About Us

Changing Lives One Frame at a Time

The Movie Institute is a 501(c)(3) youth development nonprofit organization that empowers young people with career development and positive character growth through a variety of motion media camps, workshops, classes, after school programs and real world training in professional-level videos for businesses and other nonprofits.

Their Future is Our Future

The Movie Institute has developed an effective and unique method of using the creativity and discipline of the motion media arts and sciences to mentor and train vital life and leadership skills in young people so that they can create contributing, purpose-driven and successful lives. 

Our Mission

The Movie Institute is dedicated to the training of life and leadership skills in young people and adults through the creativity and discipline of the motion media arts and sciences.

Our Vision

Our vision is for a community filled with people leading productive and successful lives.

History

The Movie Institute was founded  by Keith Randal Duncan with co-founder Martha Duncan in the year 2000. Our flagship program, Kamp Hollywood moviemaking summer camp has produced graduates who used their experience and training to get into acclaimed post-secondary schools such as NYU, SMU, UCLA, Cal-Arts, Columbia University, and USC Film Schools. Based in Collin County Texas, we are expanding our program offerings and scope to better serve the community in North Texas. 

LEADERSHIP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Keith Randal Duncan

Interim Chairman, Chief Imagination Officer and Founder

Keith is a veteran of film and video production with over 40 years of experience in the industry. He is a current member and former two term board member of the Dallas Producers Association, founding member of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance and member of the American Film Institute.

In 2017, he retired from his job at MediaTech, a post-secondary media career college where he worked as an instructor and curriculum writer, in order to devote his efforts, full-time, to the expansion and growth of The Movie Institute and other related projects.

He recently wrote & directed an award winning short film called “Deepest Dark” and has been working on a massive transmedia project called Battle Run, which will kick off with a web series. Production on the Battle Run web series is set to begin in 2023. Some of his credits can be found on the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).

Keith earned his Nonprofit Management Certificate from the Center for Nonprofit management and Brookhaven College.

Martha Duncan

Board Secretary and Co-Founder

Martha has over twenty years in media marketing, working with firms such as Temberlin-McClain, Bedford Advertising, Broadcast News Corp. and Time Warner Cable. She has a BBA from the University of North Texas. Her resume also includes production project management for nationally broadcast programs starring Terry Bradshaw and Peggy Fleming. 

George Elam

Treasurer

George Elam has been a Texas CPA for over twenty years concentrating in the areas of accounting, tax, and business strategy. George has a Bachelor of Science in Business and Public Administration from The University of Texas at Dallas.

Stacey Vail

Chair Elect and CEO

Stacey is a strategic leader with more than 30 years of experience driving growth, improvements, and transformation for Global 500 companies. She previously served as Vice President, ITSM Managed Solutions at BGSF. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications from Texas Woman’s University and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Wesleyan University. Both her children are Kamp Hollywood alums, and she has seen first-hand how MI programs lead to future careers.

Natasha Cooks
Director

Vice President of Cloud and Predictive Analytics, Citibank. Natasha is a professional with over 10 years’ experience in the I.T. arena within the financial and consulting industries. She also possesses a certificate from MediaTech Institute in Digital Film Production. In addition, Natasha is the parent of an MI Alum, Adrian Cooks, who credits MI with helping him develop skills that have served him through college and beyond.

Johann Gerdts

Director

Commercial Real Estate Advisor at TIG Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc.
Experienced Associate with a demonstrated history of working in the commercial real estate industry. Skilled in Microsoft Excel, Sales, Management, Business Development, and Financial Analytics. Strong professional with a Bachelor’s Degree in B.S. Finance, and B.S. Global Business from the University of Texas at Dallas – Naveen Jindal School of Management.

Charles Haley, Jr.

Director

Senior Associate, Commercial Real Estate Advisor at TIG Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc. Known as a strategic leader and concept-to-execution driver, with solid expertise in directing a team to surpass goals, optimize productivity, and boost efficiency. MBA Tulane University School of Architecture

Jim Nelms

Director

Partner with US Real Estate Partners, LLC. Jim has more than 30 years of commercial real estate experience with an impressive client roster that includes high-profile firms such as Ford, KIA, McDonald Douglas, Marriott, Baker Botts, LLP, Trans-America, Credit Union of Texas, and New York Life, among others.

Joshua Hurst

Director

Hurst Digital is an Emmy® award-winning, turn-key digital production company based in Dallas, Texas, helping organizations tell their stories to customers and employees through strategy and visual content creation.


Find me on LinkedIn

Vincent “Percy” Jack-Hernandez

Director

Accomplished Program Operations and Product Manager with experience in overseeing large software engineering projects and employee resources, Percy is the Co-Founder of 360 Ventures while previously working as a Portfolio Manager for Community Backers, Inc. and Capital One.

Keith Wilson

Director and CFO

Keith Wilson is a Veteran of the United States Navy and a finance and accounting leader with more than 20 years of experience. His professional career consists of many different global finance missions within the U.S. Department of Defense and aerospace industry. He recently lived in France for 3 years while concurrently traveling the globe conducting internal audits for Airbus. Keith’s current role is the head of finance within the aerospace industry.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Stacey Vail
Chief Executive Officer

Tracy Anderson
Chief Operating Officer

Keith Randal Duncan
Chief Imagination Officer

Keith Wilson
Chief Financial Officer

MENTORS

John Cann
Production & Stunts

Jordan Jewell
Production & Editing

Lee Shapiro
Screenwriting & Production

Eric Jewell
Production & Editing

Logan Harris
Production & Editing

Amanda Elkins
Production Tech

Cameron Gosset
Production & Editing

Marlo Matthews
Production Tech

Gabriel Lee
Production & Editing

Bradley Glanzer
Production & Editing

Tiffany Vollmer
Makeup & Voice Over

Nyeela Ny Love
Production & Editing

Cyrus Sales
BTS & Editing

Devin Connelly
Production 

TESTIMONIALS

I love this program and the people who run it! As a kid, it was one of the most looked-forward-to weeks of the year for me. I still have lasting friendships with people I met there. Without the program’s instruction and ability to see young people as potential creatives with valuable opinions and not just children, I likely wouldn’t get to make films and commercials for a living today. Signing up for the program was one of the best investments I ever made in my future.

Matt Morgan

Co-Founder, Yacht Club Productions, Brooklyn, New York; Kamp Hollywood Alum, 2005–2008

Kamp Hollywood gave me the opportunity to find my passion in producing. Every camper gets hands-on experience and ultimately decides what their role will be. I learned all the film lingo and experienced the process of making a movie from writing out the ideas to screening the projects for our families, but most importantly I learned how to collaborate as a member of a team. I looked forward to going to Kamp Hollywood every summer and frequently reference my experience in job interviews. I cannot recommend this program enough. If you are a parent considering signing your child up, know you are giving your child a worthwhile experience, full of valuable information and fun times!

Shannon Cloud

Key Assistant Location Manager, Paramount Television Studios; Kamp Hollywood Alum, 2010–2013

Please never stop doing this camp. It was the reason I discovered my life’s work. Its makes a real difference.

​(Andrew directed and wrote the screenplay for “Searching for Sonny” which won Best Ensemble Acting and Best Screenwriting at the Phoenix Film Festival!)

Andrew Disney

Feature Film Director signed with CAA; Kamp Hollywood Alum, 2005–2008

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Visit our page on greatnonprofits.org for more testimonials and reviews of our programs!

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