The accomplishments of Cognitive Dissonance--from one-day tasks and guerilla projects to massive efforts that span months or even years--are engineered by our gifted and motivated community of members and associates. Each one has developed and continues to develop technical skill, poetic expression, and business prowess for the sake of the individual and the other members of the company.
m e m b e r s
PAUL GOLIGHTLY
was born in Sacramento, California and grew up in Grayson, Kentucky. In 2000, he came back to the west coast for school, acquiring a B.A. with honors in Theater and Creative Writing from Pepperdine University. At Pepperdine, he co-founded Cognitive Dissonance. Paul is a writer and director with some experience in technical theater and acting. He occasionally works as a stage manager in the Los Angeles theater community when he isn't wrapped up in a Cognitive Dissonance project.
MIRANDA JACKSON
came to Los Angeles to study Film and Theater Directing at Pepperdine University. She has since worked as a theater practitioner in Los Angeles. She continues a valued relationship with the award-winning Theatre at Boston Court in Pasadena. Miranda has collaborated with fellow Cognitive Dissonance artisans on several short films. She is currently working on the animated feature Horton Hears A Who at Blue Sky Studios. She resides in New York City.
T.J. VOLGARE
is a writer/director from Virginia just finishing his MFA in the Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. In 2003 he earned his bachelor's degree with honors from Pepperdine University, where he co-founded Cognitive Dissonance. T.J. has written, directed, and produced 7 short films, the last one of which he directed under the industry mentorship of acclaimed Southern auteur David Gordon Green. He is the honored recipient of four prestigious merit-based writing and directing scholarships at U.S.C. where he's also served as an editor on several award winning projects.
a s s o c i a t e s
JOHN HARRISON
is a cinematographer from Vancouver, Washington whose work has taken him to a variety of locations across the country and around the globe. His resume includes both fiction and documentary films for a diverse clientele that ranges from National Geographic to local and international non-profits. Currently he is living in Los Angeles where he's pursuing an M.F.A. in Cinematography at the University of Southern California.
JORDAN LEWIS
was born in Waynesboro, Virginia. He moved to New York to attend film school at Brooklyn College where, in 2003, he produced and directed "The Coloring Book Confessionals." This short film won Jordan the Brooklyn College Film Festival Emerging Director Award and marked his first collaboration with Cognitive Dissonance. He currently lives in Los Angeles where he's developing his skills as a director and working at a prestigious talent and literary agency.