Let There Be Fire
My desire to make films was sparked when I saw the horror masterpieces Poltergeist, Carrie, Halloween and The Shining. I was fascinated by their mixture of stunning visuals, strong character development and psychological horror. I didn’t have the language for these things as a child, but the concepts were firmly imprinted on my developing creative brain. By 12 years old, I had taught myself the basics of screenwriting, storyboarding, cinematography, video technology, linear (pre-digital) editing and sound mixing. My efforts got the attention of a journalist who wrote a cover story in our local paper declaring me a young Steven Spielberg. That maaaaay have overstated my talents just a little bit, but it was an encouraging start, nonetheless.
Hacking the Human Brain
Following a turbulent adolescence, I turned my attention to the academic study of the human psyche and interpersonal behavior patterns. Studying under some of the most respected professors in the discipline, I graduated with special honors B.A. in Psychology. My honors thesis focused on the interplay between self-image, social roles and sexual politics – themes that play out in almost all of my films.
Back to Black
After a sabbatical in Europe and several years working as a graphic designer, I rekindled my filmmaking aspirations. It was like I’d never been away from the camera. Only this time, I was equipped with the psychological and experiential tools to inform my work on a deeper level.
My first short daMNaged screened at festivals across the US and Germany. Following that success, I continued creating narrative shorts such as Haunted, the crowd-pleaser Skinnyfat (which went on to become a best selling DVD with TLA Releasing) and two promo films for Folsom Street Fair (Here Comes Helen! and The Passion of the Unicorn.)