Greg Acuna

Current

Director at Pala Flicks Pvt. Ltd.
Co-Moderator at LinkedInIndia Forum

Past

Project Manager at Paramount Pictures
Writer/Director at Metta Productions (Self-employed)
Managing Director at Wizards of India

Consultant at PIPC
Project Manager at Baulmusic
Program Development - Education at Lansing Community College
Project Manager at Exchange Cubed
Project Manager at Arthur Andersen
Internet/Intranet Advisor at CNA Insurance
Graphics Designer at ByDesign (Self-employed)
Producer/Director at Metta Productions

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Education

San Francisco State University
University of Southern California

Recommended

7 people have recommended Greg

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Entertainment

Websites

Greg Acuna’s Summary

Pala Flicks has been created to produce socially conscious content for television, films, web, and interactive media. Pala, the isle paradise in Aldous Huxley’s book “Island,” is Greg's budding dream. Based in Goa, on the west coast of India, the company plans on reaching out to creative people around the planet in an effort to forge cooperation, artistic vision and hope for our world.

Greg is also a consultant with over 20 years experience creatively managing IT projects. He specializes in organizing startups, strategy planning, and troubleshooting ventures with budget or schedule problems. He has diverse experience in a wide variety of undertakings the most recent of which have been in India. He has used innovation and highly creative thinking to solve complex business and technical issues. Greg has successfully worked:
• Managing large teams on complex projects for software development, Internet startups and creative endeavors.
• Reorganizing over budget and behind schedule groups to put them back on track.
• Advising companies on business strategy including early acceptance and use of the Internet for internal workflow efficiency, customer service and furthering sales opportunities.
• Training staff in both IT and business practices.
• Overseeing, advising and hands-on creative work with new companies on product design, identity creation, economic modeling and marketing tactics.
• Developing, producing and directing film and video projects including an independent feature film, promotional pieces, and creative shorts.

Greg Acuna’s Specialties:

Consulting, outsourcing, business processes, startups, strategy planning, troubleshooting, overseeing creative and technical projects. India, US, Europe. Writing, producing and directing film, video, theater, animation.

Greg Acuna’s Experience

Director

Pala Flicks Pvt. Ltd.

(Partnership; 1-10 employees; Entertainment industry)

July 2006 — Present (3 years 5 months)

Pala Flicks is currently in developing a revolutionary TV series for children combining animation and live action children in a theme based, educational and interactive show.
Co-Moderator

LinkedInIndia Forum

(Partnership; Online Media industry)

2005 — Present (4 years )

I've recently been given the lead of this group by Vincent Wright. Our plan is to make LinkedInIndia a major meeting place for those involved with LinkedIn here and people around the world interested in this amazing country. India is a new land of opportunity and as "east" and "west" meet there can be a spectacular synergy. If you want to join here's the link: LinkedinIndia-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Project Manager

Paramount Pictures

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry)

January 2006 — April 2006 (4 months)

Managed Data Warehouse projects including overseeing the DW pieces for a major Business Transformation project for Home Entertainment at Paramount.
Writer/Director
Metta Productions (Self-employed)

(Self-Employed; 1-10 employees; Media Production industry)

November 1988 — March 2006 (17 years 5 months)

Metta was formed in 1988 to produce the feature film "A Marriage of Inconvenience." In its different incarnations it has worked on other features, music videos, short films, industrials and documentaries.
Managing Director

Wizards of India

(Partnership; 1-10 employees; Management Consulting industry)

2005 — February 2006 (1 year )

Project Management Consulting Firm in India to advise MNC about outsourced projects.
Consultant

PIPC

(Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Management Consulting industry)

August 2005 — February 2006 (7 months)

Worked with PIPC in connection with their North American expansion in Los Angeles, consulting at Paramount Pictures and providing expertise toward the goal of opening an office in India.
Project Manager

Baulmusic

(Partnership; 1-10 employees; Media Production industry)

2003 — 2004 (1 year )

Managed the marketing strategy for the Indian music group “Sister Sonali,” including print, internet and video. Directed two music videos. Oversaw and advised group for international exposure including applications for festivals in Europe and the United States.
Program Development - Education

Lansing Community College

(Educational Institution; 1001-5000 employees; Higher Education industry)

2001 — 2002 (1 year )

The college had unsuccessfully tied to setup a screenwriting program over a number of years. Greg proposed and successfully created the program including:
• Syllabus development for both short form and feature length script classes.
• Material acquisition including books, printouts, and supplementary videos.
• Taught first semester class before handing over program to local professors.
Project Manager

Exchange Cubed

(Partnership; 11-50 employees; Capital Markets industry)

1999 — 2000 (1 year )

Greg was brought on as the idea for a new electronic Futures Market was being conceived. He managed the day-to-day operations of the software and internet development working with teams in Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Hertfordshire, UK. He made significant creative contributions to establishing the company’s identity and modeling the overall business, including:
• Initial report on feasibility, competition, usability, and the prospective market.
• Review of software availability.
• Preparation of project plan, budget and strategy deliverables.
• Development of technical requirements and key liaison between the business unit and software development team.
• Defining processes for the review of technical architectures, development plans and detailed design specifications
• Hiring team members and in charge of negotiating partnerships with programming, hosting, and other technical companies.
Project Manager

Arthur Andersen

(Computer Software industry)

1996 — 1997 (1 year )

Greg helped manage a team that was behind schedule and over budget developing a piece of International Human Resources Management software. He oversaw the reorganizing of the project, hired key new personnel, efficiently brought it back on schedule, and then returned the management to internal staff.
Internet/Intranet Advisor

CNA Insurance

(Public Company; 5001-10,000 employees; Insurance industry)

1996 — 1996 (less than a year)

Managed group reviewing Intranet/Internet strategy for Multinational Insurance company. Prepared report on more effective use for sharing resources between offices and increasing Internet presence for public exposure. Played key role in creative suggestions for website design and implementation of new networking technologies.
Graphics Designer
ByDesign (Self-employed)

(Self-Employed; 1-10 employees; Media Production industry)

1995 — 1996 (1 year )

Greg helped several medium sized companies in both Denmark and Poland in Identity creation and design of print advertising. He also played a major role in working with companies advising them on business and marketing strategies to exploit the then emerging Eastern European markets
Producer/Director

Metta Productions

(Partnership; 51-200 employees; Media Production industry)

1994 — 1995 (1 year )

Greg produced and directed the independent feature film “A Marriage of Inconvenience.” He oversaw the entire process from pre-production through distribution including:
• Raising creative financing for the project.
• Casting actors and hiring crew.
• Negotiating deals from product placement through worldwide distribution.
• Managing over 100 people involved in the nine month production.

Greg Acuna’s Education

San Francisco State University

MA , English/Creative Writing , January 1984 — July 1985

Activities and Societies:

Producer/Director Theater Productions
University of Southern California

BA , Political Science , September 1979 — May 1983

Activities and Societies:

Speech, Debate, Student Political Organization and National Campaign Organizer

Additional Information

Greg Acuna’s Websites:

Greg Acuna’s Interests:

Technology, Ventures in India, Film, Video, Theater, Production, Writing, Travel, Music, LinkedInnovator CityHost (Goa, India), Offshore, Outsourcing, Project Management