Behind the scenes

1. What is it like being a teenage director?

For one, It can be very stressful given that my cast and crew all happen to be teenagers themselves. It's interesting being in many situations where I, myself, may get distracted with everyone but end up having to be the one to get everything under control. My friends are my actors, story writers, music mixers and camera men... and sometimes I do feel guilty putting them through so much work and effort FOR FREE but seeing them enjoy where they do, means so much to me. I love sharing my talent for film making with all my friends and I hope we all continue making more short films, movies and videos.

2. What's been the hardest scene to film?

There have been multiple scenes that I've shot that truly tested my patience. One of my hardest scenes was during the production of Run Away Love... We were filming a scene with Isabelle, Emma, Sidney and Hannah (all of whom are teenage girls who are good friends.) I can honestly say that I have never doubted the success of scene as much as I did this night. After every single line, the girls would burst out laughing and we'd have to start over... After about an hour and half, we finally finished the 40 second shot.

Through the years I've gotten more tolerant of situations and I've learned how to handle them more efficiently, but there is always room for improvement. Working within a very strict time limit, working with actors who aren't prepared, making up a script of the top of our heads, etc... Filmmaking is a difficult hobby but it was definitely worth every effort.

3. Why do you enjoy film so much?

This has been a very difficult question to answer every time that I am asked because It's not something that can be explained through words. People have their passions for music, cooking, sports, education, etc... and I have a passion for filmmaking. I enjoy creating something that was originally words and then is put in visual form. I love seeing stories come to life, beautiful shots and angles that can give a lot of depth and how you can create a movie with a phone.

Another reason as to why I love film so much is because of my background. In the past I have been involved in choir, band, photography and theatre and they all were amazing in their own ways. Choir brought the feeling of openness and peace to me as I sang. Band brought a feeling of power, talent and expression that could be felt as you played with an entire band and were important in your own way. Photography gives you a sense of control in your shots and it allows you to give more depth to an event or situation with vivid or unsaturated photos. Theatre brought feelings of true ability and happiness. To me, film is a way of expressing every one of these in one complex activity. A movie requires actors who can portray their character and set the mood of the film. A movie requires music to express feeling, bring tension, sadness or joy. A movie requires photography because film is simply hundreds of thousands of individual frames (or pictures). Film encompasses all that I love and enjoy. That's why it means so much to me.