Dean Hyers was already directing and screening his feature films at festivals nationally by age 18. Upon graduating from Gustavus Adolphus college, Dean launched his own interactive media company,Digital Café, as his entrée into the movie business. Through Digital Café, Dean directed and distributed electronic promotions for mainstream Hollywood blockbusters like Godzilla, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: the Movie, and Die Hard III. Upon selling Digital Café to advertising heavy-hitter Campbell Mithun in 1999, Dean returned to the director’s chair with his debut feature, Bill’s Gun Shop, which he also produced. Dean took top honors at the SMMASH Film Festival and won Minnesota’s top directing prize, the DL Maberry Award, for his work on Bill’s Gun Shop, which was subsequently released through Warner Bros.
Pete Machalek began making film and video shorts as a teenager, and in college fell in love with the process of communication that film and television represents so well. After earning a BA in Speech & Communications from Gustavus Adolphus college, Pete designed a unique program at the University of Iowa, earning a Master’s degree in Film Production and Communication Theory. Pete wrote, produced and directed the comic film-short An Existential Ennui, and ended up with an Academy Awards semifinalist in 1991, and has led a colorful career in marketing, publishing, writing, teaching, and training. Pete is past Director of Communications for the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Society of Training and Development.
HISTORY
Dean and Pete first came together in 1999 to create and lead a unique improvisational screen acting workshop that helped actors develop their ability to tap their authentic emotions at will, to connect powerfully with each other, and to think on their feet, to achieve their scene goals. Then, two game-changing events occurred:
First, the actors in the workshop reported that they were taking what they were learning into their day-jobs, and they were experiencing some profound reactions: Their boss was recognizing them, they were getting asked to represent the company, and to present to clients. They were rising in their careers, and they were giving all the credit to the workshop. They said that the training wasn’t just for actors, it was for anyone who wanted to win people over.
Second, Dean and Pete were tapped by a federal agency to train their covert agents in on improvisational acting, to help them win their way into their target communities. After a three-day intensive training process was met with rave reviews by the hiring agents, Pete and Dean recognized that they had something very special to offer.
In 2001, they founded SagePresence, and dedicated the company to help professionals and organizations face their make-or-break moments and win their audiences over with confident stage-presence and winning story structure.