Why do you love movies?

 

“I feel that film is the underdog of the art world. Filmmakers even go unacknowledged as artists by many. I think that most people see films as entertainment and overlook the artistry involved in the making of these films. Films not only tell stories and entertain, but they are able to communicate ideas that could never be understood through other mediums--they can change the world.”

 

As an avid film lover, what made you want to get behind the camera?

 

“I first gained an interest in film at the age of two. Though I don't remember this incident, after viewing Tim Burton's Batman (1989) as a toddler, I apparently began spouting off the names of the actors and their respective characters. I soon began to look past the literal viewing experience of films and I started to ask questions about the filmmaking process. Around the age of seven or eight, I realized what a director was and began asking my mother for a camcorder. I received one for my ninth birthday and began making terrible, terrible short films on a daily basis. Growing older, I began to gravitate away from filmmaking because of the negativity and criticism that comes with telling people you want to make movies for a living. But nearing the age of 20, I realized that a career in film was my only option for a life of happiness. I decided to enroll in SU's media production/film program in order to better comprehend my lifelong passion.”

 

Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

 

“I would have to say that my biggest inspiration is Paul Thomas Anderson. Besides the fact that I am obsessed with all of his films, I just really respect the fact that he is making the films that he wants to make, not the films that are going to make the most money. I like the fact that none of his films can really be viewed as "feel good" films, but I always experience joy through observing his highly stylized and unique craft. His films may not appeal to the general masses, but he is doing things that I believe will one day be looked back on as defining moments in film history. It is impossible for me to watch one of his films and not become inspired to create.”

 

What kind of film do you see yourself making in the future?

 

I want to make meaningful films that have substance. Though I enjoy the occasional "popcorn flick", it's the films with underlying, cryptic meanings--the ones that merit viewing after viewing--that really intrigue me. I want to make films that provoke a different reaction during every viewing. But above all, I want to make a film starring Ryan Gosling."

 

What is your best advice for those trying to get into filmmaking?

 

My advice would be to simply make a film. One of my biggest regrets is that it took me this long to finally put life into something I had written. A cheap short film is far better than no film at all.