Our Creative Team

Jason Courtemanche
Actor/Producer/Editor

Jason is a creativity junkie who immerses himself in many different arts: music, painting, drawing, design, video, animation, acting, producing, and martial arts. While earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Massachusetts, Jason helped to pioneer an emerging local digital video movement. He produced a music video featuring his own rock band that utilized innovative digital film treatment and unique locations.

After graduation, Jason freelanced in the graphic design industry. He gained ground in the Boston area as a designer and art director in the corporate communications and event management fields, learning how to produce, budget, manage people, and tap his creative resources under tremendous pressure and deadlines. With this experience, he started his own design company, Digital Arts Studio, and laid the foundation to pursue his dream of filmmaking. During this time, Jason produced two audio CDs for local bands World's Eye and Misery, acted in Pickman's Model, and performed in a weekly improvisational role-playing group, along with other creative endeavors. Most notably, he co-produced and acted in Darkenwood - a full-scale, haunted theater attraction that spanned 10 acres and drew nearly 3,000 patrons from local communities.

In 2000, technology advancements and lower equipment costs enabled Jason to assemble and found Mindbeside Studios, with the intent to produce his concept for a movie called The Killing Hand which premiered at The Regent Theater in Arlington, MA and is now available for purchase on DVD. Not willing to rest, Jason has since acted in several short films, produced Our Fellow Countrymen for Mindbeside Studios, completed many coporate videos and has recently completed producing and acting in Virtue: The Way of the Modern Samurai. Virtue is also now available for purchase. Click the films link above and then download the order form. Jason's most recent project, Mindbeside Studios production of A Last Resort, a short film set in a civil war era about the consequences of decisions in war, is now available for viewing. Check it out! Thanks for your support.

> Jason's acting resume

H. Jarrod Courtemanche
Writer/Director

Veteran of the U.S. Air Force. 

Graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell with a Bachelor's Degree in Liveral Arts with concentrations in English and History as well as studies in Film and Music technique and criticism. Inducted into the Gamma Delta chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda - A National Honor Society in Continuing Education. Graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Published an essay in Outlet Magazine. Published articles and stories in White Knight magazine. Self-published a collection of short stories: The Other Side of Imagination - available at: i-proclaim bookstore. Please check it out and purchase a copy and thanks for your support.

Screenplays include: The Killing Hand (produced by Mindbeside Studios), Our Fellow Countrymen (produced by Mindbeside Studios), CensorThe Shades of Life (short), Deadly Fetish (in collaboration with Frank Cormier Jr.), Eleven (also with Frank, which placed in the top 10% at the prestigious Scriptapalooza screenplay contest), Virtue: The Way of The Modern Samurai (produced by Mindbeside Studios), and A Last Resort (produced by Mindbeside Studios). (feature),

Three unfinished novels (doesn't everyone!)

Associate Producer for The Killing Hand, involved in casting, location scouting, directing actors, and other multi-tasking requirement on set. Assistant Director for Our Fellow Countrymen - as above, including storyboarding. Wrote, directed, and filmed an employee training video for Coating Systems Group. Wrote and directed the short film Virtue: The Way of the Modern Samurai. Adapted the screenplay and directed A Last Resort for Mindbeside Studios. (Currently in post-production.) Conducted interviews for New England Art Scene podcast at: newenglandartscene.com

Regular contributor to The Comic Couch podcast and currently writing a weekly review column about newly released comics for Larry's Comics in Lowell, MA. Go to: http://larryscomics.net/ and sign up for the mailing list to recieve the weekly reviews.

Jarrod had a new story recently published with several co-authors. Secret Agent X - Volume Three: The Ruins of Lost Souls. This book is edited by Airship 27 productions and published through Lulu and can be purchased from their website here or at amazon.com here. Check it out!

More to come so stay tuned...

Steven Horlink
Production Manager

Steve is a one-man technical support team. His creative aptitude stems from instinctive resourcefulness and knowledge of various engineering perspectives. During production, he is constantly relied upon for a broad range of technical support -- from light fixtures, to camera mechanization, to action (he appears in The Killing Hand) and is usually the stand-in during stunt rehearsals.

His father was in the hardware business, and his friends were in the engineering field - a fortunate combination of influence that led him to graduate from U-Mass Lowell with a degree in business and a strong foothold in engineering science.

Steve's past projects, besides being the steady support crew for all of Mindbeside Studios' productions, include engineering designs of parade floats, support of the haunted theater attraction Darkenwood (see above), and the full replication of a medieval suit of armor that's on rotational display in numerous Massachusetts libraries.

Michael Belanger
Score Composer / Screenwriter / Producer

Michael has self-published music on the Internet under the pseudonym zDrive, and has garnered rave reviews visit www.IndieCraft.com

In 2002, Mindbeside Studios asked Michael to compose the score to The Killing Hand, which has received public acclaim. Through his dedication and proven talent in this and other areas, Michael was asked to join Mindbeside Studios.

In 2004, the year of our Presidential election Michael composed the score for the lauded Mindbeside project: Our Fellow Countrymen (directed by Andrew Sniezek).  Being a political satire, the film was a departure for the group. The score was no exception. Instead of dark brooding strings, pounding piano and wailing choral arrangements, the score was made instead with Banjo, harmonica and many other things that twang.

In 2005, with local filmmaker Andrew Sniezek, Michael co-wrote the score for the devilishly clever horror flic Acrylic Midnight (director; Joseph Schmalke) for an up and coming production duo The Brothers Epstein.

In 2005 Michael wrote the screenplay 'Self Storage' for director Andrew Sniezek (also directed The Killing Hand). Self Storage debuted in Fall of 2006 and garnered much praise. Micheal went to Cannes to support the film where it was accepted in the Short Film Corner.

Michael is an active member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists and spends what little spare time he has creating music and writing his feature screenplay "Urban Renewal", the story of a family that fights city hall who threatens to take their home. Michael produced the short film A Last Resort which filmed in summer 2008. The film is now available for viewing. More to come...