About Me
My name is Valerie Bernard I am a Writer, Director and Producer and Owner and Operator of V. Bernard and Associates Casting. I have been a Casting Director close to 3 decades. In the last ten years I have crossed over to film and video production, Writing and Directing. I have completed short films, TV Pilots, PSA's and WEBISODiC series. I found my real love and calling as a Writing, Producing, Directing and shooting. My first Documentary Women Who Love Inmates in 1997 During the Production period of this documentary I did interviews with five women that met their inmate lovers by the means of pen paling or over the phone. One woman had very casual friendships with the man prior to his incarceration. After the second visit was asked to marry the prison. She devoted ten years of visits. I interviewed prisoners and got still photos and did voice-overs. It was a fascinating experience it was my first project Women Make Movies would considered it but I shot in a very low-budget on a VHS-C format. Live and learn. I aired the program on local public television and got great feedback from viewers.
I started writing a project to shop to television networks. I came up with a idea for a reality show about “stage moms” titled “That’s My Kid Up There”. I am an independent producer so I did everything myself. I was approached by Robert Sciglimpaglia who offer to help me. He offer assistance as an Executive Producer for TMKUT. "That's My Kid Up there was sorted out by The Dr. Phil's Talk Shows Producer Lisa Williams. I was also contacted by Warner Bros. Television by Amber Kirk bride the Senior Producer on the Dr. Keith Ablow Talk Show which also were doing a segment this same topic of stage moms. The Dr. Keith Ab low Producers contacted me to help select a panel of guests for the show with this topic parent with talented children and their problems. The producers of the Dr. Keith Ab low Talk Show selected the hosts of my pilot actress Nora Burns and her mom Liz Burns to be one of the guests was a great break they plugged our project we are still very hopeful and plan to shop the project. I also supplied them with a variety of guests on the show.
I started in the business as an intern for Sarah Hyde-Hamlet http://www.imdb.com/ back in the late 1970’s. Sarah Hyde-Hamlet was the Casting Director for Spike Lee and did work on one of his more well known films “Do the Right Thing”. I stuck to her like glue and worked as an intern for about 2 year as an intern. I sought out other castings jobs when possible in association with top Casting Director. Working along side Sylvia Fay Casting we provided talent for Carlito’s Way in the Grand Central Station scene, the NY Transit subways and the club scenes in NYC as well as numerous casting jobs with top A-List performers. I worked on a huge number of the projects with the offices of Sylvia Fay Casting during those early days. I worked along side Ardine Duran, Tracy Moore, Carolyn Sinclair, John Lyon, Twinkie, James Grimes, Steve Chase, Robbie Reed and Fumes and quite a few others top Casting Directors in NY. Working with J and G productions for over 4 years and we have booked many, many music videos, feature films, commercials and industrial's between 1980's and through present days. I've booked videos for Madonna, Salt and Pepper, Jay-Z and many others. “Above the Rim” a Spike Lee film starring the late Tupac Shakur and Leon is also incliude on the list of projects that I have worked on.
I provided talent for the award winning independent film Tree Shade Produced by A Wing and a Prayer Productions. Tree Shade was accepted at several top festivals and won numerous awards: Sundance, Berlin, Polo Ralph Lauren and many others. The Director of this film Lisa Collins is currently an executive for http://www.hollywood.com/ . Tree Shade (1998) is currently being distributed by "Women Makes Movies" and was shown on Channel 13 on the TV program REEL NY. The complete credits list is on http://www.baseline.hollywood.com/ and http://www.imdb.com/ I am currently developing a TV Series titled "The Lost Cell Phone Diaries" each story is revolving around New Yorker's that find lost cell phones. The same way all the stories revolved around "LOVE" in Love American Style. My episodes will revolve around people in NYC that find lost cell phones. My first episode is titled Cindy Heller a modern day version of Cinderella. Cindy Heller is the office door mat with a supervisor from hell and has two spoiled co workers(A modern day version of the Cinderella story) Cindy finds a cell phone on her way to work in a cab and discovers she has a retired alcoholic fairy god mother. I am planning to write ten episodes and I am currently writing Casanova Prankster episode 2 of The Lost Cell Phone diaries. I am currently seeking performers for episode 2. I am also shopping an additional Pilot untitled about the NYC Club Scene. To date I am working on a short film titled Star Struck 3.
The following films are Written, Produced and Directed by Valerie Bernard
1. Women who Love Inmates (A Documentary)
2. Twelve Hours and Four Walls (Drama)
3. Star Struck One-Crying in the Mirror (Drama)
4. Star Struck Two (Drama)
5. Runaways on St. Marks Place(Drama)
6. Abduction(Drama)
7. The Therapist (Thriller)
8. Three Wishes (Children film)
9. Somebody is Watching You(Thriller)
10. That's My Kid Up There (TV Pilot)
11. The Lost Cell Phone diaries (TV Pilot)
12. Cindy Heller (TV Pilot)
13. The Ultimate Exotic Dancer (TV Pilot)
14. Acting Reflections (TV Talk Show) "You Shouldn't Talk to Strangers"
15. WISHES (wEB/EPISODES)
16. SCARY STORIES
17. TALK OF THE TOWN (INTERVIEWS AND PSA'S)
18. BETRAYAL AND DECEPTION (DRAMA)
19. CONVICTION(TRILLER/DRAMA)
Clips available upon request.
