My Favorite Aspects of Filmmaking

Filmmaking is my passion. It interweaves my love for capturing life’s dramas with my desire for visual storytelling. My favorite aspects of filmmaking revolve around the precious moments I share with my children, the thrill of adventure, the magic of collaboration, and the power of evoking emotions through visual narratives and sound.

My Children

At the heart of my filmmaking journey are my children. Filming them brings immense joy, inspiration, and practice. Their curiosity, wonder, and unfiltered emotions make for compelling footage that truly captures the essence of childhood. We spend countless hours exploring nature, climbing rocks, hiking through forests, visiting landmarks, and marveling at the wonders of the world. Each adventure is an opportunity to document their growth and archive our experiences.

For myself, it’s essential to capture the moments you will never get back. I find refuge and escape in those memories because they offer a powerful connection to the past. The ability to revisit these moments, each carrying a different meaning as time passes, is my favorite part of my parenthood. I am tearfully reminded of the joy, love, and curiosity.

Adventure

I have filmed in diverse and breathtaking locations, from the majestic Grand Teton mountains to the vast threatening expanse of the Arabian Sea. Each environment presents unique challenges and rewards, pushing me to hone my technical skills and expand my creative horizons. I challenge my limitations while I capture the raw beauty of nature and the fortitude of the human experience. The thrill of adventure not only enriches my portfolio but also fuels my passion for storytelling.

Filming in the elements and within human conflict is a transformative experience. I recently filmed a documentary about pirate activity around the Arabian Peninsula and West Coast of Africa. The closeness to danger, the separation from my family, the isolation of the sea, and the many unknowns contributed to my personal growth. Additionally, I’ve filmed myself climbing in arduous conditions in the Grand Tetons and hiking the Pemigewasset Loop. Each journey provided a unique and breathtaking perspective of endurance and perseverance. 

Collaboration

I love the opportunity to meet new people and collaborate on creative projects. There is magic in bringing someone’s vision to life. I find immense pleasure in the process of reading scripts, understanding different perspectives, and working together to create something extraordinary. Each project is a new learning experience, offering new insights and challenges. Collaborating with other filmmakers, writers, and actors broadens my creative horizons and enhances my storytelling abilities. The process of turning a script into a visual story is both exhilarating and deeply fulfilling. It requires a blend of technical skill, artistic vision, and teamwork, all of which contribute to the magic of movie-making.

Emotion

At the nucleus of my passion for filmmaking is the desire to show cinematic visual stories that evoke emotions that resonate with the human condition. Whether I’m capturing the innocence of my children’s adventures, the grandeur of natural landscapes, or the intricacies geopolitical conflict, my goal is to create stories that are both visually stunning and emotionally engaging.

Each frame, each scene, is meticulously crafted to convey a specific emotion or idea. The process of visual storytelling involves not just capturing images, but also understanding the narrative and how best to represent it on screen. It’s about finding the right angles, lighting, and composition to bring the story to life in the most impactful way possible.

My journey into filmmaking is deeply rooted in my diverse experiences as a retired Navy SEAL. I found myself in countless situations where I wished I could have shown people visually what emotions I had experienced. Since I have started, I have created music videos, worked with non-profit and corporate clients, and documented a wide array of reality-based content. Every project, every adventure, and every collaboration has offered new lessons and insights. I am passionate about expanding my knowledge and skills, and I am constantly inspired by the people I work with and the stories we create together. It is a passion that is deeply rooted in my love for filmmaking and my desire to capture and share the beauty and wonder of life. It is my favorite thing to do.