Director Lenny Bass and Producer Mikha Grumet have been married for 26 years, but this workshop is not about building a long-lasting marriage. Instead, it’s about the intersection of a creative vision for a film with the nuts and bolts of getting it done on schedule, and on budget.

Both Mikha and Lenny have each built extremely successful careers in the industry. Lenny began directing music videos for MTV with musical luminaries like De La Soul back in the 1990s. That led to commercial work for clients Heineken, Nike, MTV, and BET. Lately, Lenny has focused on documentaries about race in America, Mikha meanwhile, has been Executive Producing and Line Producing commercials, documentaries, and television for over 25 years. She’s produced music videos for superstars like Beyoncé, Michael Jackson & Kanye West and commercials for name brands such as BMW, Coca-Cola & Moet.

Throughout their careers, Mikha & Lenny have worked together on numerous projects and have thought a lot about how the art of filmmaking requires a delicate dance between dreams and reality. In this afternoon workshop, they will use examples from their storied careers to explain how a director and a producer can collaborate to bring the best version of their film to life.

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS:

LENNY BASS, Director

Filmmaker Lenny Bass was born and raised on the forgotten borough of Staten Island. He credits the climate of his racially charged and divided hometown for his passion for storytelling. On the hour-long bus rides to integrate his predominantly Irish/ Italian New Dorp High School, Lenny sharpened the lens of his social perspective. Being the tri-racial son of a cop layered his complex community outlook and peppered the fabric of his later body of film work.

In the 90’s, Director Lenny Bass entered the world of Music Videos and immediately began establishing his own creative voice. Quickly becoming the creative force behind Music Videos for several Top 10 artists like Gavin Degraw, Fantasia, De La Soul, Charlie Wilson, Ruben Studdard, Anthony Hamilton, Kris Allen, Jill Scott, and many many more. His music videos later opened the doors to Commercial and TV work for corporate clients Heineken, Nike, MTV, and BET. Most recently he partnered with Moguldom Media documenting Rap Icon Jay-Z’s rise to industry power in “A Genius Leaves the Hood”. It is in the final stages of a self-produced Documentary about an African American convert to Orthodox Judaism called “Yid Like Me.”.

But it wasn’t until very recently that Lenny fully realized the importance of his social/ visual voice. In a recent interview Lenny says, “It’s taken me many, many years to uncover the story I want to share and now that I know it, I’m excited about my career all over again.”

Like a child ready to run, Lenny Bass recently completed a Video project for Singer/ Songwriter Alan Scott’s newest single “You Only See Me.” The song inspired by the “Black Lives Matter,” movement calls on all of humanity to take a stand for racial and social justice. For this project, Lenny returned to his hometown of Staten Island which 32 years earlier force-fed him the bitter pill of racism. On the same streets he grew up on and Eric Garner died Lenny collaborated with Alan Scott to create a clip that decriminalizes, humanizes, and uplifts the portrait of African Americans everywhere. In this moving heartfelt clip Eric Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr stands as a beacon of strength, hope and pride in the face of the injustices she has faced.

Over the years Lenny Bass has received several MTV Award nominations and in 2013 was the recipient of the Davey award, but it’s in his projects that delve deeper into the complexities of social, political, and racial relationships that he hopes to truly one day make his mark.

Check out some of Lenny's work HERE

MIKHA GRUMET, Producer

Mikha Grumet is a Creative Producer who thrives at the intersection of storytelling, collaboration, and big ideas. With over 25 years of experience in Executive Producing and Line Producing across commercials, documentaries, and television, she is dedicated to bringing creative visions to life while keeping the process seamless, inspired, and—most importantly—fun.

At the core of Mikha’s work is a deep commitment to diversity, inclusion, and creating content that truly matters. She believes the best work comes from projects she deeply cares about—where commerce and art meet, and something entirely new is born. She loves being the midwife in that creative space, guiding ideas from inception to reality.

Her passion for challenging assumptions and pushing boundaries began at UC Santa Cruz, where she earned a degree in Women’s Studies and Film. Under the mentorship of her thesis adviser, Angela Davis, who was both fierce and funny, Mikha learned the power of questioning the status quo—an ethos that continues to shape her work today.

Over the past 30 years, she has grown from a Line and Post Producer to an Executive Producer, leading teams at top production companies like Message Pictures, Even Odd, Ghost Robot, Greenpoint Pictures, Honor Society, 1st Ave Machine, Harbor Pictures, and Sibling Rivalry. She thrives on team harmony, clarity, and communication, believing that the best work comes from empowered teams with a shared sense of purpose.

Mikha’s portfolio includes award-winning documentaries, TV pilots, and high-profile commercial campaigns for brands like BMW, Ford, Cadillac, Moët & Chandon, Heineken, Coca-Cola, L’Oréal, DKNY, American Airlines, Mastercard, the NFL, MLB, Starbucks, and PBS. She has also produced music videos for icons including Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Kanye West, and De La Soul.

Her work has taken her across the globe, producing in Beijing, Shanghai, Prague, Budapest, Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Santiago, Mexico City, Bariloche, Buenos Aires, and throughout the United States—from New Orleans and Atlanta to Nashville, Chicago, Houston, and Austin.

In both life and work, Mikha is always looking for that balance between being fierce and light-hearted, pushing beyond everyday binary thinking, and creating space for meaningful, boundary-breaking stories.

You can see some of my commercial work HERE

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HUDSY Workshop: From 'Dreaming it up' to 'Getting it done'

How a Director and Producer Collaborate