When I was nine, I read Edith Hamilton’s book Mythology for a classroom project. Imagining what these mythical stories would look like in real life, I began sculpting my own monsters from clay, as local toy stores did not sell Gorgons or Chimeras. Sculpture and illustration were the preferred mediums of my childhood. But It was Ray Harryhausen’s films that truly inspired my earliest desire to make films. At age 11, I got my hands on a Bell & Howell super 8mm camera that belonged to my aunt. Self-taught, I quickly began making claymation movies with the sculptures I made over the years, solely relying on the cameras light meter. Thus began my relationship with both process and cinematography.

I began working in the motion picture industry as a shop assistant in the set construction department on feature films. This path became a strong and methodical training for me as I moved up the departmental ranks building, designing, and engineering assets to support narrative. Becoming an Art Director tied together my childhood need to bridge tactile creativity to cinematic expression.

The camera & pen continue to be my primary tools to further explore texture, emotion, symmetry, and story — all of which drive me as an art director.

I give back by helping IATSE 829, the union behind the Art Directors and Production Designers working in film and television. In addition to helping run exams and conduct portfolio reviews, I also orchestrate training for Art Directors, sit as co-chair for IATSE 829’s education committee, and conduct presentations on behalf of IATSE.