About Us

The brainchild of Hollywood producers who have experienced – first hand – how much Hollywood and the publishing world crave true stories, TrueStories4Hollywood.com provides people with great stories the fastest, most direct connection to those who are in the business of buying great stories.

Current Hollywood and Media professionals who are members of this site include writers, directors, producers and production companies who are currently working with or have recently completed work for:

• ABC
• CBS
• NBC
• Fox Network
• HBO
• ABC Family
• Disney Channel
• TBS
• Disney Studios
• DreamWorks
• Fox Studios
• MGM
• New Line
• Paramount Pictures
• Sony
• Universal
• Warner Bros.

DOUG DRAIZIN

Doug Draizin's career in the entertainment industry has spanned over twenty years and encompassed many aspects of the business. His desire to know more and his unlimited energy have led to stints as a publicist, a talent agent, a personal manager, a film and television producer, a studio executive and a writer.

Doug hails from Roslyn, New York where he earned a BFA from the Institute of New York Tech. He began his career as a publicist and responsible for the publicity campaigns for the 1978 remake of the sci-fi classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and the Zucker brothers' first film, "Kentucky Fried Movie."

Doug then became a talent agent at the Agency for the Performing Arts where he represented such actors as Danny DeVito, John Candy and Pee-wee Herman. He later served as a Production Vice President at both United Artists Pictures and Lorimar Films before venturing out as an independent producer and personal manager.

Currently partnered with Val McLeroy in Epigram Entertainment, a management/production company that represents writer and director clients, several of whom are now working at NBC, CBS, Fox Network, ABC, ABC Family, TBS and HBO. The company also handles young feature writers and directors and continues to produce television and feature projects.

As a producer Doug was responsible in 1997 for Columbia Pictures' "Fools Rush In," a film loosely based on his own life, starring Matthew Perry and Selma Hayak. A year earlier he had produced Hollywood Pictures' "Spy Hard," starring Leslie Nielsen. The latter film grossed over $100mm worldwide.

In addition to producing "Fools Rush In" and "Spy Hard," Doug co-executive produced the 20th Century Fox film "Moving Violations," the NBC telefilm, "Kidz in the Woods" and exec produced "Safety Patrol" for ABC's "The Wonderful World of Disney." He was a co-producer on National Lampoon's "Dad's Week Off" for Showtime.

Doug most recently produced the independent comedy-drama "Love Comes to the Executioner" for Aura Entertainment.

Known for his creative thinking and sense of humor and with a reputation for fairness and one hundred percent commitment, Doug has earned the respect of the entertainment community.

VALLA RAE MCDADE MCLEROY

Directly out of college Val worked as an actress, script supervisor and costumer before venturing into the corporate side of the film business.

Expanding her knowledge of the industry and honing her media skills, Val went on to work as a development and production executive at entertainment companies including Atlantic Entertainment, Interscope Communications and Green/Epstein Productions. She has also served as a production controller and overseas production liaison.

Ms. McLeroy has spent the past twenty years expanding her knowledge and sharpening her media skills while working primarily as a development and production executive with brief stints as a production controller and overseas production liaison at entertainment companies such as Atlantic Entertainment, Interscope Communications and Green/Epstein Productions.

Most recently Val's energies have been focused on writing and producing. She was a producer on the award winning short film "Five Wishes" in 2000 and on two independent features, "Malpractice" and "Above and Beyond," in 2001. In 2002 she was one of the writers and producers on the well-received indy film "Spirit".

In 2004 Val co-produced "Torn Apart" starring Tia Carrere and wrote and produced "Heart of the Storm" starring Melissa Gilbert and Tom Cavanagh. The script for "Heart of the Storm" was based on a story developed with Doug Draizin.

Currently Ms. McLeroy is working on several feature projects. In addition to her own projects, Val has focused much of her energy on working with young writers, helping them to develop and polish their screenwriting skills. In 2005, Val formed management/production company Epigram Entertainment with Doug Draizin. Together they represent a small roster of writers and directors working in television and film.

Born and raised in Michigan, Val has never lost sight of the Midwest values she learned growing up and is widely respected for her integrity, honesty and story skills.

Ellen Baskin

Ellen Baskin is a professional writer and researcher based in Santa Monica , California. After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Masters of Fine Arts in Motion Picture/Television Production with an emphasis on screenwriting, she worked as a film and television development executive for more than a decade. The author of two books on film and television, Ellen is a feature writer for the Los Angeles Times Calendar entertainment section. Her writing has also appeared in Newsday, the Orange County Register, EMMY magazine, LIFE magazine and other publications. She is an experienced development and research consultant and has worked for film and television production companies, general interest and academic publishers, entertainment law firms and other companies. Additionally she has had her own screenplay optioned and is frequently hired to write selling synopses for various production companies.