MICHAEL MURPHY
Producer, Director and Writer
New Orleans native, Michael began his career as a freelance field producer for NPR, creating music programs that cast a spotlight on the diverse culture and music of Louisiana. He then forged an alliance with NHK- Japan, producing television and Hi-def theatrical programming that showcased the eclectic music of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. His work with NHK led to being hired to co-produce music festivals in Sasebo and Kobe. In 1992 he was recruited to help start the House of Blues chain, becoming a founding partner, and President of House of Blues Productions. He produced and created the Turner Television “Live From House of Blues” series and co-produced “House of Blues Radio Hour” for CBS. He left House of Blues in 1997, continuing to produce and direct music-based documentaries and concert films.
In 2004 he produced, wrote and directed the critically acclaimed music-based documentary, “Make It Funky!”, distributed by Sony Pictures. The film was being released in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. He worked with Sony Pictures to use the film as a fundraiser for the city. In November of 2005, he produced a benefit for New Orleans at the House of Blues, Los Angeles: “Second Line on Sunset”, streaming it live on MSN Video. This event resulted with an offer to head up video production for MSN. His first challenge was to oversee live satellite feeds of artist & celebrity interviews for MSN’s global web cast of Live Earth, and producing a series of eco-segments and interviews.
During his time with MSFT, he put together a video team of full time producers/audio/video techs, and planned and supervised the build-out of 2 video studios with 6 edit suites, supervised third party production partners, created original and branded content, and successfully developed and launched numerous series & specials across MSN’s broad channel base, and overseeing production of up to 60 series, creating audience based programming in Entertainment, Food, Finance, Health, Lifestyle, Fashion, Politics & Travel as well as continuing to produce live webcasts. In 2014, he left Microsoft, returning to his hometown of New Orleans and back to his love of creating music and cultural programming. After leaving MSFT, he began filming interviews for the next feature length film he was planning.
In 2017 he approached the Smithsonian Folkways label about creating a boxed set of CD’s to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. He subsequently became one of the producers of the boxed set, which was released in 2019. The set has garnered great reviews.
That year, Michael also entered into an agreement with Eagle Rock Entertainment to distribute his next film. 2019 marks the premiere of his feature length documentary “Up From The Streets®: New Orleans: The City of Music,” at the the 30th Anniversary of The New Orleans Film Festival.
EDUCATION & ACHIEVEMENTS
BA: Communications/ Major: Broadcast Video Production – Loyola University, New Orleans
Screenwriting course study – American Film Institute
Created an archive of 5,000 hours of television & online programming footage aggregated from 28 years of producing television, radio, & digital media content, now housed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive.
Voting Member of NARAS and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
AWARDS
- 2002 – 2013: Eleven Telly Awards
- 2011: New Orleans Film Festival. Nominated for Best Documentary: “Clarence John Laughlin: An Artist With A Camera”
- 2007: ReelART Festival: Music & Dance: “Make It Funky!”
- 2006: NAPA Wine Country Film Festival-Best Music: “Make It Funky!”
- 2001-Offbeat Best R&B/Funk/Soul Album: Legends of New Orleans: The Music of Fats Domino
- 1994: New York Festivals-Gold Medal: “House of Blues Radio Hour”
- 1994: Keeping The Blues Alive Award
SELECTED CLIENTS & NETWORKS
– Amazon, ARTE, ATT, ABC, BBC Radio, BET, Bravo, Eagle Rock Entertainment, Huawei, Jeep, Merrill Lynch, MSN, NHK, PBS, RAI, Ram,Shout!, Sony Pictures, SoNet, Japan, Starz, Turner TV, TBS, VH1 and ZDF.
CILISTA EBERLE
Producer, Production Supervisor, Post Supervisor
Cilista’s early career was in NYC working in feature films and music videos. On a “hiatus” year in Los Angeles she worked in television and on music videos including on the “12th American Music Awards”, and the appropriately named game show “Anything For Money”. She also worked on Bruce Springsteen’s: “I’m On Fire” which prompted the return to NYC, and working with John Sayles’ company, Red Dog Films, for 2 years. Returning to the freelance world, she worked on features including “Wall Street” and “Crocodile Dundee II”, and on music videos, ads, promos and PSA’s.
In 1991 she moved to New Orleans and began working at Michael Murphy Productions (MMP) as a production manager. She joined Michael at House of Blues Productions as SR. V.P., and worked as line producer for the Live From House of Blues TV Series, and production supervisor for all outside shoots in the club. After leaving House of Blues, she returned to MMP managing the company, while also working as a producer, field producer, post supervisor and production supervisor on MMP Projects. During the period that Michael worked at Microsoft, she continued to manage MMP and worked as Producer for MMP on projects including: Bayou Country Superfest; Broadcast to the Troops, and National Geographic Explorer’s “Can the Gulf Survive.” Cilista also maintained her own company producing web series, live webcasts and specials for companies such as Amazon, MSN Video and On 24.
She worked as co-producer on “Make It Funky!”, and producer on the Box set Folkways release: Jazz Fest: The New Orleans Jaz & Heritage Festival is the producer on “Up From The Streets®: New Orleans: The City of Music.”
EDUCATION & ACHIEVEMENTS
- BA: Art History – Stanford
- Archivist: MMP Library 1992 – 2017
AWARDS
- 2013 Telly Award – Kid Wonders
- 2011: Emmy: Line Producer (LA) and Research on National Geographic Explorer’s: ”Can The Gulf Survive?”.
- 2007: ReelART Festival: Music & Dance: “Make It Funky!”
- 2006: NAPA Wine Country Film Festival-Best Music: “Make It Funky!”
- 2003 Telly Award: 2002 Trio Goes To Jazz Fest /
- 2003 Telly Award: 2002 Best of Trio Goes To Jazz Fest
- 2002 International Monitor Award: 2001 Trio Goes To Jazz Fest
- 2002 Telly Award: 2001 Trio Goes To Jazz Fest
