Tom Herod has an extremely varied background in filmmaking and theater. He received his Masters degree in film production at the University of Texas under Rod Whitaker (the novelist, Trevanian) and was a Directing Fellow at the Center for Advanced Film Studies of the American Film Institute. He taught film directing and acting at Southern Methodist University and at the Los Angeles Film Actors Lab. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and was a member of First Stage Theater Group and moderator of the Writer/Directors’ Workshop at the Ensemble Studio Theater in Los Angeles.
During his forty years in film and theater, Tom put his training to good use, directing actors like Harry Hamlin and Martin Sheen. He directed the lead segment of the season and a special Halloween segment for the syndicated TV series “Missing Reward” and has extensive experience in the making of corporate films and television commercials which include projects for companies and organizations such as Texas Appleseed, First United Methodist Church, Precision Camera & Video, Materials Transportation Company, Wilsonart International, Sunbelt Transformer, Wavefront Technologies (Maya Digital SpFX System), MCS Computer Software, The City of Los Angeles, Jack-in-the-Box, Xerox, American Motors, Purina, Baskin & Robbins, and Radio Shack winning numerous awards (See list.)
In his forty years of production experience as an assistant director, production manager and line producer in the motion picture industry he has been involved with over twenty feature films, working with actors ranging from Bette Davis and Kathy Bates to Halle Berry and James Woods and Christopher Walken to Henry Thomas (see the attached list of features). As an actor he recently worked with Melinda Page Hamilton and John Ortiz in the NetFlix series, MESSIAH. He was part of the the production team for numerous national television commercials including clients such as Blue Bell Ice Cream, Wilson Golf Balls, Johnny Carino’s Restaurants, Burger King, Eye Masters, Goodyear, Honda Motorcycles, American Airlines, Xerox, American Motors, Buick, Curtis Mathis, Radio Shack, Southwest Airlines, Bonanza Steakhouses, The Texas Lottery, McDonalds, Bristol Myers, Pizza Inn and the American Heart Association. He has also helped to produce documentaries such as PBS-TV’s VAN CLIBURN PIANO COMPETITION, the drag racing feature documentary, WHEELS OF FIRE, and THE HERO’S JOURNEY (about Joseph Campbell) for PBS.
Tom’s Off-Off Broadway and Los Angeles theater directing credits include a variety of plays ranging from Harold Pinter’s THE COLLECTION, Robert Patrick’s KENNEDY’S CHILDREN, the musical, CABARET, and the comedy, THE FOREIGNER, to new works such as the LA premieres of AN EVENING IN PARADISE, GRAM FOLDS THE LAUNDRY and AFTERGLOW (which he made into a short film). Robert Patrick wrote in OTHER STAGES, “..Tom showed me my play anew…” , HOLLYWOOD REPORTER said his “…direction is sure and strong…” and DRAMALOGUE said he “…directs with insight and caring…”.
Tom is also the co-writer of five screenplays and one full-length play that was developed improvisationally at the Ensemble Studio Theater in Los Angeles and has served as dramaturg on several plays and screenplays by other writers. (See Script Doctor Tom under services)
