When I was 13, I picked up a VHS copy of Se7en off the Blockbuster shelf.
The clerk at the counter didn’t ask any questions. He just let a couple of 8th graders walk out with an R-rated film. We felt like we were getting away with murder. I'm on the left of the illustration, and my friend Mike is on the right.
We popped the tape in with great anticipation. It starts off with the dimly lit, gruesome homicide scene. The two detectives who couldn’t believe their eyes. Trent Reznor’s eerie heavy metal soundtrack assaulting my eardrums.
I didn’t know what was coming next – but I was excited, terrified, and hooked.
Once it was over, I instinctively knew that creating a visceral experience like I’d just witnessed was what I wanted to do with my life.
Fast forward a few decades and I’ve been able to pursue my calling. I’ve written, directed and shot my own short narrative films, documentaries and experimental films. And I’m constantly looking for my next opportunity to create something meaningful and impactful.
Because as technology and culture change, I believe the one constant is the ability to speak to people’s hearts through the emotions of a powerful story. And while details can dissipate from your memory, the emotions you feel in that moment stay with you forever.