Derek Potts / Executive Producer

Derek Potts / EP

Deepwater Productions was founded by Derek H. Potts, trial lawyer, entrepreneur, and actor. While he is the Founder and Managing Partner of a successful law firm, he has also been involved in the entertainment industry for many years as an investor, producer and actor. 

After working with a variety of producers and directors in Los Angeles on film and television projects, Derek decided he was ready to produce his own movie -thus Deepwater Productions was born. He wrote Narco Sub after learning about real life narcotics trafficking in submarines from time spent in Key West, Florida, and is the Executive Producer of the film.


Shawn Welling / Director

Shawn Welling / Director

As a director, WELLING HAS GARNERED OVER 90 FESTIVAL WINS AND WELL OVER A 100 MILLION VIEWS / DOWNLOADS OF MOVIES HE HAS DIRECTED FOR HIS 15 YEARS AS A DIRECTOR.

WELLING began HIS FIRST WORK WITH DEREK POTTS IN DIRECTING "THE LAST ASTRONAUT" WHICH POTTS WAS A PRODUCER ON, a sci-fi drama starring ABC's World of Dance, Eva Igo as Evena. In November, Shawn and his wife, Michelle Simmons, brought into the world their first daughter, Emma Rain Welling. Their baby girl is also featured in the movie, portraying a newborn Evena. The movie went on to win 5 awards, "Rising Star - Eva Igo", "Best Young Actress - Chloe Klitus", "Best Young Actress - Alexis Arnold", "Best Cinematography", "Best Sci-Fi Feature", and 1 nomination for Best Supporting Actor- Darrin Henson.

For 2019, Welling will be working with Deepwater Productions Motion Picture Group on three films. THe first film "NARCO SUB" would return Welling back to DIRECTING Lee Majors along with Robert LaSardo and Action favorite Tom Sizemore.



Shawn Welling / Director (extended bio)

Wellings back Ground COMES FROM PRODUCING / DIRECTING OVER 16 OFF-BROADWAY SHOWS. WELLING HAS BEEN HIRED BY EVERY NETWORK INCLUDING GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT GIANTS SUCH AS CIRQUE DU SOLEIL TO CHOREOGRAPH AND PERFORM. WITH A DANCE AND CHOREOGRAPHY BACKGROUND WELLING SOON BEGAN FILMING SOME OF THE GREATEST URBAN DANCERS LEADING INTO A FILM CAREER SPANNING OVER 30 FILMS, 80 FESTIVAL WINS AND 100 MILLION VIEWS WORLD WIDE.

Welings FIRST FILM, "THE HOUSE OF DREAMS," WON A GOLD AND A PLATINUM REMI AT THE WORLDFEST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. HIS SECOND FILM, "THE MESSENGER: 360 DAYS OF BOLIVAR" WAS RELEASED AT LANDMARK, AMC, AND ANGELIKA THEATERS TO SOLD OUT SCREENINGS, AND WAS AWARDED BEST FEATURE FILM OF 2009 BY HOUSTON PRESS. IN 2011, WELLING PREMIERED HIS THIRD FEATURE FILM, ALSO BASED ON A TRUE STORY, ENTITLED "PROJECT AETHER." IT EARNED NUMEROUS AWARDS INCLUDING HOUSTON FILM CRITIC'S SOCIETY BEST ACTRESS, THE COVETED YOUNG PERFORMERS AWARD, HOUSTON FILM CRITIC'S SOCIETY DIRECTOR AWARD FOR BEST WORLD PREMIERE, AND BEST DIRECTOR OF 2011 BY HOUSTON PRESS.

WELLING IS WORKING CONTINUALLY ON HIS TV / WEB PROJECT -- A WEB SERIES ENTERING ITS FIFTH SEASON WITH OVER 80,000 SUBSCRIBERS -- "AXI: AVENGERS OF EXTREME ILLUSIONS" (WINNER OF THE GRAND REMI FOR BEST WEB SERIES 2012 & 2013), AND HE IS NOW ENJOYING THE LAUDED RELEASE OF HIS FOURTH FEATURE, "THE LEGEND OF DARKHORSE COUNTY," STARRING LEE MAJORS (SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN), MICHAEL BIEHN (THE TERMINATOR), AND OLIVIA "CHACHI" GONZALES.

IN 2014 WELLING WENT ON TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY FOR MICHAEL BIEHNS FILM "HIDDEN IN THE WOODS" DIRECTING BOTH TERMINATOR STAR Michael Biehn AND WILLIAM FORSYTHE.

IN 2015, WELLING FILMS WON A STUDIO RECORD 11 AWARDS FOR ITS SHORT FILM, WEB SERIES, AND WEB SITE WORK, INCLUDING A COVETED WORLD OF DANCE INDUSTRY AWARD IN WORLD OF DANE INDUSTRY AWARD, PRESENTED IN HOLLYWOOD AT THE HISTORIC AVALON THEATRE. WELLING RELEASED A SHORT FILM ABOUT THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE, HIS DOG, MAX. THE SHORT, "IF I COULD TALK," QUICKLY BECAME WELLING'S MOST WATCHED FILM OF HIS CAREER TO DATE, VIEWED OVER 90 MILLION TIMES WORLD WIDE. SOON THIS JEWEL OF A FIM WOULD GO ON SPAWNING A SISTER FILM AND A SEQUEL, "IF I COULD RUN" AND "IF I COULD BARK." IN 2015, WELLING MARRIED THE REAL LOVE OF HIS LIFE, MICHELLE, A HOUSTON-BASED PHOTOGRAPHER.

WELLING ENTERED 2016 WITH FOUR SHORTS AND TWO FEATURES IN PRODUCTION AND AN AMBITIOUS SLATE OF COMING FEATURES, SHORTS, AND WEBISODES, INCLUDING THE TRUE-LIFE FAMILY FEATURE, "THE BLIMP TRAP," THE STORY OF TWO IMAGINATIVE TEXAS PRE-TEENS WHO "CAUGHT" THE GOODYEAR BLIMP IN 1970S TEXAS. YOUNG ACTRESS ISABELLA BLAKE-THOMAS WOULD BE NOMINATED FOR A YOUNG ARTIST AWARD, THE "KIDDIE OSCAR," FOR HER TURN AS BILLY IN THE FILM AND WIN THE BEST YOUNG ACTRESS .

IN 2017, WELLING RELEASED "STRANGE BIRD," AN AMBITIOUS SPECULATIVE FICTION SHORT FILM WITH AN EPIC FOCUS. STAR PRESLEE BISHOP WON A RISING STAR ACTING AWARD FOR HER WORK ON THE FILM, THE EIGHTH ACTING HONOR FOR WELLING FILMS, JOINING OVER FIFTY OFFICIAL ACCOLADES FOR SHAWN WELLING'S SMALL INDEPENDENT STUDIO. WELLING WAS ALSO NAMED A FILMMAKER AMBASSADOR FOR THE CHINESE/AMERICAN PARTNERSHIP.

IN 2018, "IF I COULD RUN" WAS RELEASED, AND HAS ALREADY RECEIVED 27 FESTIVAL AWARDS WORLD WIDE AND 3 NOMINATIONS, THUS BEING WELLING'S HIGHEST AWARD WINNING FILM TO DATE.

WELLING BEGAN HIS FIRST WORK WITH DEREK POTTS IN DIRECTING "THE LAST ASTRONAUT" WHICH POTTS WAS A PRODUCER ON, A SCI-FI DRAMA STARRING ABC'S WORLD OF DANCE, EVA IGO AS EVENA. IN NOVEMBER, SHAWN AND HIS WIFE, MICHELLE SIMMONS, BROUGHT INTO THE WORLD THEIR FIRST DAUGHTER, EMMA RAIN WELLING. THEIR BABY GIRL IS ALSO FEATURED IN THE MOVIE, PORTRAYING A NEWBORN EVENA. THE MOVIE WENT ON TO WIN 5 AWARDS, "RISING STAR - EVA IGO", "BEST YOUNG ACTRESS - CHLOE KLITUS", "BEST YOUNG ACTRESS - ALEXIS ARNOLD", "BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY", "BEST SCI-FI FEATURE", AND 1 NOMINATION FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR- DARRIN HENSON.

FOR 2019, WELLING WILL BE WORKING WITH DEEPWATER PRODUCTIONS MOTION PICTURE GROUP ON THREE FILMS. THE FIRST FILM "NARCO SUB" WOULD RETURN WELLING BACK TO DIRECTING LEE MAJORS ALONG WITH ROBERT LASARDO AND ACTION FAVORITE TOM SIZEMORE.