Why Your Shots Look Flat (And How I Fixed Mine) I was shooting Going Home on a ridiculously tight schedule when my DP pulled me aside. “Your actor’s face is half-gone,” he said, pointing at the monitor. He wasn’t wrong. The key light was doing its job, but the shadow side looked like someone had … Read more
The $4,000 Mistake That Changed Everything Three years ago, I watched a first-time director burn through four grand in 48 hours. The plan? Shoot a 70-minute feature over a single weekend with borrowed gear, unpaid actors, and a crew that had never worked together. By hour six, half the cast had bailed. By day two, … Read more
The Gourd That Changed Everything While co-directing and acting in Married & Isolated, a comedy about the frayed nerves of a couple in lockdown, I faced a challenge from both sides of the camera. In one scene, my character had to be driven to a state of quiet, simmering insanity by his partner’s minor, innocuous … Read more
Introduction: Things Killing Your Productivity We were three hours behind schedule on Going Home, my short film about a homeless woman’s chance encounter. The most emotional scene of the entire shoot—the one our actress had been preparing for all day—was dead in the water. There was a hum. A low, persistent buzz that appeared every … Read more
Introduction: Backyard Glamping Guide I spent April 2020 losing my mind in my living room. We were all stuck inside, “Married & Isolated,” and I’d edited enough footage to last a lifetime. My backyard—fifteen feet from my desk—became this weird forbidden zone I’d stare at through the window. So one Friday, I grabbed a tent … Read more
Introduction – 15 Must-Read Guides That Actually Work I remember sitting in a parking lot at 2 a.m., halfway through post on Going Home, completely stuck on a scene that wasn’t working. The editor and I had been going in circles for hours. Then I cracked open In the Blink of an Eye by Walter … Read more
Introduction – Personal Development Tips That Actually Work (From Experience) I was 80 pounds overweight when my doctor told me I wouldn’t see 40. That conversation happened in a sterile exam room that smelled like antiseptic and broken promises. I remember nodding along, thinking about all the films I’d never make, all the stories I’d … Read more
The Books I Wish I’d Read Ten Years Ago I was twenty-eight, sitting in my apartment editing footage from a short film that would never see a festival. My relationship was falling apart. My bank account looked like a bad joke. And I had this gnawing feeling that I was capable of more—I just had … Read more
The Hook I screwed up a pivotal scene in “Going Home.” We were shooting the climax — our lead staring at a letter from a friend, tears building. I’d set my 50mm to f/1.4 because, you know, cinematic. Checked the monitor. Beautiful bokeh. Nailed it. Except I didn’t nail it. Her eyes were razor-sharp, but … Read more
Camera Movements Every Filmmaker Should Master I remember the first time I tried a dolly shot on “Going Home.” I’d rigged up this makeshift track system using PVC pipes and a skateboard, convinced I was about to capture something magical. What I got instead was footage that looked like I’d filmed it during an earthquake … Read more