FOREIGNAMERICAN PICTURES
APART FROM THAT (feature)
ForeignAmerican Pictures began with a cinematic experiment. Can we make a narrative feature film that depicts people as they truly are, with characters who interrupt, contradict, and repeat themselves? Can we cast first-time actors to play these roles, with no stars and a script that changed according to the ebb and flow of improvisational moments created by everyone involved, taking the narrative into new directions? Can we tell three stories simultaneously, with no connection other than the emotional landscape that governs them all?
Shot in 45 different locations across the Pacific Northwest, the film traveled to 24 film festivals around the world, from Belfast to Seoul, picking up positive reviews from critics:
“…something plainly new, fashioned by young artists with a defiantly personal sense of visual design and pace, along with considerable sympathy for their exceptionally human characters.”
-Robert Koehler, VARIETY
“…its characters are more akin to the American grotesque of Raymond Carver and Flannery O’Connor than any film precedents, save perhaps early Cassavetes.”
-Isla Leaver-Yap, THE LIST
What I did: Scriptwriting, Casting, Directing, Editing
OPEN MOUTH (short)
In 2014, the Seattle International Film Festival reached out to a small group of local filmmakers with a “Fly Film” challenge: produce and complete (in 10 weeks) a short 5-7 minute film that a) had to be a love story with Seattle as a character, and b) incorporate one of five SIFF venues in some way.
What I did: Scriptwriting, Casting, Directing, Editing
HILLSHIRE FARM
Hillshire Farm wanted a distinctive, hand-crafted aesthetic for the broadcast campaign that would launch their new line of sausages. Utilizing traditional cell animation, complete with hand-drawn illustrations and type, we somehow managed to make it all look yummy.
What I did: Storyboards, Illustration, Animation, Editing
Return of the R
When Rainier Beer decided to return the giant neon R to its rightful place atop the old Rainier Brewery in Seattle’s Industrial District, they needed a quick and dirty mini-doc that could mix historical context with nostalgic, beer-stained personal accounts from all walks of life.
What I did: Creative strategy, Interviews, Directing, Production, Shooting, Editing
SON OF A BUNCH
It’s a rare and wonderful treat when a client shares your sense of humor. Sun-Ray Cinema, an independent film venue known for its lesser-known gems and cult classics, was hungry for a fresh take on the standard pre-show PSA. The assignment was clear: “Do what you want, but don’t let ‘em forget it.”
Audience members are still asking “What. Did. I. Just. Watch?” to this day.
What I did: Scriptwriting, Casting, Directing, Editing
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
The Starbucks Business Ethics & Compliance team needed a video series that could provide an innovative and entertaining refresh of their policies. This was mandatory training for all Starbucks employees, and, historically, this content was saddled with the problems of being a bit long-winded, a smidge dry, and a tad agonizing. Our solution? An animated series hosted by two engaging characters that could deliver the pertinent information with humor and humanity.
What I did: Animation, Scriptwriting, Illustration, Casting, Directing
NWFF LOCAL SIGHTINGS
Presented by Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum, the Local Sightings Film Festival features a competitive selection of curated short film programs and feature films from regional artists throughout the Pacific Northwest. The 2015 campaign “See Something Different” required pre-screening bumpers that needed to be as distinctive and quirky as the festival itself.
What I did: Campaign poster design/illustration, Animation, Scriptwriting, Casting, Directing
