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937
Films Seen in Last 4 Years
3
From Kevin Bacon

Typically, directors develop their passion for films and then begin making them.

My experience was a bit different. I developed my passion for films by making them.

My high school had a cinematography class, and I took it just so I wouldn’t have to fail miserably at other art classes.

Within just a few days, filmmaking became my entire focus.

Those early films led me to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts:

NYU Film

At Tisch I made a name for myself as a detail-oriented director and editor. I’m hands-on, and like to be immersed in every aspect of production.

Short Films

In school I wrote, directed, and edited 9 short films, while assisting on dozens of others. You can find some highlights on /films.

Ridley Scott Associates

Outside of the classroom I interned for the production company of Ridley Scott — director of Alien, Gladiator, and The Martian.

Footage from my documentary, To Write Love on Her Arms, was featured on:

After going through all of the required coursework, NYU didn’t want to make my senior thesis, an absurd comedy, because it wasn’t ‘serious enough.’

So, I dropped the class and made it on my own.

Adopt Me, was accepted into numerous film festivals, and premiered to a sold-out crowd at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema in NYC.

Film Degree Completion

97%

I also felt that NYU didn’t teach enough about the film business. Pitching, financing, etc. The focus was just on the craft.

So with just 2 classes left at Tisch, I transferred to SUNY Geneseo, where I majored in financial analysis and business administration.

SUNY Geneseo

In business school I completed coursework on strategic management, security valuation, sales & negotiations, marketing, and ethics. I graduated with one piece of paper but essentially two degrees: Film & Business.

Adirondack Funds

Outside of school I interned for a mutual fund with over $275M in assets. I assisted and shadowed both the fund managers and the marketing director during investor relations and financial analysis.

Business Degree Completion

100%

Making a great film is an extremely challenging puzzle, and I love putting it together. I typically take on writing, producing, financing, directing, and post-production for all of my films.

I just completed my latest short film, a thriller titled “Cardiac Hill.”

Filmed in the fall of 2022, it’s about a girl in high school who has a heart transplant, and she starts to take on the darkest qualities of her donor.

You can find out more at CardiacHillFilm.com.

Each year I try to watch a movie a day.

 

 

The worse I fail at it, the more likely I’m making a film of my own.

 

 

But sometimes I make it happen.

503
Films in 2019
205
Films in 2020
136
Films in 2021
93
Films in 2022

And if you ever hit a roadblock in life, just remember my favorite quote:

If you can laugh at yourself loud and hard every time you fall... people will think you're drunk.

Conan O'Brien