Meet the Phanta Media team
Our approach defines us… and our team makes it happen.
Mark Drager
Strategy & Creative Development | Founder
Mark's unique approach to communications, marketing and outright challenging clients to ensure projects succeed has led to the development of Phanta Media's unparalleled processes. Cutting his teeth in broadcast TV and an internet-franchising organization has taught him to embrace his philosophy: "good enough is never enough."
As well as being a husband and father of 3, he founded Phanta Media in late 2006 – well ahead of the Internet video bandwagon. Since then, he has grown the firm from a one-man-show – just him and a camera - to the growing 8-person boutique firm it is today. He loves his work, but would rather be in his garage working on his 1974 Austin Mini (which he painted his favourite colour, tangerine orange).
Daniel Moskowitz
Director of Business Development
Daniel's media sales background has given him a great understanding of how to bridge the gap between creative concepts and the business reasons that support them. He gets technology and understands how to make it work for Phanta Media and our clients. Honing his sales skills in conference sponsorship sales at ALM Insight Information, where he facilitated finance and legal conferences, was a light bulb experience – parting bankers and lawyers from their money spelled SUCCESS for him!
His time at various .com-company startups allowed him to stretch himself on such accounts as The Toronto Port Authority, SC Johnson and Trojan Condoms. Daniel is a true geek-at-heart; a real gadget-guy. His love of the movies (to the extreme) reminds him fondly of his climb up the corporate ladder from popcorn slinger at 13 to General Manager at 19 for Cineplex Odeon theatres. He even has a projectionist license to his credit.
Roland Echavarria
Head of Production
Roland is a Cinematographer first, Producer second, and all around great guy third. His vast technical knowledge and experience in cinematography, as well as the polished and artistic style he brings to every project, allows him to infuse the creative into business. Add to his credit multiple nominations for the Canadian Society of Cinematographer Awards.
Thinking back to a short film he produced during film school, he remembers fondly the moment he was pushed out beyond cameras and lighting to the world of producing. Transformative is the word he uses to describe "The Battery-Powered Duckling" project. Overcoming health, management and logistical obstacles that demanded his perseverance and tenacity, he saw the project through.
Roland often dreams of riding off on a shiny Harley-Davidson into the sunset (while listening to Bruce Springsteen).
Oscar Navarro
Producer
Because Oscar Navarro always wanted to be a director, he felt it was important to understand all the related jobs the best he could. He took full advantage of his film school education as well as lessons he learned from his production work in music videos and commercials; set design; long format work in TV series and freelance experience as a camera man, producer and video editor.
He’s the proudest of the knowledge and experience that he’s accumulated, making him a jack-of-all-trades; wearer-of-many-hats. This was the most apparent during the couple years he spent traveling across Canada (from The Yukon to Newfoundland) and down to Argentina creating episodes for an outdoor TV series, coming face-to-face with wolves, grizzly bears, moose, buffalo and many other wild animals.
Within his current role at Phanta Media, he brings fresh ideas, a keen eye and a willingness to push through and get the job done. But above that, Oscar calls himself a ‘soccer nut’, up on current standings and latest details of world soccer. He’s so dedicated that he’s been known to take the summer off to follow the Fifa World Cup.
Kyle Wilson
Post Production Supervisor
Over the last 7 years, Kyle has developed a healthy obsession for film and video editing. Working with various footage, people, processes and techniques fuels his creativity. He's driven by stress and late nights while he guides a project from bins to a final cut, bringing a clients' vision to reality. Always telling the best possible story from the material provided. Should we believe him when he says it's not always easy (he makes it look easy)? He claims it's a good reason to get up in the morning. A healthy dose of caffeine helps too.
Maneesh Malhotra
Motion Graphics | Editor
Having slogged it out through the freelance world for over 6 years, Maneesh honed his craft editing music videos, commercials, corporate work and independent films.
Maneesh loves creating beautiful images and challenging himself to explore new techniques with each project. His main goal is to broaden the scope of video by adding his own touch and some original flavour.
Maneesh definitely believes that the key to being creative, innovative and productive is to love your job. Which (lucky for us) he truly does!
Leah Earle
Junior Editor
Leah feels she’s come through a side door to video editing. It was her favorite part of the one-year post-graduate video journalism course that she took at Conestoga College. She followed that up with many hours of internship at Rogers TV Guelph where she often filled the role of News Anchor. Moving to Metroland’s Digital Video Group, she shot and edited corporate video gaining valuable experience.
Phanta has allowed Leah to focus on editing. The team is helping her to grow and develop her skills and in return she keeps their spirits high with her home-brewed Earle beer.
When Leah’s not editing, she likes to curl up with a good comic book – always looking to add to her growing collection of Batwoman, Saga and The Walking Dead.
Barbara Hunt
Marketing Coordinator | Admin
Barbara brings the spirit of creativity along with persistence and determination to her marketing and administration tasks at Phanta. She's seen both sides: during the 1990 recession voluntarily putting to rest her children's clothing company; on the other hand, nurturing a writers' conference into health existence during the difficult climate of 2009-10. She's proud to bring all she's learned to projects like MicroSkills Annual Gala Celebration.
Aside from working for Phanta, Barbara's trying to write the next great novel or hot screenplay to get to Hollywood!
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