Tom Greenberg

My sister says I was born with the "boat gene", and I have definitely tried to spend my life on or near the water.  At age 5, I went on my first fishing trip; nailing monster perch (at least to me…they were probably really 6” long) on Hubbard Lake, near Alpena.  By age 9, I was a veteran of many fishing trips to Ontario.  Growing up on an inland lake near Detroit, I used to beg to drive the family boat alone.  Before agreeing, my dad made me swim across the entire width of our lake (about 1/2 mile) to prove that I could make it to shore in case of an accident.  Passing the test, I was driving the boat solo at age 12.

After college in Ann Arbor, I spent 8 years working in retail as a salesman and a store manager for consumer electronics giant, Tech HiFi.  I managed 5 different stores during my Tech HiFi years, and gained a lot of experience dealing with the public. Tiring of the retail grind, I moved into the professional audio market and spent 12 years as General Manager of Hy James, a dealer of broadcast and recording equipment.  During this period, I moved back to the same house on the lake where I grew up (and immediately acquired a bunch of boats), and lived there for the next 25 years.

Because of my experience with early digital audio editing systems, in 1988 I got asked to work on Moontrap, a feature film being produced in Detroit, starring Walter Koenig (Mr. Chekov of Star Trek) and Bruce Campbell. I worked on Moontrap as a sound effects editor and sound designer each evening for 4 months after finishing up at my regular job.  Even though we were pushing the fledging digital technology to it’s limits, and experienced every computer disaster imaginable, the experience changed my life. 

I had a fantastic time, and as a result, decided to form a company to do similar work with two of the other editors on the film.  In 1989 we started Paradise Post, Detroit's first all-digital audio post-production facility.  Specializing in audio work for feature films, corporate marketing and commercials, Paradise Post developed into a strong presence in the Detroit post-production market. 

By 1992, I was starting to get really interested in video editing and computer graphics.  We decided to buy an early non-linear video editing system, but none of us knew how to run it, so I volunteered.  That was the beginning of my long career as a video editor. 1992 was also the year we started Paradise Digital Media Group, a dealer for high-end animation and graphics computer systems and software.  Paradise DMG was successful for a few years, with offices in Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis, but was eventually a victim of Internet pricing and competition.  Even though it ultimately closed, Paradise DMG gave me great access to factory training, software and products that I would have had a hard time getting otherwise, and let me hone my editing and graphics capabilities.

In 1994, I saw a need in the market for an innovative video and animation studio and co-founded Braincell Pictures.  I brought my 25 years of management experience to the table as President of Braincell Pictures, and acted as producer, post-production supervisor and project manager on numerous large projects.  I also worked as Braincell’s primary editor for a wide variety of clients, ranging from General Motors to the Detroit Institute of Arts.  During that time, I worked on everything from HD videowalls to PBS documentaries; non-profit fundraising programs, commercials, and high-energy corporate marketing pieces from our Royal Oak facility.

By 2005, the writing was on the wall for the automotive industry and SE Michigan.  I made the tough decision to close Braincell Pictures, and relocated my family to West Michigan to enjoy its great recreational environment and proximity to Lake Michigan (that boat gene thing again).

With long-time friend, Greg Houtteman, I co-founded EO MediaWorks, an integrated marketing strategy and media creation company meeting the needs of municipalities, non-profits, the recreation industry, and others, for websites and video production services.  I also teach editing and post-production at Compass Film Academy in Grand Rapids.  Being around young, aspiring film students has definitely invigorated me and forced me to stay current on our industry’s fast-moving technology and workflows.  I try to spend as much time as possible on the water and in the woods, with or without video camera in hand. You can contact me by email at:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it