Prior to becoming a writer/producer/director, Carol Hoffman (a.k.a. Tracy St. John) was a radio news anchor/news director at top rated stations in Cleveland, Ohio, and a freelance writer for The Plain Dealer Sunday and Friday Magazines. She used her investigative reporting skills to research and write the multi-award winning documentary “Punk” The Robert R. Young Story. The program received a New York Festivals Bronze Award for Best Writing, a Gold Award for Independent Video at Worldfest Flagstaff, a Silver Award for Independent Video at Worldfest-Houston and a Bronze Award for Short Subject Film & Video Historical at Worldfest-Houston. Hoffman provided research, photographs and film for a segment on Young and The Greenbrier Hotel on A&E’s Mansions, Monuments and Masterpieces. Her husband, Bruce Ryan, who was the air-personality during her news shifts, narrated the documentary.
Hoffman is also an award-winning songwriter and wrote the lyrics for the closing credits song “Gimme Independence" performed by her singer/songwriter daughter, Carly. The song was a Finalist at the New York International Film & Video Festival and Carly won a Gold Award at Worldfest-Houston in the “Best New Artist” category. Hoffman, a native of Massillon, Ohio, was active in high school speech and drama, winning several competitions for her original and dramatic speeches. She played Miss Casewell in “The Mousetrap” and the Red Queen in “Alice in Wonderland” and was a member of the Tiger Swing Band and concert band.
Independent Filmmaker/Writer/Producer/Director:
"PUNK" THE ROBERT. R. YOUNG STORY (Documentary) Awards: New York International Film and Video Festival (Bronze for Best Writing), WorldFest Houston and Flagstaff Film Festivals, Classic Telly and Telly Awards. Writer/producer/director. I also did some filming, still photography, narration and wrote lyrics for the closing credits song.
CITY DOGS (Children's) Awards: New York International Film and Video Festival, Telly and Classic Telly Awards. Writer/producer/director. I also designed and built the set, wrote lyrics for three songs and was the voice of Sybil, a yellow Lab.
SIXTYSOMETHING (Feature/Comedy) Awards: Best Film Directed By A Woman - Ohio Independent Film Festival and Telly Awards. Writer/producer/director. I also appeared as a reporter and wrote lyrics for two songs.
Nellie's Dance (Documentary Short) Awards: Worldfest-Houston, Bronze. The Indie Gathering Film Festival, Fourth place,
Long Letters And Interesting Pictures (Drama Short) Awards: Worldfest-Houston, Bronze. Telly, Bronze.
#WDOML (Comedy Short) Awards: Telly
In My Dreams (Music Video) Awards: Bronze Telly
Nib Star Productions YouTube
From The Director:
"You've just come back from vacation. Your phone is loaded with pictures. You have a story to tell about each one. You can't wait to share your exciting adventure with friends, family and the world on social media. I know exactly how you feel. I get the same rush when I have a story to tell.
As a radio newscaster, it was my job to inform and entertain the listeners. That meant more than getting the facts straight and the story first. I had to know what stories would interest the listeners, or I'd be gone in the push of a button. My newscasts were part of top rated radio shows in several markets, including Cleveland, Ohio. My stories aired on the ABC and AP radio networks.
Because radio stories are short, I had lots of information that I didn't have time for. I began to expand the stories and offer them to national and local magazines and newspapers. I wrote two guide books on public relations and broadcasting.
There are some stories that simply aren't suited for radio or print. I knew they would make great movies, but I didn't know the first thing about writing a screenplay. I bought a few Syd Field books and taught myself, writing, and more importantly rewriting, honing my craft. When I won a silver Remi at Worldfest Houston International Film Festival for my original comedy, DRIVING SCHOOL, I began to pitch my screenplay to movie producers to satisfy my burning desire to share my buddy story message with others. Producers wanted to know what else I had, so I wrote more award winning screenplays, but I couldn't find someone who shared my passion for my stories. That's when I formed Nib Star Productions and decided to make a movie myself. My epic, historical, big budget screenplay stories were out of the question, so I decided on a full length feature comedy, SIXTYSOMETHING, about a bachelor retiree who sneaks out on his overprotective sister to live it up and becomes the target of a nationwide media search. I assembled a whopping cast of 69 local radio, TV and newspaper celebs, along with five seasoned community theater actors for the leads and several high school actors and actresses, a director of photography and created movie music with local singer/musician/songwriters. I lined up 13 locations and a tour bus. Two days before we were to begin shooting, the DP left a message on my machine, saying the project was too big for him to handle and he was out. I scrambled around and found an award winning videographer who had never made a movie, but was willing to try. We shot the film in 13 days with guerrilla tactics: one take, no rehearsals.
Community Service:
Project Learn Tutor
Fourth Grade Reading Tutor
Meals on Wheels
Habitat for Humanity
American Red Cross Blood Donor and Blood Drive Organizer
Hospital Volunteer Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Spiritual Care
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd Community Meal Garden Ministry Coordinator
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd Community Meal Ministry Co-Coordinator
Her 6 year old American Eskimo dog, Agatha, is a rescue from the streets of Cleveland.
