Jeff Hasler has worked across the media landscape as a Producer, Director, Writer and Network Executive. He has been involved in the production or commissioning of Academy, Emmy, and Peabody Award winning projects that span a wide variety of non-fiction genres, from cable hits such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy , Biography, Man v. Wild, Cash Cab and Brain Games, to documentary feature films including Man on Wire, Werner Herzog’s Encounters at the End of the World, and Brett Morgen’s Jane. As President of Original Productions he oversees all development, production, business and strategic aspects of the company.

After 25 years of developing, producing and directing a wide variety of nonfiction projects, Brian is focusing that experience into creating evocative and elevated work at Original Productions.  Prior to joining OP in late 2018, Brian served as Vice President of National Geographic Studios where he developed and/or produced brand-defining work including feature docs Jane and the Cannes Gold Lion-winning Breaking2, hit series The World According to Jeff Goldblum, Live Free or Die, warzone embed doc series Chain of Command, the re-branded Brain Games LIVE and more. These executive roles were born from years directing and show-running a variety of series including Dangerous Grounds, Dual Survival, Belief and more.  Brian was actually part of OP back in 2003, producing Monster Garage and the first crab-fishing series America’s Deadliest Season, that would later become Deadliest Catch. 

Jeff Bumgarner oversees Original’s Current Programming as well as manages the development group. He has produced hit programs for almost every genre; from animation to game, to sketch comedy and true crime. His focus is to create culture shifting television, and believes its accomplished using three core tenets, having a thirst for knowledge, engaging in rewarding collaborations, and telling inventive stories.

A Los Angeles native, Ryan Abbott worked his way up through the television industry as an assistant editor and editor before becoming a Post Supervisor, where he found his passion for management. As a freelance Post Supervisor Ryan has worked for various production companies, including Rocket Science, Mentorn, and RDF Media. In 2007, he accepted the Head of Post Production position at 495 Productions, and is currently the SVP of Operations & Post-Production for Original Productions.

Andrew has worked in unscripted television production management for the last 25 years, from his early days as a freelance production manager in Los Angeles and New York, to his Line Producing days at MTV NYC, producing across all genres, formats and platforms. In 2008, Andrew moved back to Los Angeles and joined Sony Pictures Television, working in their International Networks group, and traveled the world setting up foreign versions of popular US formats The Amazing Race, Top Model, The Apprentice, Cash Cab, Minute to Win It, as well as two popular Fremantle formats, Idol and Got Talent. In 2015, he returned to his domestic reality roots, and joined the Fremantle family in 2017 as the Head of Production for 495 Productions, re-launching the successful Jersey Shore franchise.  Prior to re-joining the Fremantle family at Original Productions, Andrew served as EVP of 44 Blue Productions and as the SVP, Production at OP, Andrew oversees the logistics, and all the moving parts across OP’s robust content slate.

Darren came to OP in 2019 as an accomplished talent producer, content creator and executive producer whose career journey has taken him across the television landscape. He was creator and Executive Producer on series for Bravo and TLC, and from 2011 to 2014 was VP of Development at a boutique shingle selling three series and securing eight network development deals during his time there. Prior to that, Darren was Director of Talent at High Noon Entertainment, and has been Casting Producer on several hit shows for ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Discovery, TLC, FOOD, and The CW.

Meredith Prunkard has been producing, directing, and developing unscripted series for nearly 20 years. Before joining the team at OP, she produced almost every genre of nonfiction, across multiple networks and digital platforms, including CBS, Fox, Bravo, Netflix, Oxygen, TLC, MTV, E!, VH1, HGTV, DirecTV, CNBC, and CMT.  She was the recipient of the Women’s Image Award for Best Outstanding Reality Series with Funny Girls, which portrays the plight of female comics working in a male-dominated industry. Prunkard also created the first fully self-shot coming of age reality drama, Lago Vista, that focuses on issues of gender identity while helping to redefine the All-American teen. Now at OP, she continues her passion of telling authentically unique stories, while pushing the boundaries of traditional unscripted frameworks.

Tara is a multifaceted professional who brings a diverse background to her role as VP, Production for OP. With nearly 20 years in film and television, she has produced multiple genres from scripted features, music videos, and commercials to talk shows and factual entertainment of all types. She is an expert in global adventure series and prior to joining OP, Tara made TV all over the world, including Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted and Never Say Never with Jeff Jenkins for National Geographic. With her experience in both creative and production, Tara strives to produce industry-changing tv alongside her colleagues at Original.

Anna Nelson is the Human Resources Manager at Original Productions. Bringing over 10 years of entertainment HR experience her focus is company culture, employee relations, recruiting and strategic planning. Her favorite part of the job is working with the amazing group of talented people that come through the door!

Michael Lawson has a passion for content and exploring ways to bring in new audiences. Having worked with Mattel, The Kardashians, Howard Stern, and now Original, we’re taking every effort to build an exciting new client first marketing approach.

Tori Griffin fell in love with editing as a teenager after discovering that sitting alone in a cold, dark room surprisingly suited her sensibilities. She’s since expanded her focus, developing a skill in motion graphics, which she’s used editing unscripted television over the last decade. In 2016, she was lucky to have been a part of the Emmy Award-winning editing team for Eat The World with Emeril Lagasse. She now operates as part of the OP development team as its main editor and go-to graphic designer.

Lauren has been a Creative Associate at Original Productions since 2018. Prior to joining the OP team, she worked as an executive assistant at Agency for the Performing Arts, and held internships with Walt Disney Television and Jigsaw Productions. She is excited to be working with the development team as they continue to bring innovative and groundbreaking ideas to television.

Michelle got her start in the industry doing casting for unscripted television, where she developed a passion for innovative story-telling and discovering unique talent. For the past few years, Michelle has worked for Original Productions parent company, Fremantle. Now assisting OP’s president Jeff Hasler, Michelle feels right at home, and looks forward to expanding her development knowledge through groundbreaking content.

Scott Randol joined Original Productions as an Assistant Editor in 2000 before MAX Post came into existence. Except for a brief stint living on the Big Island of Hawaii, Scott has been at OP and now MAX Post over 20 years. Scott has seen OP grow from one small production company with 2 Avid bays into the large group of companies OP now comprises and the large post facility MAX Post is today. He promoted to Vice President, Technology and Workflow in September 2013 where he had previously been the Supervising Online Editor and had personally finished over 300 episodes of reality programming for OP/MAX Post. 

Kelsey Dyer got her start as a producer and AD on set, before transitioning a decade ago to post-production management, where she has worked on a variety of formats, primarily unscripted television and independent feature films.  As Director of Operations at MAX Post, she has been able to focus on her real passion: reimagining operational strategies and procedures to maximize efficiency.  With her team, she continues working towards further client-satisfaction, through her dedication to the spreadsheet, and the occasional Frasier gif.

Jason Tam is the Director of Media Services for Max Post. With 20+ years of experience in Post Production, he’s worked on providing comprehensive project, editorial, and finishing services for Original Productions, 495 Productions, and 20th Century Fox amongst others. Providing a strong commitment to bringing the vision of his creative partners to fruition is the number one goal.

Equally comfortable with a guitar, bass, DAW, synthesizer or Microsoft Office applications, Jordan furthered his passion for music during his time at Berklee College of Music, where he studied Contemporary Writing and Production. This program honed his knowledge of music and the techniques necessary to create production library music at a high standard. Always thinking of how to expand Amygdala’s ever-growing catalog, Jordan enjoys exploring the idiosyncrasies of composition and production of all musical genres.

Hannah started working in the world of production at age 19 as an onset production assistant. Through the last decade she continued working on the production side of things, moving on to being a production coordinator and eventual production manager. She eventually decided to make the move into production accounting, as she felt that was where her main strengths lie and preferred the calmness of it. It also gives her more time to spend with her favorite things on this planet- her rescue dogs, Atreyu and Scout.

Ernie Montagna provided Live to Tape Broadcast, ENG/EFP and rental house support before joining the OP family in 2008. A licensed pilot and drone enthusiast, Montagna collaborates closely with our creative team and leading industry manufactures to create bespoke camera systems to achieve unique shots in adverse conditions for our award-winning shows. He oversees OP’s GEAR department that supports production from start to finish, budget development and asset allocation. As a SoCal native, he enjoys outdoor activities with his family.

Jimmy D’Amico has been with Original Productions since 2009. As Equipment Manager, he oversees the day-to-day activities inside the Original Productions Equipment Department providing camera, audio, lighting and grip to productions under the OP banner. His experience in live event videography and production management has afforded him the skills to provide the proper equipment, support, service and growth to Original and its roster of shows.