Steve Stafford, the President of Studio Wings, Inc., has led a remarkable life, marked by his early beginnings in Darien, Connecticut, and his formative years on a cattle ranch near Helena, Montana.
Prior to embarking on a career in the film industry, Stafford served with distinction in the United States Marine Corps, earning two meritorious citations for his outstanding service.
Upon leaving the Marines, he pursued a career in acting, securing a three-year contract at Universal Studios. However, his fascination with the technical aspects of filmmaking soon led him to work as a key camera assistant and A-camera operator under the guidance of renowned cinematographers, Haskell Wexler and Conrad Hall.
In a remarkably short period of time, Stafford was shooting and directing action second units for both feature films and television. This experience led to a contract with DDB Needham Worldwide in Chicago, where he directed national commercial campaigns.
Simultaneously, Stafford produced and directed "The Color of Evening" (1990),a critically acclaimed independent film starring Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn. The film's success caught the attention of then-CBS president, Jeff Sagansky, and Stafford went on to direct a number of long-form movies (MOWs) for the CBS network, as well as numerous notable television episodes for CBS and the Paramount network.
In the mid-1990s, Stafford realized his long-standing desire to combine his film production knowledge with his passion for aviation and extensive flight experience. He founded "Studio Wings", a company that leverages his dual Airline Transport Ratings in both airplanes and helicopters, as well as his Master's Degree in Aeronautical Science.
Throughout his career, Stafford has logged over six thousand hours of pilot-in-command time and is qualified in numerous airplane and helicopter types. When he's not directing or flying for the movies, he stays current by flying missions for a department of the Federal Government.
