Advisory Board of the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy
Scott Budnick
Scott Budnick grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Emory University in 1999 with a BBA in Management and Marketing and a minor in Film. Budnick began his film career in casting on the DreamWorks comedy, ROAD TRIP, which was produced by comedy great Ivan Reitman and directed by a newcomer to the feature world, Todd Phillips.
In 2000, Budnick went to work for former TriStar Pictures chairman, Mike Medavoy, at his production company, Phoenix Pictures. A year later, Budnick returned to work with Phillips on his second film, OLD SCHOOL, as Associate to the Director. Upon completion of photography on OLD SCHOOL, Bob and Harvey Weinstein signed Phillips to a three-year deal with Miramax Films and Phillips tapped Budnick to start his new production company. Budnick then took on the role of Associate Producer on STARSKY AND HUTCH and subsequently served as Co-Producer of SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS, a comedy staring Billy Bob Thornton.
As Executive Vice President of Phillips’ production company, now located at Warner Bros Studio, Budnick develops and produces projects under the Green Hat Films banner. In 2009, Budnick Executive Produced the blockbuster comedy THE HANGOVER, which grossed an estimated 460 million dollars worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in film history. Budnick subsequently produced DUE DATE, PROJECT X, and THE HANGOVER 2, which begins filming in October.
In his spare time, Budnick teaches a writing class to juvenile offenders at Sylmar Juvenile Hall as part of the Inside Out Writing Program and also is on the board of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps. Budnick works as an advocate for juveniles in the delinquency system and has created two pilot college programs with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for youth entering the prison system He is also actively involved in the reform of the California Division of Juvenile Justice.
Budnick currently resides in Los Angeles, California. In 20012, he received the Second Annual Sister Janet Harris Juveniel Advocate Award.