RMG News

Rain Management Group (RMG), the talent management/production/media company started by principals Jonathan Baruch and Rick Dorfman, is pleased to announce the addition of Rob Wolken who will join the company as a manager and operational consultant.

Rain has had great success in Film and TV, but is also diversified and heavily involved in theater and new media consulting. Wolken will work to help the company further grow its TV and new media consulting business.  In the 2009/2010-development season the company’s clients were involved in the sale of over 30 pilots scripts to networks ranging from CBS to BET.

Wolken started his professional career at William Morris where he was an agent in the television department for 7 years.  Michael Ovitz recruited Wolken to become a manager in his new company, Artists Management Group (AMG), where he ran the TV Representation Department, personally managed 35 clients, and packaged several TV shows including The Agency on CBS and The 4400 for USA. It was here that Wolken and Baruch first worked together and formed a close friendship.  In 2003, after Ovitz sold the majority of AMG to The Firm, Wolken transitioned the division before deciding to take a sabbatical from the personal services business to start his own company in an unrelated field.

As both an agent and later as a manager, Wolken built an impressive client list which included Jeff Pinkner (Executive Producer, Fringe, Lost), Rob Hanning (Executive Producer, Frasier, Courting Alex) Matt Ember (Get Smart, Get Smart 2), Randy Zisk (Executive Producer, Monk) Scott Peters (Creator/ Executive Producer V, 4400), Jim Patterson (Supervising Producer, Two and a Half Men), Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio (Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean), Stephen Lloyd (Co-Executive Producer, How I Met Your Mother), Emily Whitesell (Co-Executive Producer, Life Unexpected, Dirty Sexy Money, Big Shots), Diane English (Executive Producer- Murphy Brown, The Women), Trey Callaway (Co-Executive Producer, CSI-NY), Craig Zadan & Neil Meron (Producers, Chicago, Bucket List, Hairspray), Michael Katleman (Co-Executive Producer, Eastwick, Life on Mars), Craig Zisk (Executive Producer, Weeds, United States of Tara), and many more.

RMG prides itself on bridging the gap between traditional and new media in its approach to management, production, and consulting.

“It’s our philosophy that in creating opportunities for clients we must as a company embrace, apply, and educate our clients on how to use new technology as part of a larger business strategy.  Artist development, script development, phone calls, and sending out material will always be important.  But in addition, every artist, regardless of their area of expertise can utilize new media and burgeoning technologies to build more significant fan bases, which can result in new opportunities. Through our website, buzz page and the upcoming Rain Report the town can check out and learn about our unique approach to the business.”

Some of RMG’s clients include actors JB Smoove, Donnie Wahlberg, Daphne Zuniga, Michael Hitchcock, writers/producers Connie Burge (Charmed, Royal Pains), Roger Schulman (Shrek), Doris Egan (House), Tim Long (The Simpsons), Janine Sherman Barrois (ER), Rob Hanning (Frasier, Courting Alex), Karen Janszen (A Walk to Remember, Duma), Steve Leff (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Doc and Howie) and directors Randa Haines,Wayne McClammy (Pumas, I’m F**king Matt Damon), Jerry Levine (Everybody Hates Chris, Monk), Michael Watkins (X-Files), and John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, Short Circuit, Bird on a Wire). In the world of Theater the company saw its clients Marc Kudisch (9 to 5) and Kristin Hanggi (Director, Rock of Ages) both receive Tony nominations this year.  The company also has several young actors who have already landed television new series/pilots: Lee Thompson Young (Flash Forward) in Rizzoli (TNT) and Olesya Rulin (High School Musical) in Keep Hope Alive (FBC).

RMG’s Media Consulting Group works with clients to develop their brands and help create strategies in established and emerging media markets. Clients in this area include Carolyn Kepcher (The Apprentice), Dr. John La Puma (Chef MD), and Mills Entertainment to name just a few.  With Mills in particular, RMG was successful in leveraging its relationships to bring desirable properties like Scholastic’s Goosebumps (over 300 million books sold worldwide) to the company and help Mills develop the Goosebumps Live! Tour (launching in 2010).

RMG has no plans of slowing down in the New Year.  Baruch notes, “Rick and I are very excited about Rob joining Rain- I know from working with him side by side at AMG what a tremendous asset he can be. His industry experience, incredible relationships and team oriented style fits perfectly into what we are doing as a company.”

Stefanie Michaels, known to legions of fans as Adventure Girl®, has carved a unique niche in the world of travel and entertainment. Her website, AdventureGirl.com, has been utilized by millions looking for tips on exciting places to visit, be it sleeping in an Ice Hotel in Reykjavik, Iceland, or swimming with dolphins in the Bahamas.

A Los Angeles native, Michaels began modeling and working in commercials at the age of three. In her teen years, Michaels modeled swimwear and also spent two years as the KLOS-FM Cool Patrol Girl, promoting the nationally syndicated radio show Mark & Brian. This work led to Michaels being a sought-after calendar, postcard and poster model, and her popularity launched Michaels’ promotional business in the mid 90’s, SMC Productions. Her fan base grew and so did cross-country promotional trips for such blue chip brands as Coca-Cola and Anheuser-Busch.

A sought-after spokesperson in the media, Michaels has been an expert travel guest on CNN and FOX News, and she is frequently quoted in outlets such as The New York Times. In addition, her travel pieces have appeared in magazines including Elite Traveler, Women’s Health & Fitness, Razor, FW, Southern California Bride and Weddings of Distinction.

E-mail was the new means of communication in the 90’s and, it turns out, the ideal medium for Michaels. She became an unofficial online tour guide for fans who wanted to keep track of her travels. In 1995, Michaels created Travel Partners, a web site where she kept a photo journal of her excursions. The site became a go to destination for fans, and in 2001 Michaels hosted an online travel show, Adventures with Adventure Girl.  Fast-forward to 2009, and Adventure Girl has nearly 600,000 dedicated followers on Twitter – and is amongst the top 25 most followed members in the world.

Source: New York Times