Why I Finally Decided to Write What I Know
With my upcoming short film, “Let Me Rest,” I’m putting myself out there. Even though it isn’t completely biographical, it still represents thoughts I’ve had, hard conversations that were actually exchanged, and moments of loneliness and anger felt after losing my mother to cancer in 2020. The film represents a “what if” scenario through the main character of Lynn.
Write What You Know
For 13 years, I’ve been creating short films off and on. Typically, my approach has been to craft stories based on research, genre, or a specific theme I wanted to explore—sometimes tailored for a particular film festival. But I hadn’t yet ventured into writing and directing a project that deeply reflected my own experiences…
High Pressure Cinematography for a High Fantasy Shoot
Imagine stepping onto the set of a high-fantasy pilot with 29 pages of script and over 20 scenes to shoot in just 28 hours. Daunting? Absolutely. But for me, it became a welcome challenge. This wasn’t just another pet project—it was a proof-of-concept, and if we pulled it off, it could open doors to bigger things. The pressure was palpable, but so was the excitement.
The Old Days
Before committing to this photography / cinematography life full-time, before my normal 9-5 day job, before college, I made videos with my closest friends. We just did what any other teenager was doing; goofing around, laughing at stupid things, but we channeled that into standing in front of a camera, improvising, and trying to piece our nonsensical puzzles together for our own enjoyment.
Working For Free
I’ve given my time and effort to others when the conditions were right when this wasn’t my full-time job. Having benefited from such generosity myself, I felt it was only fitting to pay it forward when it made sense, even after this became my "9-5." But let's unpack what "when it makes sense" really means in the context of creative collaborations.
Cinematography Breakdown Vol. 3
This was perhaps the most difficult location I’ve had to shoot in so far as a cinematographer. Here’s how I lit and shot it with the Sony FX3 and had to compromise on certain things to make it work…