Dennis Gelbaum

“I have been writing short stories and poetry my entire life. I stopped writing when my friend John suddenly died. (I am sure it was an accidental drug overdose.) My first book of poetry - ‘Something About Going Home’ - is a collection of very personal thoughts on

relationships, love, fantasies, dreams, sex, drugs, war and god. I reveal a lot of myself in each poem and the illustrations offer up a unique – the illustrator’s -Christina Qualiana –interpretation of what she read. (She read each poem only once before providing me with an illustration for each poem.) I believe that with Christina’s illustrations the collection represents an incredible journey everyone can relate to - someway, somehow - if they are brave enough to take the journey. ‘Going Home’ is the next stop in my journey.”

Dennis Gelbaum is an international award-winning Creative Director, Producer, Director, Copywriter, Author, and Inventor. He has worked at the world’s biggest advertising agencies and has founded and managed international multimedia companies. He currently consults on major mergers and acquisitions and venture capital investments in the multimedia space.

Dennis has produced hundreds of interactive and immersive events (concerts, tours, festivals, fairs, new product launches, fashion, auto, sports, political...) in more than 35 countries. He has produced and directed over 200 national commercials winning many awards including the Cannes Lion and has worked with the biggest music artists (and venues) on the planet.

Other career highlights include inventing the Buddy Lite Illuminated Safety Leash (the top selling pet product at Sharper Image) and publishing a novel, ‘Beyond Reasonable Doubt’ Dennis was featured in ’50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading’, by Danielle Hampson & Don McCauley. In 1984, Dennis received the Distinguished Alumni Award from American

University and established the NAVARAC Scholarship, providing students services and resources to complete multimedia projects.

Dennis has held the position (s) of Chief Executive Officer / Executive Creative Director of ramp it up entertainment; Co- Founder and Co-Managing Partner of WENDEE, a music artist development company; Chief Operating Officer / Chief Marketing Officer at Septien Entertainment Group; Chief Operating Officer / Executive Creative Director of Input Group NA; Creative Director, Producer, Director and Managing Director of Tribe Pictures; Managing Partner/Executive Producer at Beaucoup Chapeaux and Talent Solutions and Chief Operating Officer / Executive Creative Director of Tourdesign (a division of Live Nation). Dennis was also the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the NAVARAC Film Group and Film Realite.

“My favorite projects include co-writing/producing a visually stunning commercial for Alize Bleu, creating/selling/producing/directing 'Get Fit With Alyson' - supporting the launch of the Nintendo Wii/Wii Fit, creating a mobile campaign for a jeans company - looking for the "best ass", introducing a cosmetics company by creating a credit card that looked like

a mirror - looking for the "most beautiful face", inventing "FaceLift" - a cleansing pad for men, producing a multimedia campaign introducing Jesse Jeans - "they fit so good they oughta be outlawed", writing, producing fundraising films for Worldfund, directing a multimedia campaign for Texas Special Olympics to help erase the ‘R ’word, directing a

multimedia campaign for Bazooka Bubble Gum, (co-directed the music video that has millions of views) and directing TV commercial campaigns for Black and Decker, Dodge Cars, Firestone, Ford, Jeep, Chrysler, Pepsi, P&G, Mattel, Marvel, Toy Biz, Saban/Power Rangers and hundreds more.

Dennis is currently writing a feature film screenplay, ‘The Mona Lisa Conspiracy’. An intellectual genius finds herself in a life-threatening situation as she matches wits with the unscrupulous kingpin of the 100-billion-dollar art industry, rewriting history as she exposes a 500-year-old syndicate of forgers and Leonardo da Vinci as a fraud. ‘The Mona Lisa

Conspiracy’ is a blend of various genres, including mystery, drama, romance, and historical fiction centering around the idea that greed and ignorance can distort the value of even something as beautiful and virtuous as art.

Dennis is working with an award-winning songwriter turning his new poem, ‘A Different Kind Of Wonderful’ into a power ballad with a big soaring chorus. “It's hard coming up with a new way to write a love song and I think I’ve done it!”