1. Tell us a little about your background and how you came to film?
I mainly come from a music video and commercial background, although I also create short films every now
and again. I’ve always had a passion for cinema growing up and watching all sorts of different movies,
but it wasn’t until midway through high school I started to take it seriously. With the advent of
digital camcorders (DVX100, Canon XL2, etc), I immersed myself heavily into the digital filmmaking world
and started building upon cinematography and editing skills with any project that came my way. I also
started to learn more about Adobe After Effects and motion graphics. From there, it just became a career
choice for me – I really didn’t want to do anything else but direct, DP, and edit everything from
commercials, to music videos and films.
After a year and a half or so of film school, I was hired at a post house based out of Tempe Arizona
where I was mainly shooting and editing commercial/event videos. I eventually moved onto a Phoenix news
station where I joined their promotions team to shoot and edit promos. At the same time, my producer and
I were creating (and still continue to) music videos for artists throughout Arizona.
What have you been working on recently? Do you work in film?
I recently finished a bunch of new television promos for the news station I work for. I am a promotions
editor/photographer there and create promos for anything the station wants to advertise and showcase. I
also finished a music video for an Arizona metal band and a TurboTax spec commercial not too long ago.
Who are some of your role models as a filmmaker, favorite films?
Some of the film directors that have an influence on my career are Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, Tony
and Ridley Scott, JJ Abrams, Judd Apatow, Peter Berg… As for my favorite films, there are so many films
that I enjoy, that I can’t list all of them, but here are a couple in no particular order… Good Will
Hunting, The Rock, Superbad, Meet The Parents, City Of God, Sin City, District 9, Face/Off, Forgetting
Sarah Marshall, Definitely Maybe, Saving Private Ryan, Friday Night Lights.
Where does your inspiration come from as a filmmaker?
My inspiration as a filmmaker can come from anywhere… A piece of art, a written story, a personal
experience, a picture, another artist’s work (whether that be another director, editor, graphic
artist etc…) There are so many different places where you can see or experience something, learn from
it and build upon it. My work is presented in moving pictures, which in the end can hopefully inspire,
entertain, or engage another person.