Founder / Executive Producer

Executive Producer Melissa Ciampa started her own production company Spittn Image in 2008 with no start-up funds or a business plan. Fueled by the company’s motto “Creating What Matters,” over the past nine years, Melissa has built a full-service production company that provides client service with integrity. Having started her industry career working for Tracy Edmonds, Queen Latifah and Monifah; Melissa has worked on projects for such high-profile music artists as Rihanna, Britney Spears, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Flo-Rida, Pink, Nas, and Coldplay. She has produced commercial campaigns for McDonalds, MasterCard, Ikea, Jaclyn Smith, and the billion-dollar Kathy Ireland brand. Additionally, she produced several feature films, including the multi-million dollar “Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon.” Today, Melissa applies her combined industry experience as she manages the growth of Spittn Image, which is emerging as a model of a production company, able to be as vast or nimble as projects and budgets require. A pivotal moment for Spittn Image, says Melissa, was the production of short film “John Doe,” which went on to win three prestigious awards on the indie film festival circuit and was picked up by Shorts TV for distribution. In addition to the short film, Melissa and Spittn Image have produced several impactful PSAs. Key projects over the past nine years produced by Melissa and Spittn Image include three seasons of “The League” promo campaign, including print and the commercial tie-ins for “Sons of Anarchy.” Four seasons of “American Horror Stories” promo campaigns, starting with “Freak Show” in 2014 through “Cult” in 2017; and the first two seasons of “Atlanta,” and the “Feud” promo and print campaign. Although Spittn Image is based in Los Angeles, Melissa has shot projects in cities around the U.S. including Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, Miami and New York. She has traveled around the world for Spittn Image productions, shooting in the Bahamas, Guam, Mexico, and in Toronto and Vancouver. Melissa and Spittn Image have also acted as a service company for commercial projects and ad agencies based in Canada and Belgium. Well-known Directors that Melissa and Spittn Image have collaborated with include Marc Klasfeld, Paul Tolton, and Photographers Matthias Clamer and Frank Ockenfels. Melissa and Spittn Image Creative Director Shawnette Heard, also a Choreographer, continue to produce music videos and are tapped into the Los Angeles and New York dancer community, creating various indie projects for Choreographers/Directors.

Director / Creative Director

Spittn Image Creative Director/Director Shawnette Heard began her career as a Dancer, Choreographer, and Artistic Director, collaborating with some of the music industry’s most iconic artists including: Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Tina Turner. Shawnette started her dance training at the Inglewood Playhouse run by Ruth Ashton Blake, and continued her training at CalArts, excelling in their intensive dance program. Gaining recognition from established artists including Janet Jackson, Shawnette was invited by Jackson to join her exclusive team of dancers, beginning an artistic collaboration that would last a decade. While collaborating with Jackson, Shawnette grew from Dancer, to Choreographer, and ultimately to Co-Creator/Artistic Director for Janet’s “All For You” World Tour. Shawnette garnered international attention, and began traveling the world collaborating with music artists in Japan and the Middle East. Serving for a decade as the Creator/Choreographer/Artistic Director for Japan’s Osaka School of Music’s annual performance ceremonies. Shawnette guides and supports the growth of students across the globe! Her home studio where she passes the gift of dance along is in Los Angeles, CA. Debbie Reynolds Legacy Studios. A few years ago, Shawnette made the natural evolution to Filmmaker, having an innate understanding of how to communicate story through arresting imagery, rhythm, and dynamic movement. As Creative Director/Director for the full-service production company Spittn Image, Shawnette directed the three-time, award-winning short film, “John Doe.” She also just recently directed the music video “MIAMI” for the upcoming pop sensation Taylor Grey. Shawnette says she is still “just beginning” with her upcoming short film “The Witching Hour” set to start production mid January.