What I've been up to...
I've been pretty busy the last few years, working on my most ambitious project yet, my award-winning short film Dead Run, which completed its run on the festival circuit in late 2018. On this page is a concise list of current and past projects that I've either produced entirely in-house, or that I've supported or been involved with in some way.
Producer, Director, ... (hell, everything) - Dead Run - (May 2017 - Nov 2018)
In the Summer of 2014, I began an intense 3-year personal study project that would cover all aspects of filmmaking. In early 2017, the culmination of that effort resulted in the 9-minute short film entitled Dead Run, a thriller/horror genre film shot on-location in the forests of the Chugach Mountains in Alaska. The film was an official selection in 11 festivals and won 8 awards.
The purpose of this project was to force myself to execute and experience every aspect of filmmaking while producing this film, from concept development, script writing/development, producing, casting, directing, shooting, picture editing, visual FX, sound editing and re-recording, ADR recording, Foley and sound FX creation, immersive 5.1 sound design, color correcting and grading, final mastering and assembly, and creation of a Digital Cinema Package for submission to festivals. The only things I didn't do was the acting, and makeup FX and location sound, the latter two of which were done by my wife, Leeann.
To read more about the process I followed, what I learned (or needed to learn), and all the technical aspects and other issues I faced as a DIY independent filmmaker, including some behind-the-scenes footage and photographs, visit our special Dead Run Film Page. Watch the Dead Run trailer on our Films page.
Production Assistant (PA), Little Women: LA (April 2017)
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work as a PA (my first time on a major studio production) on the Reality TV series Little Women: LA, while filming at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, AK. What I did on this job was your typical PA roles: driving 2nd teams around, supporting cast and crew in any way necessary, transporting gear, staging vehicles, driving crew, and picking up grip equipment from a local grip house. It was great fun, I gained some additional hands-on experience (always good), and gained some valuable insight into Reality TV production. Plus, it was a paid gig, so... yeah!
PA, Gaffer, Grip, (you name it) - Hoppin' Hamburgers (March 2017)
I assisted in a production with gaff, grip, and the general "whatever needs to be done" sort of thing, for a video by a local filmmaker and comedian, Matt Collins, called Hoppin' Hamburgers, shot at the Anchorage Community Works. It was a collaborative effort by many in the local filmmaking community, and can be viewed on YouTube. Check it out!
PA, Grip, Gaffer, set photographer - Play for Me (Project Greenlight Pitch) (March 2017)
I assisted with this pitch for Project Greenlight in various ways, including set photographer, grip, gaffer, and general PA. This project was driven by Jessie Wei of eissejfilms, directed by Carl Weber, and supported by DP Mackenzie Banbury, sound recordist Jeremy Blake, 1st AD/script supervisor Laura Hoosier, 2nd AD/Actor Abraham Boney, Actress April Beardslee, and Actor Greg Rowland. The final submission can be seen on YouTube.
Actor - Dell Computer Rugged Tablet Advertisement Shoot (May 2015)
I auditioned and was hired as an actor on an international Dell Computer commercial shoot in Anchorage. In this advertising campaign, I appeared in the product video as a foreman in a steel fab shop where the new Rugged Tablet was being featured. I also appeared in still images used in the campaign on the Dell.com website. One thing I learned from this gig... being above the line in a paid gig is pretty sweet!
Producer, Director, Editor - Eagle River Rapids Yurt Timelapse (October 2014)
One October evening while camping at the Eagle River Rapids Yurt, near where we shot Dead Run, I set up my camera and captured a timelapse of the surrounding mountainscape. It is a composite of two timelapses, timewarped in After Effects and set to Let Her Go, performed by Tyler Ward. You can watch Eagle River Rapids Yurt Timelapse on our Films page.
Producer, Director, Editor - Radioactive Music Video (August 2014)
Radioactive is a music video I shot with and for the dear daughters of a friend featuring their favorite song of the time, Radioactive, covered by the a cappella group Pentatonix. This video was shot using my Glidecam HD4000 steadicam and Nikon D810 at 1080p. We shot it one afternoon at the abandoned Old Glen Highway bridge in Palmer, AK the week before we all saw Pentatonix perform live at the Alaska State Fair. This was truly one of my more enjoyable filmmaking experiences, and I love the passion these two girls put into the performance. You can watch Radioactive on our Films page.
Producer, Director, Editor - Raw Earth Wild Sky (April 2014)
This short film was a personal project shot as a mock advertising piece for About Face, the small business my wife and I own. About Face is a women's fine lingerie and clothing boutique. The concept was to show off one of our favorite clothing lines, Raw Earth Wild Sky, in the rugged landscape at Beluga Point, along Turnagain Arm just South of Anchorage, AK. The first day we had planned to shoot, the winds along the arm were much too high (as they often can be) for filming, so we had to postpone. The day we were able to shoot was a clear, fairly warm, and windless, perfect day. Even the waters of the Arm were still, providing great reflections of the mountains to the South. We shot with our talent well into the evening, and was rewarded with a gorgeous sunset that made the ending. Much of the film was shot hand-held on my Glidecam HD4000. This was shot on a Nikon D3s at 720p. You can watch Raw Earth Wild Sky on our Films page.
Producer, Director, Editor - Around the Store - (Winter 2014)
This 4 minute film was another personal project where I put together shots of the interior of About Face from various times and cut the video to music for the enjoyment of our customers and vendors. Nearly all of this was shot using a Zacuto Striker rig on a Nikon D3s at 720p. You can watch Around the Store on our Films page.
Producer, Director, Editor - Kennecott Timelapse - (August 2013)
It was a perfect Alaska day at the Kennecott Mines at the foot of the Kennecott Glacier in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. We were there to do a little packrafting with the Kennecott Wilderness Guides, and had to make some time for timelapse. Captured with my Nikon D3s using a Dynamic Perceptions Stage Zero slider with an Acuter Merlin Pan/Tilt Head. This video includes two separate timelapses combined and set to Ocean Breeze by Pablo Cruise. Kennecott can be seen on our Films page.
Producer, Director, Editor - Clouds Timelapse - (June 2013)
One evening in Eagle River, AK, the skies turned ominous, with the clouds rolling by. I grabbed my Nikon D3s, set it on a tripod, and set the intervalometer. This 17 second timelapse was shot at 1:30 AM one June morning (it never really gets dark in the Summer) and is set to Few and Far Between by Shannon Curfman. Clouds can be seen on our Films page.
Producer, Director, Editor - Denali, Memorial Day Timelapse - (May 2013)
On one clear Alaska day, Denali (Mt. McKinley) rose up out of the rugged Alaska landscape like the majestic princess she is. On this day, however, I captured her in timelapse using a Dynamic Perceptions Stage Zero slider with an Acuter Merlin Pan/Tilt Head with my Nikon D3s. This 43 second timelapse is composed of three separate setups that took about three and a half hours to capture. You can experience the Denali Timelapse from that perfect Memorial Day on our Films page.
Producer, Director, Editor - Mountain Timelapse - (April 2013)
One crisp April evening, I captured this 8 second timelapse, shot on my Nikon D3s affixed to a tripod firing at 10 sec intervals for 200 frames at around 8 pm from my front deck. You can see the Mountain on our Films page.
Producer, Director, Editor - Smellwell Soaps Stop Motion Video - (2013)
This project was something I had always wanted to do and finally had a reason to do it. It was an advertising piece for a new soap line for our web site at About Face. I shot it in my studio in just a couple of hours and and put it to the Benny Hill theme song we all love. It was shot using my Nikon D3s. You can watch the Smellwell Soaps Stop Motion Video on our Films page.
Producer, Director, Editor - Instructional Videos - (2011)
I shot two instructional videos which we've featured on the About Face web site for many years. One is entitled Bra Fit and the second is entitled Bridal Foundations. Both were shot on the Nikon D3s and can be viewed on our Films page.
