\\full interview
 

When did you first start getting into film?

I have my dad to thank for that. He’s always been relatively private about his youth, so it’s been a mix of photographs and stories to find that, creatively, we were very similar. Always a camera in hand, always involved in some type of project. He started one of the first radio stations in France with his brother, opened two French restaurants in Dallas with his best friend, and now has a skin care company with his wife. 

Anyway, he was always watching movies, and I'd watch them with him. Then, together with his video camera we’d find any excuse to make them. In 7th grade, I had a Science project about “Pangaea” and an English project about “Romeo & Juliet” - everyone turned in papers. I turned in a video. I was dressed as a farmer in one of them - blowing up a globe with fire crackers & in my moms robe in the other - reciting Shakespeare off a pool deck. I printed out the title and credits on paper and had to use our VHS player to edit and put music on top. Talk about a  “rough edit” .. but then I was so proud. The class had a “movie day” to watch them and I remember everyone being so excited. Near the end of high-school, I entered a 24 hour film competition, won first place, and was given a business card by one of the judges who had his own film company. I remember him saying “when you get done with school, call me. you have a gift.” I never did. 

What or who has been your biggest influence for all of this?

I think it’s “emotion.” Like any creative, you need fuel…inspiration. Half is from the cause that leads you to your work - the other half is from the effect of it. It’s a crazy feeling to visually express your heart and see the effect from it. 

Before, I was more or less creating for me. Even if I was collaborating with others, it’d be a project we were both personally passionate about. It’s been interesting trying to monetize on your passion because its personal, so you can’t help but take it personally. When someone hires you, they need their vision realized - not yours. So, definitely try to work with true fans of your work. The goal is to one day go from “I need a [enter your job description here] to get this done.” to “I need [enter your name here] to get this done.” Because they trust the results. Not everyone is going to be a fan of what you do, but I've learned that you want that. You want critics. All meaningful work is controversial. You want people to either love what you do or hate - no in between, because the people that love will be with you on your journey until the end. 

As far as influence, I don’t have a specific who. It’s the people I surround myself with that influence me. It’s human to gravitate towards people of the same interests and we all rub off on each other but the more you’re aware of it the better. My friends and family are incredible people with amazing gifts. I try to remind them of their effect on me, and the world, as much as I can.

What has been your proudest moment as a filmmaker?

I don't think I'm there yet and I don’t want to answer that with the work that got the most recognition because everything I've done so far has been a direct reflection life in that moment. My feelings, my values… it’s all there so i'm very proud of each piece for different reasons. I think, for right now, I’m just proud to see growth.

Where do you see this going for you?

Bankruptcy. Kidding. Remember how I said I never called that contact in high-school? I had a very specific vision for how I wanted my life to look when I hit 30. Where I lived, how much I made, what I drove etc etc. (all the surface level crap you’re focused on when you’re young). You find that life will always present opportunities, it’s how you handle them defines the rest. So instead of taking a risk, I took corporate jobs in stuff I knew I was good at and at 29, I accomplished my surface level goals. It wasn't a total bust, I also learned a lot. Business, culture, the science of people but also how pissed the universe was getting. The signs were soft and sweet at first, then more like a bat to the face. So, today at 30, I’m purging, I'm listening and I’m looking to my core. Because I've got a very specific vision for how I want life to feel when I hit 40.

Is this the end goal or is there more than this discipline out there for you?

At this point I’m confident in my craft. I know that there is no one like me, just like there is no one like you. However, I am not where I want to be in my understanding and education of this field. Luckily I've done some comparative shopping and no one in this field is taken seriously until now. So I really hope to find a mentor. Someone I can be like “here’s what I can do, teach me and we will both come out winning”. We were once asked to write down a strength we have that may also be perceived as a weakness. I chose adaptable.

How many years of self-teaching did it take for you to feel comfortable sharing your works publicly?

It’s hard to answer that… just trust yourself and surround yourself with the right support because that confidence goes just as fast as it comes. It’s a muscle. The more you apply, the stronger, more resilient you become.

What has been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned from this experience?

Break everything down. Take away all the hype, media, social standings, labels, fluff all of it. We’re literally a bunch of creatures with strange communication skills living on a planet eating things, making noises. Everything else we just made up. All of it. Then, life becomes less intimidating. More manageable. More relatable. Your fears? We made those up too. 

Is there anything you would change if you could about how things have gone in terms of your career?

I struggle with that. We’d like to hope that everything happens for a reason. Would have I gotten the same opportunities, education, friends if I had chosen one route over the other? Just try to avoid “what if” as much as possible.

What’s the funniest experience you’ve had on the job?

I just remember that the first videos I did had blooper reels almost as long as the actual video. No matter the topic, I hope the joy of creating the project always comes through. You can always tell when the creator loved what he was doing.

Do you find it hard to explain to people that aren’t in your filed exactly what you do?

I’ve used the term storyteller a lot because it is the essence of what we do but that still keeps it vague doesn't it? The more work you do the clearer the picture becomes for both parties. I think another part of that struggle is valuing the weight of your work. This is your craft. No one can do you what you do. No one is you. Put a value on that. Don’t underestimate the power of your brand. Because others will. 

I had an easier time getting work charged and paid for when I worked for a corporate job and did creative work on the side than when I worked on my own because people said oh I have a guy who works for XYZ… 

Like I said before, you want people who are true fans of you / your work otherwise you will be undervalued. This is, or will be your livelihood. Why is one painting more expensive than the other? Perception. Even if you’re starting out and are trying to build a portfolio. Trades services for services. If you don't want to charge your friend for those pictures you took have them buy you lunch or take you to the movies. Trade a haircut for a graphic. Then 100 bucks for a print and so on...

THANK YOU!