Senior Editor/Production Partner Joe Gruberman: COS Spotlight

Joe became a COS production partner in 2003 and has worked on over 100 book videos! Joe is the Head of Production for all Wiley Publishing book videos and works on many other COS projects.

Joe has done book videos for authors such as Christine Feehan, C.L. Wilson and Susan Squires. Joe also does script writing for COS!

He is an award-winning writer/producer whose projects have included four independent feature films and three television programs, as well as many shorts and commercial ads, several of which have been produced under his banner of Bronck's Park Productions. An accomplished director, videographer and editor, Joe launched a free educational series for indie filmmakers in 2004 and continues that series to this day under the sponsorship of IFP/Phoenix, where he serves as Education Director. Joe is also an American Red Cross volunteer, and is on the board of the Arizona Screenwriters' Association.

Chief Technology Officer/Senior Editor Jacob Henderson: COS Spotlight

Jacob started with COS in 2002 with the very first book trailer, Dark Symphony. He produced all of the Behind the Scenes segments in the early years as well as working as part of the production crew.

Jacob has done a lot of hands-on work with special make-up as well as specializing in 3D modeling and animation. Recently, Jacob created a series of illustrations for National Geographic which will be used in a COS book video as well as used by NatGeo for posters and book covers!

In 2007 Jacob took over as web master for the COS website and in 2010 was promoted to Chief Technology Officer. In 2011 he attended Google I/O where he was trained to create Android apps and he is currently working on an app for COS’ Reader’s Entertainment site.

Jacob has been a production partner/editor since 2007 and does the majority of animation work for COS. He is an expert in video formatting and is responsible for archiving all COS projects, maintaining the database for COS and working on high level distribution of COS videos including all interactions with OverDrive, which includes over 7000 libraries.

Jacob lives in Northern California and works from the COS studio. His wife, Jen, often does voice over for COS. His daughter Kaylie often visits at the COS studio and often runs the office. She’s 3 years old, she runs pretty much everything.

Web Design and Technology Master Garrett Valdivia: COS Spotlight

Garrett started working with COS in 2010. Garrett is the web master for Reader’s Entertainment, creates websites for our clients, works in our distribution department and does special projects for COS.

Garrett is a kind of Jack-of-all-trades and excels at everything he does. We swear we have not employed any mind control over him to work with us. At least, not that he knows.

He's one of those people who can think fast on his feet and always tries to find a solution no matter how difficult a problem may seem. No, he did not pay us to say that. It’s really true!

Garrett is our Google guru, project management system guru and SEO guru. Just call him, “Garrett the Guru” we’re sure he’ll answer to that.

He sets up COS players for our bookseller/librarian program and we often turn to him with internet questions. He works directly with our Chief of Technology, Jacob Henderson.

He grew up in Southern and Central California with an intense interest in creative media. During his school years, he learned graphic arts, music theory, and many things about film and video game production.
After graduating early, at the age of 16, he got a job at Soundtrax Studios as a Foley Artist and spent several months recording sound effects tracks for various theatrical films, including PoolHall Junkies.

Then moving to Central California, he became more interested in web design and web marketing. He spent several years making a living with these skills, focusing on learning and delivering bleeding edge technology with his websites and teaching people how to market their site so that it actually brought them the results that they wanted.

During this time, he also created and maintained Tech-Bites.com, a site filled with free video tutorials for the average computer user. He gained his marketing knowledge through a number of reputable marketers, made a large impact on 2007's 30 Day Challenge, and was a member of the private marketing group, The Immediate Edge. His web marketing class was offered through Yosemite High's Adult Education program and he and his partner were invited to speak at many business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce. He created and profited from many niche sites with the techniques he learned and taught.

Garrett continues to be one of COS’ greatest assets.

Creative Director and Consultant Isaac Woofter: COS Spotlight

Isaac started working with COS in 2002 and became an investor in the company. His first job with COS was in a book trailer called The Gemini Keys, but he also starred in our first trailer to win a Telly Award, Mind Game, a novel by Christine Feehan.

Isaac invested a great deal of his time with the legal side of setting up the company, then the social side by attending meetings in New York with publishers and many book/reader conventions.

Isaac moved to New York in 2004 and continues to work with COS in a consultant capacity.

From Isaac:

Hello Everyone, I want to introduce myself for those I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting. My name is Isaac Hirotsu Woofter. The Hirotsu comes from my mother's maiden name, she is Japanese. I was born in New York, but lived in Boston, Ohio and Japan before doing most of my growing up in Northern California. My first language is Japanese and I still speak it conversationally.

I've played sports all my life and continue to do so. I am currently on three rec teams: a coed soccer team made up primarily of poets, a coed softball that plays across the nation and last but not least…I am the straight captain on my gay soccer team. This is not a typo and quite a fun story I can tell you about when we meet in person. When I lived in California I taught elementary school (Beginning Acting/Improv), coached T-Ball and Little League and worked as a Sushi Chef. Currently tend bar at a Restaurant/Bar called Henry’s (105th & Broadway). Stop by any time and I will buy you a drink.

In 2006 I graduated with a masters degree in acting from Columbia University. I have traveled and performed all over the world working with the great classic texts from Shakespeare and Moliere to today's new and exciting playwrights. Recently I appeared in a book about the use of the Mask as an actors tool. Soon I will be in a book/instructional DVD on how to play Commedia del Arte. I've starred, directed, written and produced many projects with Circle of Seven Productions since 2002.

I love brownie sundaes, whiffle ball, the Yankees and passionate people who can laugh at themselves. I love listening to Ella Fitzgerald in the morning and Nina Simone at night. My favorite color is crimson red.