Hopwood Depree
Encyclopedia
Hopwood Depree is an American
actor
, film director
, producer
and screenwriter
. He is the founder and CEO of TicTock Studios and co-founder of the annual Waterfront Film Festival
. He also has been appointed to the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council by Michigan
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.
He has produced, written, directed and starred in two award-winning independent feature films and has sold and/or written feature film scripts for TriStar Pictures
, MGM, The Weinstein Company
, Artisan Entertainment
, Neal Moritz and Lionsgate.
. After graduating from Holland High School in 1988, he moved to Los Angeles
where he attended the University of Southern California
. He won his first paying role (Rhinoskin: The Making of a Movie Star) when a casting director (Mali Finn
) saw him in a small play. After Hopwood's performance in The Last Big Attraction, director Whit Stillman
introduced him to a producer who got Hopwood a deal with Warner Bros.
to star in his own TV show.
After a visit home to Michigan, Hopwood saw an opportunity to give back to the community that he grew up in. He decided to convert an old, abandoned whip-cream factory into several sound stages and hire unemployed auto and manufacturing workers as crew members. That factory eventually became Tictock Studios which has developed a training program, targeted at below-the-line workers, to get new crew members ready for work. Hopwood was able to recruit Jeffrey Stott, a veteran Hollywood movie producer, to help teach the training classes. Stott served as the Executive Vice President of Castle Rock Entertainment
from 1988-2002.
He was appointed to the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council to represent broad areas of film and motion picture making, production of television programs and commercials, and related industries in Michigan
for a term expiring September 30, 2013.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. He is the founder and CEO of TicTock Studios and co-founder of the annual Waterfront Film Festival
Waterfront Film Festival
The Waterfront Film Festival takes place annually in the town of Saugatuck, Michigan in the United States. It is in its 13th year as of 2011.Ranked as one of the top 5 film festivals in the world by SAGIndie in the Screen Actors Guild Magazine, the Waterfront Film Festival draws thousands of movie...
. He also has been appointed to the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council by Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.
He has produced, written, directed and starred in two award-winning independent feature films and has sold and/or written feature film scripts for TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. is an American film production/distribution studio and subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
, MGM, The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company is an American film studio founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 2005 after the brothers left the then-Disney-owned Miramax Films, which they had co-founded in 1979...
, Artisan Entertainment
Artisan Entertainment
Artisan Entertainment Inc. was a privately held independent American movie studio until it was purchased by a Canadian studio, Lionsgate, in 2003. At the time of its acquisition, Artisan had a library of thousands of films developed through acquisition, original production, and production and...
, Neal Moritz and Lionsgate.
Biography
Hopwood was born and grew up in Holland, MichiganHolland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
. After graduating from Holland High School in 1988, he moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where he attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He won his first paying role (Rhinoskin: The Making of a Movie Star) when a casting director (Mali Finn
Mali Finn
Mali Finn , born Mary Alice Mann, also known as Mally Finn, was an American Hollywood casting director and a former English and drama teacher...
) saw him in a small play. After Hopwood's performance in The Last Big Attraction, director Whit Stillman
Whit Stillman
Whit Stillman is an American writer-director known for his sly depictions of the "urban haute bourgeoisie" Whit Stillman (born John Whitney Stillman on January 25, 1952) is an American writer-director known for his sly depictions of the "urban haute bourgeoisie" Whit Stillman (born John Whitney...
introduced him to a producer who got Hopwood a deal with Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
to star in his own TV show.
After a visit home to Michigan, Hopwood saw an opportunity to give back to the community that he grew up in. He decided to convert an old, abandoned whip-cream factory into several sound stages and hire unemployed auto and manufacturing workers as crew members. That factory eventually became Tictock Studios which has developed a training program, targeted at below-the-line workers, to get new crew members ready for work. Hopwood was able to recruit Jeffrey Stott, a veteran Hollywood movie producer, to help teach the training classes. Stott served as the Executive Vice President of Castle Rock Entertainment
Castle Rock Entertainment
Castle Rock Entertainment is a film and television production company founded in 1987 by Martin Shafer, director Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, Glenn Padnick and Alan Horn. It is a subsidiary of Warner Bros...
from 1988-2002.
He was appointed to the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council to represent broad areas of film and motion picture making, production of television programs and commercials, and related industries in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
for a term expiring September 30, 2013.
Filmography
- Film - In 1994, Hopwood produced, directed and starred in Rhinoskin: The Making of a Movie Star, a documentary about the struggle of young actors seeking work in Hollywood. He also produced, directed, and wrote The Last Big Attraction in 1999, which received one nomination at the Hamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...
and won three awards at the Newport International Film FestivalNewport International Film FestivalNewport International Film Festival was an annual film festival in Newport, Rhode Island, established in 1998 .The Newport Film Festival was generally held the first week in June and featured various international films at several local cinemas...
. His most recent film role was in 2001 when he played Ted in North Beach.
- Television - He played the role of the defendant in a 1993 episode of Doogie Howser, M.D.Doogie Howser, M.D.Doogie Howser, M.D. is an American television comedy-drama starring Neil Patrick Harris as a 16-year-old doctor who also faces the problems of being a normal teenager. Created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, ABC aired the show from 1989 to 1993 for four seasons totaling 97 episodes.-Plot:Dr....
and was Paul Watkins in the 2004 TV movie Helter Skelter
- In Development - Hopwood is currently in post-production of the film "What's Wrong with Virginia which stars Jennifer ConnellyJennifer ConnellyJennifer Lynn Connelly is an American film actress, who began her career as a child model. She appeared in magazine, newspaper and television advertising, before making her motion picture debut in the 1984 crime film Once Upon a Time in America...
, Ed HarrisEd HarrisEdward Allen "Ed" Harris is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, Radio, The Rock, The Abyss, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, and The Truman Show. Harris has also narrated commercials for The Home Depot and other companies...
and Emma RobertsEmma RobertsEmma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
.