1. Can you share a bit about your background in filmmaking and what initially drew you to this industry?
I started off in film production as a PA, then Grip, 1st/2nd AD, and then a Line Producer. My journey into film started when I took a theatre class in High School. After my first performance my paradigm completely change. I’ve been into the arts ever since.
I started off in film production as a PA, then Grip, 1st/2nd AD, and then a Line Producer. My journey into film started when I took a theatre class in High School. After my first performance my paradigm completely change. I’ve been into the arts ever since.
2. How do your personal experiences and perspectives influence the way you approach storytelling and film production?
I grew up in a working class home. My father was a bricklayer and my mother a homemaker. But my dad had a passion for music and my mom was the family photographer. Both are fantastic storytellers.
I grew up in a working class home. My father was a bricklayer and my mother a homemaker. But my dad had a passion for music and my mom was the family photographer. Both are fantastic storytellers.
3. Have you ever experienced a profound sensory moment while watching a film that left a lasting impression on you? What was it about that experience that resonated with you?
One of the many films that left a profound feeling of awe was watching Contact with Jodi Foster. The scope of the film and it’s universal message left me moved and with a greater appreciation of me being a part of the cosmos.
One of the many films that left a profound feeling of awe was watching Contact with Jodi Foster. The scope of the film and it’s universal message left me moved and with a greater appreciation of me being a part of the cosmos.
4.Can you share a bit about your creative process and how you draw inspiration from your own sensory experiences and emotions?
After reading hundreds of books, screenplays, and over 500 films, and having numerous painter friends, I just developed a roledex of images, impressions, themes, and archetypes. As soon as some tells me a story or I read a script I just start shooting it in my head.
5. Have you encountered any specific challenges or successes in your career related to creating emotionally resonant and sensory-rich film experiences?
I have a very specific artistic palette and I tend to want to create intense surreal dramas which are more difficult to produce. It’s very frustrating.
I have a very specific artistic palette and I tend to want to create intense surreal dramas which are more difficult to produce. It’s very frustrating.
6. What motivates you to explore new ways of engaging audiences and making films more inclusive and accessible?
That each neighborhood has a tragic love story, a villain, a saint, a lore. I want to see the mythology of every corner of the world.
That each neighborhood has a tragic love story, a villain, a saint, a lore. I want to see the mythology of every corner of the world.
7. How do you navigate the balance between artistic vision and practical considerations, such as audience accessibility and inclusivity, in your filmmaking process?
I focus on recurring universal themes and not messages.
I focus on recurring universal themes and not messages.
8.Can you share any insights or advice for emerging filmmakers who are interested in incorporating sensory-inclusive approaches into their work?
Study and immerse yourself into the filmmakers who came before you and add your perspective to the story.
Study and immerse yourself into the filmmakers who came before you and add your perspective to the story.
9. How do you approach the design of a film to evoke specific emotions in the audience?
Lately I’ve been fascinated with sound. They say sound makes 50% of a film but it’s an invisible art. Layers upon layers can really engage an audience.
Lately I’ve been fascinated with sound. They say sound makes 50% of a film but it’s an invisible art. Layers upon layers can really engage an audience.
10. Can you describe any techniques or strategies you've used to create sensory-rich experiences in your films?
I usually start with a color palette and an emotional impression.
I usually start with a color palette and an emotional impression.
11.Can you share any experiences or feedback from audiences with unique sensory needs regarding their film-watching experiences?
There is nothing like having an audience get moved by a scene that you envisioned months or years ago when you first read the script or wrote it.
12.What do you think are the key elements that contribute to a successful, sensory-inclusive film experience?
The hero or villain to choose to follow.
13. From your perspective, how can the film industry as a whole work towards making movies more accessible and enjoyable for diverse audiences?
By producing more local and regional films.
14. In your opinion, what role do filmmakers and producers play in promoting awareness and understanding of sensory diversity in the entertainment industry?
Put your money where you say it should go to. Diverse filmmakers can’t contribute to cinema if no one is funding them.
15.Could you share a memorable experience from your filmmaking career where you felt particularly connected to the emotions conveyed in a film?
I worked on a controversial film that had an amazing cast. It was raw and unfiltered. One of my proudest film projects. Dani the Ranch Hand
16.Can you recall a film project that challenged you creatively and emotionally? How did you navigate those challenges?
Working on a horror episodic that didn’t have enough crew or financial resources really took it toll. I felt that I had failed. We were in the weeds every single day. It was brutal.
17. Have there been any moments in your career where you felt a strong connection with the audience's reactions to your films? What did those moments teach you about storytelling and audience engagement?
That we have more in common that we think.
18. How do you personally approach the challenge of balancing your artistic vision with the practical considerations of making films accessible and enjoyable for diverse audiences?
By inviting them. These is the story I want to tell from this specific region.
By inviting them. These is the story I want to tell from this specific region.
19. Are there any specific films or filmmakers that have had a profound influence on your approach to storytelling and filmmaking? What lessons have you learned from them?
Park Chan-wook, Darren Aronofsky and Krzysztof Kieślowski are probably my most influential directors. They gave me reassurance that I am not the only one who views the world in a similar way.
Park Chan-wook, Darren Aronofsky and Krzysztof Kieślowski are probably my most influential directors. They gave me reassurance that I am not the only one who views the world in a similar way.
20. Looking back on your journey as a filmmaker, what are some of the most valuable insights or lessons you've gained about the power of sensory experiences in storytelling and filmmaking?
That cinema can still feel like a profound dream.
That cinema can still feel like a profound dream.
"Do you consent to the use of the information provided in this interview for research purposes, including potential publication or dissemination, while ensuring anonymity and confidentiality?"
Yes.
