What got you into filmmaking?

 

Art and film has always been a huge part of my life, and has been something that runs in my family's blood. Ever since I was little, I grew up on and around film sets and live television production. I became film crazy, watching multiple films a day sometimes, and going to the theater every weekend with my father. He introduced me at a young age to various genres and styles of filmmaking that really broadened my perspective and knowledge of what came before, watching hundreds of films ranging from the 1920s to current day. By the age of 17, a little film by the name of "There Will Be Blood" was released, and it's what I consider the film that changed my life. I remember going to see this 2 1/2 hour, slow burn of a character study THREE times in theaters, and at least another dozen more since. I had never seen anything quite like it, I was completely engrossed and hypnotized by this haunting display of brewing madness. I remember leaving the theater saying "This is what I want to do for the rest of my life", and the way it made me feel solidified my decision to turn filmmaking into a career. I realized just how much I really loved filmmaking when I had my first opportunity to direct a short subject documentary. It's truly a magical occurrence when you see all the complex pieces of an artistic puzzle come together to create something that makes an audience feel real, unfiltered emotion, whatever it may be. That really became my driving force behind wanting to make films. Seeing people's reactions is such an adrenaline rush, that all the hard work and attention to detail pays off when you see the final response. There's nothing quite like it, and it leaves you wanting more.

 

What inspired Whalerider?

 

I wanted to try my hand at something different. I like challenging myself to experimental concepts and ideas that I haven't really delved into, and this film is a bit of a hybrid of sorts when it comes to themes versus its cinematography. One day, I was talking to my close friend Meg via text, and a particular picture within our discussion got me brainstorming, asking questions about who the man was in the photograph. It led to a crash course of research, digging, writing and scripting and within a week, I had a polished 10 page script ready to film. I don't want to say too much just yet but, I think people are in for a treat. You'll just have to wait and see what happens when it's shown...

 

Are you currently working on another project?

 

All the time. Before Whalerider went into production, I had another seven projects in the pipeline ready to go, two of which are currently in pre-production. We plan to shoot a music video in the coming weeks, having just shot some proof-of-concept photography and footage to establish color palettes and mood. There is another potential project (which I'm not at liberty to discuss in detail at this point in time), a feature length documentary film that recently came about, which I'd film out of Salisbury, Maryland and would take us on a road trip of sorts documenting the story from multiple people's perspectives. I was drawn to it because its a real human story that we wouldn't have any idea where it would end up, even while making it. Those kinds of stories are always the most compelling, because you let them unfold naturally, you're not there to influence.

 

Where do you see yourself in the future within the industry?

 

Directing and producing movies all the time! One of my goals is to create at least one feature length film in every single genre, and treat people to new experiences in the cinematic medium, renew people's sense of awe and escapism; show them something they haven't seen before. Your job as a filmmaker is to create something compelling, something people remember, however big or small a production. Some of the most revered films of all time never won any awards, yet people still talk about them to this day. That's the kind of filmmaking people should strive for. As for my goal, I'm in no rush, because it will probably take the course of a good lifetime to execute properly, and hey, that's just fine by me.

 

Do you have any advice for those looking to making their first film?

 

I've seen this kind of question a lot, and it would be...maybe a bit cliche for me to give the stock answer of "Just jump in and go make a film". Anyone can make a film, especially with the accessibility of filmmaking technology for indie directors. I would say learn as much as you can about what came before you, get inspired, and write. Write, write, write, write, write, and then write some more. Then do a lot of reading. Grab every darn book you can and get your imagination creating images, not what someone else imagined and put on a screen of your favorite book series. Envision YOUR version of it. Then watch and study movies. Refine your craft, THEN, take a stab at making a movie. Then do it again, and again, and again. You'll find you either get bitten by the film bug or you don't. And if you don't, that's okay, but if you do, stick with it and see where it takes you, because the rest is up to you at that point. It's hard work, very hard, but some of the most rewarding things in life are never easy.