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Tell us about what you do. What’s your latest project?
I'm a writer and director based out of Brooklyn focused mainly on narrative work, but I also dabble in music videos.
My latest short film, The Man With The Western Hat, is making its world premiere at the Big Apple Film Festival on November 5th, 2016 at 5:30PM at Village East Cinemas.
It's about a young woman who, while trying to reconcile her feelings with her latest paramour, becomes intrigued by the handsome cowboy from her latest movie obsession. She soon discovers he may not be the hero she expected.
It's got a little bit of everything: comedy, adventure, western, romance, some light stalking.
What got you interested in filmmaking?
I've always been interested in the traditional arts, like drawing and painting. And then one day I saw the movie, The Princess and the Warrior by Tom Tykwer. It was strange, surreal and sometimes twisted modern take on the fairytale. I didn't know movies could look and feel that hyper real and yet dreamy and nightmarish. There's a really extensive tracheotomy scene in the beginning of the movie. It reminds me of Grimm fairytales. That Rumpelstiltskin story is so weird, and is also one of my favorites.
What lessons have you learned from your filmmaking adventures?
Shotlisting, scouting, and pre-production are everything. This one is pretty obvious, but needs saying. The more decisions you made and solidified during prep will make the shoot go a heck of a lot better because sh*t happens. A lot. A lot of sh*t happens in this jungle we call NYC.
Less is more. Embrace the constraints of your budget. Working with restrictions leads to creative solutions.
Embrace your mistakes. I always have to remind myself of this one. Again, sh*t happens and I'd say that mistakes are a blessing in disguise.
Be humble. If your actor is struggling with a line, change it. It's probably too clunky. You're not Shakespeare because Shakespeare wasn't Shakespeare. Just be humble and gracious always. Unless someone's being a jerk, cuz ain't nobody got time for that.
What is something in filmmaking that you’re intrigued by and want to learn more about?
I'm intrigued by exploring the ever increasing lowlight capability of new cameras. Will big lights become obsolete? Maybe...
I'm also intrigued by new virtual reality technology and how people will use that technology to tell new stories. It's terrifying to imagine being completely immersed, like being in a watertank. It could also be so fascinating.
What kind of projects do you see yourself working on in the future?
I'm currently writing a horror feature, a comedic web series, a sci fi feature. All at the same time. Just kidding. I suppose you could say I'm a genre-ist. I find comedy fascinating because humor is so specific to personal taste and if you can make your brand of humor reach a broad audience, that's quite an accomplishment. Horror is equally fascinating for me because it's trying to find the underlying fears of society and bringing those fears to the surface. I'm interested in delving into what makes people tick.
If you’re a woman or non-binary filmmaker, we’d love to feature you! Click here for info on how to submit.
