ED LEYDECKER
Partner – New Business Development
Ed is a master relationship-builder, hand-shaker, and friend-maker. We can’t go anywhere without running into someone he knows. He’s like the mayor of the City Market. People actually call him that. And with good reason, because Ed puts people at ease, makes things happen, always has the best advice, and can solve any problem with ingenuity and finesse. Which, incidentally, are also hallmark qualities of a great producer.

Ed also attended KU, as a communications major and a Sigma Nu. As a producer, he’s managed video projects for clients such as Jet Aviation, Jiffy Lube, John Deere, and Case-New Holland. Before venturing into video production, Ed worked a stint as the Director of Human Resources for the City of Olathe, Kansas.

Ed geeks out about cycling. He’s ridden Ragbrai, biked in New Zealand, and can tell you anything you need to know about the Katy Trail. He’s also really into his beautiful1840s farm – with good reason.

On Ed’s home stereo: any live Irish band that plays at O’Malley’s in Weston.

AMANDA CURTIS
Producer, Production Coordinator, Social Committee Chair
If your project was a party, you could think of Amanda as the one hiring the band, picking out the decorations, and arguing with the caterer. Amanda coordinates the details and does her best to keep everything organized. Just don’t look in her desk drawers or in the trunk of her car.

Amanda studied creative writing, literature, and film (yes, she’s a triple major) at Graceland University, which, unfortunately, has nothing whatsoever to do with Elvis. She began her career as a Jill of All Trades at Kansas City Public Television, before moving across town to WAF. Now she plans, produces, writes, and markets with a resourceful, imaginative touch and a genuine enthusiasm for her clients’ projects.

Amanda geeks out about the English language. She loves everything associated with words and grammar. Her favorite punctuation mark is the semicolon. She also has an old soul and should have been born in the 1920s, as evidenced by her affinity for things of yesteryear (antique furniture, vinyl records, and vintage clothes).

On Amanda’s record player: Billie Holiday’s “What a Little Moonlight Can Do”

KEITH JOHNSON
Creative Director, Alternate Dimension Engineer
Keith creates his own reality. He lives in a world of sketches, schematics, storyboards, and possibilities. While the rest of us are shooting and editing in 2D, Keith is charting stunning new visual frontiers. Daily.

Keith obtained a civil engineering degree from KU while teaching and performing jazz piano in and arround Lawrence. His project list includes spots for Nickelodeon, animation pieces for Sprint, and pre-visualizations for the Power & Light District. He's even worked on large-scale IMAX visual effects.

Although he spends much of his time in the virtual sphere, Keith likes working with his hands, whether with pencil and sketchpad or hammer and nails. If computers were never invented, he might have been a carpenter.

Keith geeks out about the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly local history, architecture, and music of the time. Another Keith fact: he drinks more coffee than you might have thought one person could reasonably consume. 

On Keith's playlist: Ravel, Mahler, Stravinsky

JEFF VAN BOCKERN
Post-Production Supervisor
Jeff is our everything guy. He carries around an extensive post-production to-do list on a yellow legal pad. Jeff grew up in South Dakota and he is yet another graduate of KU, where he earned his Bachelor’s in film. He was our intern first, but we liked him so much we hired him full-time. We haven't regretted it since. He's a pretty good dancer.

As an editor, Jeff’s work is evocative, intense and music-driven. Which is appropriate, because Jeff really geeks out about music, especially bands no one has ever heard of. His favorite genre is something called “trip-hop,” which is seriously hip. He likes gadgets, too. A list of Jeff’s interests include: flashlight pens; shop-vacs; bags full of clean, warm laundry; and riding mules up mountains in western Mexico.

Playing in our office because Jeff has us hooked: Bonobo’s “Kong"

BRIAN ROSE
Assistant Producer, Archivist, Googler
Brian has all the facts. The scoop, the skinny, the 411. He is the King of Google. He can find absolutely anything on the internet, any time of day, anywhere. We're talking royalty-free images, essential tidbits that make or break a project, and helpful online knowledge in general. (So far, none of us has asked him to web-stalk a potential date, but we wouldn't put it past us.) He uses his mad skills, along with his substantial writing and assistant-producing prowess, to complement just about every project that moves through our facility. You might say Brian has a mind like a steel trap. We do.

Brian studied history at Truman State University and obtained his master's in film at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, so his presence at WAF is easy to explain: Film. History. Yep. Brian has many interests and aptitudes, which range from stamp-collecting to claymation. He also provides a nice daily commentary on the latest Criterion Collection films to be released on Blu-ray. Always good to know. 

On Brian's car radio: Kansas City's own KCUR