filmmaking


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filmmaking

The first movie I scripted and shot was called "John's Adventure in Time." I was twelve. My grandmother played a school teacher named Mrs. Pickle-relishy. My grandfather played Davy Crocket. My brother, Justin, played a boy from the future. Since this project, I have continued to make movies for my own enjoyment. My most public movies have focused on the lives of artists.

Awards for "The Future"

Filming "Letters from the Real World"

A still from "The Artist as Nothing"

A still from "The Letter P"

A still from "Lobsterface" redux

director, actor "The Future"

I directed a movie called The Future with improv comedians Stranger Than Fiction for the 451 Degree Filmmaker Challenge at the S.N.O.B. Film Festival. The Center for the Book at the NH State Library awarded the movie for best capturing the essence of the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

host, producer "The Eye"

The Eye is my weekly video podcast about the people, places, and events that I find interesting. Episodes have been featured on BoingBoing, Steve Garfield's Vlog Soup, and Blip on Blip.

director of Young Filmmakers Workshop, NH Film Festival

This is my fourth year with the NH Film Festival, New Hampshire's largest film event. The festival is dedicated to bringing cutting edge independent movies to the granite state while also giving a screening platform to regional filmmakers. NHFF unites highly talented students, professional filmmakers and screenwriters with industry experts, educators, avid movie-goers and film connoisseurs from around the globe for a highly interactive weekend. Over 3,000 people attended the films, seminars, and ceremonies last year. I direct the Young Filmmakers Workshop where students enjoy interactive lectures, movie screenings and the production of an original movie whose premiere screening is held during the festival. Past students cherish their experiences with the YFW and many have gone on to study movie production in college and beyond.

actor "The Toll"

I co-star in the 3D computer animated short "The Toll" produced by Hatchling Studios. In the mockumentary, I play a film student named Harvey Stevens who slowly reveals the life, work, and love of a wonderfully animated, hilariously tragic bridge troll. The official movie site can be found here. For information about the studio behind the movie, check out Hatchling. "The Toll" was featured in the cover story for the February issue of Post Magazine. It debuted at the 2006 International Comic-Con.

member, A Swarm of Angels

A Swarm of Angels is about making a £1 million movie and giving it away to one million people in one year. By using the Internet to gather together 50,000 people willing to pay £25 to join an exclusive global online communit, The Swarm, the project’s ambition is to make the world’s first Internet-funded, crewed and distributed feature film.

actor, writer, director "Letters from the Real World"

This project involved five 3 minute video shorts screened in coordination to the stage production of Thomas in Wonkyland. Each piece depicted the heartbreaking adventures of a blue puppet named Hobart for whom I also provided the voice. During each short, Hobart finds himself humbled in his search for ideal friendship in a less than ideal world. Contributors to the video project included Brian Paul, Chris Bujold, Jon Briggs, Paul Verschueren, Pat Boutwell, Ryan and Jacqui Baker, and Danielle Mayka.

actor "Losing Jerry"

The NH Film Office sponsored a reading of the the upcoming film by writer Mitch Ganem (Elvis Has Left the Building) and producer Tracey Becker (Finding Neverland), who were both in attendance. I played a bunch of roles during the reading including a bodyguard, a lobster fisherman, and a boy who leaps from a building to his death. Mitch hopes to film the entire film in NH.

director "The Letter P"

Imagine a world where people use toilets to mail letters, and mailboxes are used as toilets. That is the concept of "The Letter P." I directed this short film based on a script by Noah Sheola. It starred Noah Sheola and Brian Paul.

director "The Artist as Nothing"

Filmed on location in York, England, this documentary takes an inspiring look at the English artist James Brook. The movie is a meditation on what it means to be an artist. The music for the movie was provided by thebrotherkite. This remains one of my favorite projects. James Brook is an inspiration.

writer, director "Lobsterface"

This started as a fun project among friends. We decided to make a movie in one day. I wrote the film as we shot it. A few months later we shot a sequel, Lobsterface 2: Son of a Lobsterface. Two years later we shot a nice remake of the original Lobsterface using real actors. The story follows a man who raises lobsters. Terror ensues. We will probably shoot it again someday.

editor "Walter's Room"

I edited this short film for Eastcoast Striper Productions. The movie told the tale of an obsessive compulsive man who hears his neighbor being attacked next door. He must face the depths of his disorder in his attempts to save her life.

director "Chewithetical"

For this movie, I followed Chris Merenda and his band, Chewy. Following these guys around was a blast. At one point while filming, I got a personal concert by The B52's (Chewy was the opening band and I got to stick around to set up equipment when the hall was cleared for the soundcheck). Anyway I just heard Merenda just wrapped six months on the road playing drums for Arlo Guthrie and The Mammals as part of the Alice's Restaurant 40th Anniversary Masacree Tour. Go Chris!

writer, co-director, actor "The Coma"

"The Coma" is a slow, black and white film that I shot with the talented Jeremy Westphall (of Free Horsie Rides Productions). The process of making this movie was very enjoyable, though I'm afraid the film itself could put anyone into a coma. Regardless we had a great cast. It starred the NH sculptor James Locke as an old man convinced that he was God. Lindsay Joy played a waitress. I played a young writer.

co-director, writer, animator "Ed Before He Became an Artichoke"

This film followed the perspective of a man about to jump from the ledge of a skyscraper. During the course of the 3 minute animated short, the man projects himself into the lives of an old couple he sees through the window. For example, there is a fishbowl. He looks at the fishbowl, and suddenly he imagines himself swimming around. If my math is correct, we were both sixteen years old when this film was completed. "Ed" was screened in Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. We were given a National Gold Award for the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. We even got our names printed in The New York Times. My co-director on this project was Dakota Benedetto. She is currently an art teacher in NH.