Two robbers, a janitor, and a runway model join forces to escape an arena during the recording of the cop-themed fashion reality TV show Runway Getaway! after the robbers are busted by the notorious show host.
Runway Getaway! is my 21-minute thesis film from CalArts and prototype for a series idea that's been brewing in my mind since I was 18. This film is the culmination of a decade’s worth of internal ideation, artistic creation, and exploration. I'm excited to move forward with this IP and expand on its world, characters, and deeper messaging.
There’s a lot I could say about this film—why I created it, what it means on a spiritual level, the context in which it was made, and what I was channeling both consciously and subconsciously. But for now, I think I’ll let the film speak for itself and build on those thoughts at a later date. So, enjoy what feels like my greatest achievement at the time of writing this.
Some dude drives out to the middle of the desert to crash a music festival and rocks the mic like George Jones in wrestling attire.
MacBook Orchestra commissioned me to create this music video for their song "George Jones." I liked the lyrics and really resonated with them. What’s funny about this project is that I was pretty burnt out from animation at the time and was just getting my feet wet in music production again. I daydreamed about life as a working musician, and my identity crisis clearly seeped into this music video.
Will & Bobby, low on rent, decide to rob the burglary-themed burger joint Burglar Burger. The manager gets in their way as they attempt their heist.
BURGLAR BURGER was my third-year film from CalArts, an exercise in filth and spontaneity. After not finishing my second-year film on time, I was dissatisfied with my output and felt held back by my own perfectionism. With only one semester to create my third-year film, I took a script I had written the previous semester and shotgunned an 8-minute short. This piece was pivotal for my artistry moving forward, as it gave me a newfound sense of freedom in filmmaking.
Wendy & Kylie take a wrong turn on the way to their log cabin vacation and spend the night in a haunted wood-manufacturing facility.
LADIES NIGHT AT LUMBER LODGE is my first true collaboration. Over winter break of my final year, Kaylie and I were one of the only students who stayed on campus. I always liked her style, sensibilities, and humor, so I asked if she wanted to make a film since we had such artistic synergy. We took a basic outline of a screenplay I’d previously written and ad-libbed the empty holes. It was so funny hearing Kaylie blurt out whatever came to the top of her head and just moving forward with it. I stopped production of my thesis for two weeks to shotgun this short; it’s a love letter to CalArts. Despite the self-induced pressure of taking on so much at that time, it was very much worth it (I think). Kaylie Haggenmiller was responsible for the visual development, most of the character designs, a good portion of the writing, and is a wonderful person to work with — you can find her work here.
Will & Bobby skate down a halfpipe.
Meteor was an artistic reset for me. After years of exploration, I wanted to revisit tones and ideas from the very beginning. This short was pulled from a comic I created before CalArts, before I even started life drawing. It was really refreshing to go back to a simpler, stripped-back energy in my work. It was a nice checkpoint, reconnecting with my roots, before diving into my thesis, Runway Getaway!
An animated music video featuring "Them Changes" by Thunder Cat and "YOU'RE THE ONE" by KAYTRANADA.
NoHarm2 was all about building a visual world and capturing an atmosphere/vibe. Music videos are the perfect mode of storytelling to do this. The concept for this short goes way back to when I first moved to LA, fell in love, and got my heart broken for the first time. These songs served as the soundtrack to my young adult turmoil and angst as I explored the city. I would visualize music videos in my head as these songs played, knowing I would eventually bring them to life. This film is more of a fine art piece than a traditional narrative. In many ways, I consider NoHarm2 to be the emotional centerpiece of the NoHarmRadio universe.
Princess Diana time travels to the 2020s and must find her way back home with the help of pop culture icons.
Princess Diana's Big Adventure is a trilogy of 48-hour films made at CalArts. Every year during midterms, students host 48 Hour Films, a challenge to create a short in just 48 hours. The time limit and the pressure of finals push you to be loose, candid, and spontaneous with your ideas—that's the beauty of it.
The first installment of Princess Diana's Big Adventure was my first film at CalArts. In my third year, I decided to make a sequel, which then evolved into a full trilogy. I owe this series a lot in terms of my artistic evolution. Its humor is very topical and of its time, but it was a precursor to BURGLAR BURGER and helped me hone in on the heart of my filmmaking.
The manifesto of NoHarmRadio.
NOHARM_INTRO is my first-year film and serves as the "let there be light," "abracadabra" moment to my body of work. Since it was my first time learning how to properly animate, I wanted to focus on simple choreography and getting a character from point A to point B. This film features characters you’ll see come to life and get fully fleshed out in my thesis film. Looking back, this is admittedly pretty pretentious, but I love that. NOHARM_INTRO is less of a film and more of a statement saying, "here I am."
A collection of music videos combining hand-drawn assets and live footage.
In an alternate universe, I might have dedicated my life to the performing arts. I have a deep respect for performers and musicians, and you could say this is my way of getting a taste of that world. Helmet and runner were two of my one-week films at CalArts, visual shorts created for songs I admired at the time. “First Night Out” is actually a song I wrote, performed, and produced myself in Logic Pro. I used to make music as a young teen, so it was exciting to return to the craft after all these years. I believe in expanding your artistry across different mediums—every art form informs the others and keeps your brain sharp.
Check out the music tab for more tunes—there’s more to come.