We’re Hungry Cliff.
Once upon a time, at an undisclosed location in Florida, three guys started kicking around the idea of working together. Our interests and expertise were spread across film, television, and music, but there was one important thing we all wanted to do: tell stories.
Hungry Cliff is the signpost over our collective work – some collaborative, some individual. Each project is another step toward refining our craft.
We get together from time to time to record a podcast. We chat about life, work, and anything else that interests us. It’s pretty much a morning show for multimedia nerds, but we also think of it as a time capsule for us, our progeny, or any interested parties to crack open decades later. In other words, we’re telling our own story.
Contact us with questions, suggestions, or new Oreo flavors at contact@hungrycliff.com.
Pedro P. Mendoza
Reformed Trombonist
Pedro’s passion is music. Whether he is playing, creating, or just appreciating it, music has been a part of his life from a very young age. He pursued his love of music at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he studied music composition. He played for Exodus, the university’s elite touring band, with whom he released an album. Later in his career, he produced music for various infomercials and workout programs for the creators of the Ab Roller, scored the 26-part documentary series In His Shoes: The Life of Jesus, and in 2014, scored the animated short film Unsung Hero with Tony Silanskas. Currently, Pedro works as a freelance sample programmer for 8DIO, a company on the cutting edge of virtual musical instruments and samples. Between projects, Pedro continues to hone his craft and volunteers as a media director at his church.
Tony Silanskas
Director/Producer/Editor
Tony has been working in the entertainment industry for over 20 years. Whether he’s editing, writing, directing or producing, his passion for excellence shines bright. After graduating from film school, he hit the ground running, having the privilege to work with such clients as Disney, 3M, Universal, Atlantis Paradise Island, Siemens, Playa Resorts and many more. An aspiring filmmaker since he picked up his parent’s VHS camcorder at the age of eight, he knows each project brings him closer to his dream of directing a major motion picture. When he has a minute to spare from video production, he writes and produces music with Pedro P. Mendoza.
Matthew Biggers
Passenger on the Seoul Train
Matthew is a musician, video editor, and motion graphic designer currently freelancing in Central Florida. His recent clients have included such companies as Disney, Euro-Pro, Cirrus Aircraft, Atlantis Paradise Island, and Brinks. He studied composition with Kari Juusela and Syd Hodkinson at Stetson University, where he graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Theory and Composition. After spending a year playing around Central Florida in a jazz quartet, he relocated to New York City, where he worked for three years as an arranger, video editor, and all-around go-getter for a Manhattan party band company. Several years of marriage and two years of teaching English in South Korea later, he returned to Central Florida with his wife Mona to continue to pursue his interests in music, film, and the arts. Matthew’s principal instruments are the piano and classical guitar. He enjoys studying living and dead languages, history, and baking.
Andrew Silanskas
Professional Aspirant
Born into a family of broadcasters and musicians, Andrew began his career as an entertainer when he started DJing school dances in the fifth grade. At seventeen, he landed his first radio gig at a small Central Florida AM station. During this time, he developed his photography and marketing skills working as Chief Photographer of the regional publication ‘Ocala Magazine’. This lead him into a career in marketing.
David Houston
VFX Specialist
David is a motion graphic designer and owner of the VFX company Heavy House. His VFX creations have appeared in national ads, DRTV and web videos as well as in retail stores and trade show exhibits. When he isn’t creating works of art in After Effects and Cinema 4D, he’s probably playing with his kids, enjoying disc-golf or waking up early with his wife Jessica to bend rebar with their bare hands.
Jessica Houston
Recovering Mermaid
Jessica, AKA Jess the Mess, has been swimming around the theatre pool for 10+ years. She is a bona fide actress and has tackled the roles of “high-flying Japanese mermaid”, “South-polar dancer”, “artistic globetrotter”, “bewitching banshee”, and countless more! She brings her own touch of pizzazz to the group. Her motivational drive to maintain a healthy lifestyle continues to impact the Hungry Cliff gang, whether they like it or not. Life is delightful and unexpected, especially with her wonderful kids, and with Jessica, that is exactly what you are going to get.