James E. Moriarty

In his almost 30 years as a creative professional, James has produced a wealth of projects including independent documentaries, industrial/short films, commercials, and music videos. James is the co-owner of Moriarty Media, a full-service media production company. Among his clients are Airstream, DaimlerChrysler, RCA Thomson, Kellogg Foundation, Marco Specialties, ExactTarget, WFYI (PBS), Indianapolis Fire Department, IU Health, Indiana State Fair, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art and the Black Rock City LLC. James earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1991, where he studied painting, graphic design, photography, filmmaking and performance.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

It was 3 AM, and I was photographing in a grove of ferns and pine trees in Michigan. I was shooting an art installation of lasers ricocheting off mirrors and prisms at “Lakes of Fire,” an annual experimental arts celebration. As I adjusted my camera’s shutter speed to take another picture, a tall hooded woman wielding a fiber optic whip approached me. She asked me if I would take some pictures of her with her companion. I cheerfully agreed, and a man stepped up and introduced himself to me as Paul Mandeltort.

Paul said he had been watching me work. He told me his father was the founder of a company that repaired pinball machines. Paul wanted me to do a documentary film about his father and the business, and I told him it sounded like a fun project. We exchanged contact info, and I walked back to my camp as the birds started to sing.

When I returned home, Paul and I started corresponding. We talked about pinball’s history and how it was a ripe topic for filmmaking. Paul invited me to my first pinball convention and then a tour of their headquarters, Marco Specialties, to work on the documentary.

At the convention, Paul enrolled me in my first split flipper pinball tournament. I had a blast. While shooting the convention, I met Imoto Harney, a talented filmmaker. We traded our video reels and filmmaking war stories, and I realized we both had the same indie approach to our filmmaking. Paul suggested that Imoto and I should work as a team, and I happily agreed.

When we arrived at the Marco HQ, I was amazed to see their extensive inventory of pinball parts. This place was a stop-motion animator’s dream. I fantasized about seeing those parts dancing around the screen in some kind of animated film. The interviews went fabulously, and I returned home with more footage than I needed. Imoto and I worked together on the post-production of the “About Marco” video, and everyone was pleased with the results.

Imoto and I went on to collaborate on more projects. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Imoto proposed that this would be the time for me to concentrate on a pinball-themed narrative feature film. I really wanted to make that movie, and I didn’t take a lot of convincing.

I started structuring a story based on what I had learned about pinball from my work for Marco. My creative partner Jim Mitchell and I drafted an outline. Then Imoto came on board, and with advice and comments from Paul, we wrote a draft screenplay. We sought feedback from a diverse group of people of different ages, backgrounds, and experiences with pinball. We learned a lot, and we proceeded to finalize the “Skill Shot, Baby!” screenplay.

Narrative storytelling will always have a lasting impact on popular culture. If pinball is going to remain a viable recreation in the future, it needs to grow its circle of influence. I believe “Skill Shot, Baby!” is an upbeat story that will introduce young people to pinball culture. And the film has plenty of pinball nostalgia that the veteran lovers of the game will enjoy. I can’t wait to start filming it.

Paul Mandeltort

Born into the world of Pinball, Paul studied electrical engineering at Georgia Tech, worked as a product manager at National Instruments, and a Director at Stern Pinball, and is now the CEO of Marco Pinball Inc, one of the most recognized community-oriented companies in the Pinball Industry.

Jim Mitchell

Jim has been a creative collaborator with Director James Moriarty since the early 1980s, including a wide range of audio, video and stage projects. He is extremely pleased to be working again with James in a creative capacity, as well as employing his project management, business and legal skills for a new major project. Jim has over 23 years’ experience as a corporate environmental attorney, negotiating contracts and government settlements, and project managing large scale transactions and site cleanups. Jim’s special talent is “herding cats” – his ability to understand and balance the diverse motivations and interests of multiple parties, maintaining focus and getting to a successful, cooperative meeting of the minds. Jim’s skill set complements and supports the rest of the creative team in the successful production and distribution of SKILL SHOT, BABY!

Imoto Harney

Graduating with a B.A. from the film & video program at Georgia State University, and studying cinema abroad at Temple University Japan, has helped shape Imoto’s life-long passion of creating meaningful content for this Universe. Imoto has worked over the past decade in the medium of video and photography. Immersing herself in the ever-changing world of digital acquisition, she’s mastered the art of capturing the moment.

Imoto is the CEO and owner of multimedia production company, Captain Crazy Productions, Inc. Imoto has created content for several companies over the years including Nintendo, Redbull TV, Wells Fargo, Delta, WebMD, The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Georgia Shakespeare Co., and the Atlanta Film Festival.

Imoto travels the world exploring gaming culture, currently focusing on the resurgence of arcades and pinball. Her goal is to help these public and social gaming experiences thrive by encouraging everyone to get out of their houses and visit local arcades and gaming events. Imoto works directly with Marco Pinball and other organizations to promote their events, expos and arcade locations by creating exciting video walkthroughs, commercials, and other social media content. She hopes to inspire more people to embrace gaming culture, its colorful community, and to help them find their passions in the gaming world.

Jennifer Ruper

Much of Jen's professional career has been in learning and development for the past eight years, although after she clocks out, her focus is on pinball. During the day, she is responsible for creating, organizing, and executing training programs and workshops. By night, she is an avid player and enthusiast who is passionate about getting others excited to play pinball!

Brian “Chip” Birge

PRO AFFILIATION: ASCAP #1579611

Brian “Chip” Birge is a multi-instrumentalist with over 30 years of experience behind and in front of the glass. He has written hundreds of songs, produced for dozens of artists, and performed as a solo artist on several records. Chip brings an encyclopedic knowledge of musical style to every project while adhering to the “if it sounds good it is good” philosophy of production. Chip is the producer/performer of the “Skill Shot Baby Theme Song”.

Lisa Barcy

Lisa Barcy is a mixed-media artist, award winning animator, and native Chicagoan. Her work includes stop-motion and experimental animation, collage, book arts, and theater puppets. Her short films have screened all over the world including Slamdance, The Ottawa International Animation Festival, The Black Maria Film Festival, and Chicago International Film Festival. She’s also created music videos for musicians such as Andrew Bird and created animated projections for dance performances by The Seldoms. Her BFA is from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and MA from Columbia College Chicago’s Interdisciplinary Arts program. She teaches at DePaul University.