Board Member

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Clarke has been a hands-on filmmaker since the mid 1980s working variously (and often simultaneously) as producer, UPM, 2nd unit director, editor and post production supervisor.

 

She was born in Greenville, SC, moved with family to Nashville in the early 1970s, and graduated from Denison University in 1978. After breaking her parents’ hearts by not going on to law school,
she started working as an assistant to a noted Nashville photographer. Soon she was on the road with Loretta Lynn, having photos published in People and Us Magazines and loving the creative life. A visit to the set of Coal Miner’s Daughter opened her eyes to the possibilities of an actual career in the movie business. So she packed her metaphorical bags and ran away with the circus.

(many years, gigs and sleepless nights pass)

From 2000 to 2016 Clarke served as president of the successful, long-running film production company, RuckusFilm based in Nashville. Clarke led RuckusFilm through two decades of robust
growth developing a roster of creative talent; building relationships with new and existing clients; and overseeing multiple production teams shooting projects throughout the US and abroad. She had a hand in creating award-winning music videos and commercials collaborating with artists such as Dolly Parton, Trisha Yearwood, Little Big Town, Keith Urban, Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley; and notable brands like FedEx, Wrangler, Tennessee Tourism and Mountain Dew.

Clarke has also had significant production and post production roles in more than a dozen movies and TV projects with budgets ranging from under $1 million to over $15 million. Her feature
producing credits include Existo (with Jim Varney and Bruce Arntson), The Second Chance (with Michael W. Smith), Billy The Early Years (with Armie Hammer, Martin Landau), Blue Like Jazz (with Marshall Allman, Claire Holt, Eric Lange), Reel Love (with LeAnn Rimes, Burt Reynolds), The Identical (with Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green) and Roll With It (with Chonda Pierce, Judith
Hoag, Carl McDowell).

In 2023, after producing the Emmy nominated PBS show American Anthems, Clarke retired from the film and tv business. While she misses her teams and the excitement, she couldn’t be happier and now enjoys sleeping like a normal person, having a real life with family and friends and international travel with her wife MJ.