor.
But seriously folks Sjon has been working in the film industry for centuries!
Tanner Moehle Associate Producer
Amiee Gonzalez Promotion & Support