On the Leesh Productions is a New York City based company devoted to the production of innovative, energetic and challenging film, theater, webseries and instructional videos. Established and active since 2002, On the Leesh projects range from corporate / instructional videos, webseries, theatrical showcases, short and feature length films and documentaries. We are comprised of a core team of collaborators interested in new and provocative subject matter, in unhindered visual experimentation and in realizing the work of new and like-minded creative artists and writers. Currently we have a wide range of projects in our roster that are in all phases of production.

OTLP’s core team, along with the many collaborators that we’ve gathered over the years, have developed the capability to produce work in a variety of media. Thus, developing a project with OTLP includes both the evolution of the story as well as the identification of the medium that it should be told in: stage, film, web or beyond. We seek up-and-coming writers and directors who wish to experiment with this, who, like we are, are devoted to the essence of the story.

At its base, it is this garnering of long relationships with collaborators that lies at the heart of how we work; with the goal of producing quality work, in which content can be both moving and entertaining, without exploiting the story or the people involved.

On the Leesh has also developed a rapidly expanding instructional and corporate video library. We have worked with corporations and nonprofits big and small and specialize in catering to the client’s specific needs. Further, we can provide both a la carte and package pricing depending on what best suits our customer’s budget. Our experience with working within varied media (whether it be with film, live action or web broadcast), delivers a unique skill for any business looking to educate employees internally, promote their business or provide instructional videos for the public.

Alicia Arinella
President & CEO

For the past thirteen years, Alicia has worked in various aspects of Film and Theatrical production. Her credits include: stage management for regional and New York theater, publicity and promotional work for Fine Line Features and New Line Cinema, editing and production coordinating for terraNOVA Collective, Asset Pictures and cineBlast!, associate producing for Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Noggin and Granada Kids, and producing projects for Little Airplane Productions, Playhouse Disney, New York Stage and Film, terraNOVA Collective, Our Time Theatre Company and the Naked Angels Theater Company. Alicia founded On the Leesh Productions in 1999 with her documentary, Interval.

With On the Leesh, Alicia has been happy to produce the first work for many new writers including: Justin Spitzer of NBC’s The Office, Jenna Bans of ABC’s Desperate Housewives, Private Practice and Grey’s Anatomy and producing the directorial debuts of acclaimed New York theater writers and directors: Lucie Tiberghien, Michael Mastro and Sex and the City writer, Liz Tuccillo. Alicia has produced eleven short films screening at over 30 film festivals worldwide including: Cannes, Sarasota, Atlanta, Nantucket, Durango Independent, LA Comedy Fest, Miami Short Film Festival and San Francisco Independent. Awards: The Muse: A Girl’s Delicious Daydream About a Dangerous Man – 2nd place Short Film Experimental, 2006 Indie Gathering.

With OTL, Alicia has also produced a number of theater projects including: The Naked Angels Issues Project: Democracy, Help Me Help Myself, Our Time Theatre Company’s 3rd Annual Benefit, SIN: A New Fashioned Spectacle of Legendary Vice, and Masquerade: calypso and home with terraNOVA Collective. Alicia is the editor of Table for Three, Denim, The Things We Know, For Belly, Kung Pow Wow, Milestone and the hit web-series The In-Betweens of Holly Malone, In the Can and The Sexually. As a director, Alicia worked on the short films, Table for Three and Kung Pow Wow. She has directed most of the episodes of the popular web-series, The In-Betweens of Holly Malone, as well as all of the episodes for the web-series In the Can and The Sexually. For the stage, Alicia has directed the one-woman show Belly and has most recently produced and co-directed the feature film, For Belly, with Matt Rashid.

Alicia’s latest undertaking is entitled What You Can Do. She serves as the project’s Executive Producer, Director, Director of Photography and Editor.  What You Can Do tackles the world's most pressing social and environmental concerns and shows viewers what can be done to help in one minute of time. Videos feature a different social issue and show viewers what they can do about it even if they only have one minute of time to give. The project has a library of over three hundred films, and partnered with over one hundred not for profits. The series premiered on PBS affiliate WLIW and has expanded to the additional WNET affiliates – THIRTEEN and NJTV. What You Can Do was nominated for Best Educational Series at the inaugural IAWTV Awards, won two 2012 Accolade Awards, two 2012 Indie Fest Awards, a Golden Remi Award from Houston WorldFest and won Best Documentary Series and Best Song at the 2012 LA Webfest. In addition, Alicia was named the 2012 Humanitarian of the Year from the Accolade Competition.

For more information, email info@ontheleesh.com.

Jessica Arinella
OTL Producer and Creator: What You Can Do

Jessica serves at On the Leesh as an actor and a producer as well as heading up the Acquisitions Department. As an actor Jessica graduated with an award for excellence in theatre from Northwestern University, after working with such heavyweights as John Logan and Rosemary Harris. In NYC, Jessica has worked with the Naked Angels on numerous productions, notably in Tape directed by Geoffrey Nauffts, and Democracy costarring with indie legend Mark Margolis.

With On the Leesh, Jessica worked at NY Stage and Film, costarring in Break opposite Tony Award Winner Frank Wood, and starred in On the Leesh’s first film, What are the Odds?,which was a Selection of the 2006 Cannes Short Film Market.

Other Film credits include, The Pink House with Heather Matarazzo and Cupidity, directed by John Gallagher which won the NY Independent Film Festival. She has also appeared on the TV shows Law and Order, Love Monkey and Six Degrees. As an actor/producer, Jessica created and founded the Naked Angels Lab, producing and starring in their Premiere, The Opposite of Fear as well as joint On the Leesh/Naked Angels Lab production SIN. Jessica is currently producing and playing the title character in the On the Leesh web series, The In-Betweens of Holly Malone.

Jessica is also the creator of On the Leesh’s new series, What You Can Do. This series made its premiere on New York’s PBS affiliate, WLIW. 

Melissa Jernigan
Director of Social Media

Now moving into her fourth year at OTLP as Manager of Operations and Productions, Melissa got her BA in Technical Theatre from CSU Sacramento. New York Theatre credits include Our Town, John Lequizamo: a work in progress, Capsule 33, A Perfect Future, Camp Wanatachi, Stand Fast, Actors Studio, Loaded, IFYRR, All Over, R.R.R.E.D, Dance of the Seven Headed Mouse, Sophistry, The Black Monk, Pvt. Wars, The Cenci, The Archery Contest, A Yorkshire Fairie Tale, Masquerade: calypso and home, The Strangerer, PA for the Broadway show Lennon, and MTC’s Beauty of the Father. Film Credits include: Milestone, For Belly, Trevor’s Big Break, the web-series The In-Betweens of Holly Malone, In the Can, and The Sexually as well as What You Can Do.

Amanda Blohm
Director of Production

Amanda Blohm has just completed her first year in New York City. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Media Arts from the University of Arizona, she was fortunate to receive a position as a studio production assistant/graphic artist for Tucson Arizona’s reputable NBC affiliate news station. Upon relocating to New York to pursue her passion for film and television production, she has enjoyed working on the sets of various independent films serving as a production assistant, scenic, and assistant DP. Her credits include working as a freelance graphic artist for a pilot episode of Spotlight Credential, assisting in editing an ITVS funded feature length documentary, Precious Knowledge, and working as a chyron operator/graphic artist for premiering late night talk show, All Night With Joey Reynolds. She is ecstatic to join On The Leesh and work with such a knowledgeable and talented team.

Ashley Kaufman
Public Relations/Communications

Ashley joined On the Leesh as a public relations consultant in 2009, bringing more than ten years of experience in strategic communications and writing. A graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina, she worked for Fleishman-Hillard and lululemon athletica before founding elux communications. A southerner with Massachusetts roots, Ashley loves the North Carolina coast and the occasional snowstorm. She handles all things media for On the Leesh. Contact her at ashley@eluxpr.com.