The Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Motion Picture, Television and Commercial Production, the Jacksonville Film & Television Office and other industry leaders, joined to celebrate local film and digital media production at the 19th Annual Jacksonville Film & Television Industry Reception held last night at the WJCT Studios.
 
Recognized for his creativity in the industry, George Birnbaum was presented with the 2019 Jacksonville Film & Television Industry Achievement Award. Birnbaum is a successful, innovative, cutting-edge director and cinematographer in television and feature films whose experience spans 38 years in the broadcast/media industry. He has an extensive background in engineering, news operations, live sports television and post-production. Birnbaum served 6 years in the United States Air Force as a television engineer, followed by 27 years for Media General Broadcast Group as director of engineering/operations manager at WCWJ-TV. He also served as project manager for Media General on several high-profile corporate initiatives.   
 
Birnbaum is CEO and founder of Gemstone Media Inc. in Jacksonville Fla. Gemstone Media is a full-service media production company that has been in operation for 14 year and specializes in post-production, closed-captioning services and live television events. Outside of the eight full-time staff, Birnbaum also manages a team of more than 180 freelancers to cover sports and entertainment events throughout the Southeast. 
 
Also recognized at the reception were 2019 Rising Star Award winners, Tami-Lee and Megan Moubray. This award is given to remarkable individuals under 35 in the local film and television industry. Honorees excel in their specific craft, show progressive advancement in their careers, serve as role models and stand out as potential stars of the future.
 
An alumna of The Art Institute of Jacksonville, Tami-Lee earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Film & Video Production in 2014. She immediately joined TV Jax and worked as a camera operator, editor, and producer. At TV Jax, Tami-Lee created content through partnerships with On Ideas, Metro Jacksonville, and 1010XL. She directed her first feature film, ‘Me and Mrs. Jones’, alongside writer/director Chad Hendricks. The film is currently making the rounds in film festival circuits and was recently selected by the Rendezvous Film Festival. Her first pilot for TV, ‘The Rose Order’, is now streaming on Amazon Prime.  Tami-Lee is currently in post-production for a mental health talk show, titled ‘Intake.’  She also teaches digital film at the Jacksonville Arts and Music School. Tami-Lee and her fiancé Nicholas Largen run a production company called Wonderline Media, offering various video production services for businesses and local creators. They also offer demo reel services to actors looking to expand their portfolios.
 
Megan Moubray has been working in production since graduating from the University of North Florida in 2006 with a degree in Communications – Broadcasting. She began her career at DVA as an intern and very quickly moved into a full-time role as an assistant producer. Along the way, she was fortunate to learn the art of food styling from Gloria Norton. Gradually, she began handling clients on her own and was an integral part of the team that formed CROP Creative Media in 2012. Today, Moubray continues to maintain relationships with some of the clients she first encountered as an intern, speaking well for her ability to retain business. In a relatively short 13 years, Moubray has had the opportunity to produce, direct, edit, style food and travel. As the senior producer for CROP, her work has taken her from Los Angeles to New York City, enabling her to gain a broad perspective on her craft and passion for storytelling. Moubray is honored to work with countless nonprofits based here in Jacksonville, including Wounded Warrior Project and Project: Cold Case. Recent projects for both won ADDY Awards in 2018.
 
About the Jacksonville Film & Television Office: The Jacksonville Film & Television Office, a division of the City of Jacksonville’s Sports & Entertainment Office, works with local film, digital media and related businesses to enhance job creation and economic development. In the last 14 years, the office assisted more than 1,320 productions and generated an economic impact of over $39.3 million and more than 12,720 local jobs. More information can be found at www.filmjax.com.