The Filmmakers

Director GARY SHERMAN, who is also co-writer of "Poltergeist III," began his filmmaking career directing a one-hour documentary on the life of singer Bo Didley, then followed with the PBS documentary, "The Helping Relationship," for which he won an Emmy.

Born and raised in Chicago, Sherman studied design and photography at the Illinois Institute of Technology and became an associate professor in animation and optical effects there. He eventually became a commercial director, then moved to London, where his clients included Coca-Cola, Proctor & Gamble and Johnson Wax.

While in London, he co-wrote and directed his first feature film, "Deathline." Moving to Los Angeles, he began writing movies-of-the-week and television pilots, including "Island of Women" and "The Mysterious Two." In 1981 Sherman directed the film "Dead and Buried," then "Vice Squad," which became a critical and box office success. Prior to "Poltergeist III," Sherman directed "Wanted: Dead or Alive."

Sherman also wrote and directed the pilot episode of ABC's "Sable," which was based on the adult comic book, Jon Sable, Freelance.

Producer BARRY BERNARDI began his filmmaking career as production assistant to producer Elliot Kastner on "92 in the Shade." Afterward, Kastner hired Bernardi as his assistant, and Bernardi became a story editor, then an assistant director on "Farewell, My Lovely."

He left Kastner to work on "The Deer Hunter," then became a story analyst for various producers and film studios. He got back into the production side of fllmmaking when he joined director John Carpenter and producer Debra Hill as a production assistant on "Halloween." For Carpenter's next film, "The Fog," Bernardi served as location manager, transportation coordinator and production coordinator.

Bernardi became associate producer on "Escape From New York," followed by "Halloween II" and "Halloween III." Other films on which he was associated with Carpenter are "Christine," "Starman" and "Big Trouble in Little China."

In 1986, Bernardi co-produced "Wanted: Dead or Alive." He is currently Senior Vice President of Production for New World Pictures.

"Poltergeist III" co-writer, BRIAN TAGGERT, has written for the stage, screen and television, including such films as "Of Unknown Origin," "Visiting Hours" and "The New Kids." He wrote the highly-rated miniseries "V," as well as the television series that followed. His play, "When Last I Saw the Lemmings," won him an L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award.

ALEX NEPOMNIASCHY is a Russian-born director of photography who emigrated to the United States in 1974. After studying at the American Film Institute, he went on to photograph several music videos for such artists as REO Speedwagon, Stanley Clark, Amy Grant and Smokey Robinson. He broke into films as cinematographer on "The Last Resort" and has since worked on "Wanted: Dead or Alive" and the pilot episode of the ABC series "Sable."

Production designer PAUL EADS started out as a scenic artist and assistant set designer in the New York theatre, then moved on and started doing films as an art director. His theatre credits include "Candide," "Alfred the Great" and "Othello."

In film, Eads has worked as a set designer on "Stardust Memories" and "Arthur"; as an art director on "Jaws 3-D," "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and "Brighton Beach Memoirs," and as a production designer on "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "Trust Me" and the "Sable" TV pilot.

DICK SMITH, who is the special effects make-up consultant for "Poltergeist III," won an Academy Award for his work on "Amadeus" and an Emmy for "Mark Twain, Tonight!" His many film credits include the upcoming "Everybody's All American," "Starman," "The Hunger," "Ghost Story," "Scanners," "Altered States," "Taxi Driver," "The Sunshine Boys," "The Exorcist," "The Godfather" and "The Godfather, Part II," "Little Big Man," "Midnight Cowboy," "The World of Henry Orient" and "Requiem for A Heavyweight."

Costume designer TOM McKINLEY worked in New York theatre before beginning his career in film. He began as an assistant designer on the Woody Allen films "Stardust Memories," "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" and "Zelig," then became associate designer for Allen's "Broadway Danny Rose," "The Purple Rose of Cairo" and "Hannah and Her Sisters."

McKinley's other credits include "My Demon Lover," "Wanted: Dead or Alive" and "Sable."

Music composer-arranger JOE RENZETTI, who won an Academy Award for Best Adaptation, Score for "The Buddy Holly Story," began his career as a jazz guitarist, then moved into arranging music for such artists as Neil Diamond, Al Hurt, Dusty Springfield, Bobby Rydell and others. His television projects as composer and/or arranger include "Elvis," "Cotton Candy," "Diary of A Teenage Hitchhiker," "Through the Magic Pyramid," "Chisholm," "Marathon," "The Mysterious Two," "Rich Hall's Vanishing America" and "Sable."

In films, Renzetti has worked on "The Idolmaker," "Fatso," "The Exterminator," "Dead and Buried," "Under the Rainbow," "Vice Squad" and "Wanted: Dead or Alive."