It all started when…
My love for films can be traced back to the first time I ever watched Steven Spielberg’s classic Jurassic Park. Up until that moment being still for longer than a second was an inconceivable feat, but from the moment that film began I was motionless. I was always fascinated with dinosaurs (which kid isn’t?) but I had never dreamed that I would ever see them “alive.” Jurassic Park gave me that opportunity. I couldn’t believe it. The second the film ended I hit rewind on the VHS player and waited for the inevitable sound that indicated it was time to hit play again. And that was the moment I decided I wanted to make movies.
It wasn’t until December 2000 that I got a chance to make my own little film. I had asked Santa for the LEGO Studios Movie Maker set and the moment I had opened it I was off. I built the set and began shooting my own stop motion movie featuring a T. Rex no less! From then on whenever there was a school assignment where I could make a movie I would. Sadly all these films have been lost to time, but I can confidently say that my LEGO adaptation of The Outsiders was better received by my 5th grade class than Francis Ford Coppola’s was.
While growing up my family moved several times. From LA to Charlotte to Sacramento to Madrid to Belgrade. You never realize how much culture affects films until you’ve lived in them. It opens your eyes to new perspectives you wouldn’t otherwise have.
In 2014 I began my pursuit of a B.F.A. in Film Production with an emphasis in Directing at Chapman University. Studying at Chapman’s Dodge College gave me set experience in every department. This not only gave me a deeper understanding of how a film crew functions but also a deeper appreciation for every position on set, which has influenced my view of film as a collaborative effort first and foremost.
Twenty-five years after the release of Jurassic Park I graduated college with two short films under my belt. The fact that both have been awarded at Worldfest Houston where Steven Spielberg first got his start isn’t lost on me. It has been a dream come true to be able to do what I love. May I never wake up.
“All good ideas start out as bad ideas, that’s why it takes so long.” – Steven Spielberg