The Beginning
Acting
I started out acting for my friends’ short films after we met in my high school theater department. It was a lot of fun, and I had some skills that came in handy, like crying on command (no tears though), and playing guitar (yes, that’s really me!). It was a great introduction into a world that would become my whole life…
Directing
As much as I enjoyed acting, as I watched my friends write and direct and watch their creative visions come to life, I new I wanted to be a part of that. So I picked up a pen (Google Docs), and wrote my first screenplay at 2:00am with my now husband. Despite forgetting almost every prop and working on a $0 budget, I had so much fun with my friends that I was already looking forward to my next, much more daring, project…
Suits was that project. I’d had the world floating around in my hear for a while, but with a lot of encouragement, it finally made its way to paper, and later, the big screen. Well, my high school’s covid film festival, but still. A cast of seven during a pandemic remains impressive (and maybe a little concerning). With a TV-14 rating from the theater teacher, watch at your own discretion!
One of Those Faces was my last film before I left for college. At this point, I felt like I knew everything I needed to in order to be a successful filmmaker. I was wrong, of course, but it gave me the confidence I needed to go forth into the world…or at least Utah.
College
Something Real was my first short film I made in college, and despite the access to new equipment, I stuck with my Canon Rebel T6 that I’d been gifted a few months earlier. I still find it visually stunning, and it encouraged me to explore more of the city I was going to call home for the next 4 years.
As part of the same class, I filmed my first documentary. I was not looking forward to it. I had my heart set on narrative filmmaking…until I got started. Clear The Ice was a defining moment for me. I fell in love with the process, the passion, and even the editing (shocking, I know). It became my emphasis, and my chosen path forward.