Meet The Team

Bert Klasey

Director

Bert Klasey is an entertainment industry veteran with over a decade of experience directing, producing, writing and casting reality television and short documentary films.  Bert has developed, produced and cast shows for all major networks and his award-winning short documentary "Bringing Light" was featured in several film festivals around the globe and received international media attention.  Bert's passion for telling the story of lotteries in America started four years ago, and has only grown since.  When not working on Out of Luck, Bert can be found wrangling his three children and laughing with his wife, Kristen.

Matt Paxton

Co-Executive Producer

Matt Paxton is one of the top Extreme Cleaning Specialists in the United States.  Paxton is the founder of Clutter Cleaner, author of The Secret Lives of Hoarders and featured expert on the television show Hoarders. Paxton has used his vast experience to create the ServiceMaster Restore Hoarding & Estate Cleanup Program that provides compassion-focused cleaning nationwide.  Matt travels the country speaking about hoarding awareness and how to understand and effectively communicate with a loved one struggling with multiple disorders.  Matt is also a recovering gambling addict, so the issue of lottery gambling is important to him as he's seen, first hand, the impact that compulsive gambling can have on people's lives.  When not traveling, Matt lives in Virginia with his wife and 3 sons.

Fritz Weiss

Producer

Fritz Weiss, a Seattle native, lived in Los Angeles for 12 years, working as an actor and an independent film producer.  As one of the Producers of “Trailer Park of Terror” and “Soccer Mom” he helped both films receive World Wide distribution.  In 2010 he returned to the Seattle area as a Producer and Digital/Software Project Manager.  “Out of Luck” is his first documentary film.

Todd Soliday

Film Editor

Post Production Supervisor, Graphics

The infection set in at 7 years old, when Grandpa handed him that Instamatic Super 8 and a single cartridge of film.  It has now become a 35+ year obsession with the toys of the trade.  Todd is a jack-of-all-trades, veteran craftsman in production & post for just about every major network.  Specializing in documentary storytelling and adventure films such as PLATINUM (2005) (www.toddsoliday.com/PLATINUM) his current feature projects include: Post-Supervisor and Animator for FINDING HILLYWOOD (2013) (www.findinghillywood.com), Creative Direction & Animation for THE BREACH (2014) (www.thebreachfilm.com), and Director/DP for BIG SONIA (www.bigsonia.com) which is currently in production.

When not behind the lens or in front of a screen, he is happiest playing outside, or driving his Producer/Director wife to very important meetings.  Todd commutes between basecamps in Seattle and Sun Valley, ID but is geared up for production and post anywhere the world might take him.

www.toddsoliday.com

Doug Irvine

Director of Photography

Doug Irvine, also known as Brotherdoug, has 18 years of professional experience as a cinematographer and editor in the Seattle area.  He’s worked for international, national, and local clients from NHK Japan to National Geographic and ABC News. His projects have won nine regional Emmy awards, and he’s earned 2nd place in the New York Film Festival for Art Direction. He has captured images for shows like; Alaska State Troopers, Hoarders, Through the Wormhole and Treehouse Masters.  If you can't find Doug directing or shooting a new project, you'll find him with his lovely wife Mindy and his three kids.  Doug's favorite quotes.  "There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness." -Frank Capra.   "The enemy of art is the absence of limitations." - Orson Welles.

Steve Klasey

Associate Producer

Steve Klasey is a jack of all trades, producing, casting, coordinating, and shooting on Out Of Luck.  While this is his first feature length documentary, Steve has worked on short films, advertisments and corporate films in the Seattle area for a variety of clients, large and small.  When not working, Steve can be found in Seattle somewhere cheering on the Seahawks, Cougars, Mariners or Sounders, in no particular order.