Image
What drew you to the entertainment industry?
Jackass ... no seriously, Jackass. I grew up in West Chester, PA with Bam and his guys doing all of their stuff literally in my backyard. Seeing them do what they did without being trained actors and writers really excited me, and my friends and I got into filmmaking at a young age. Naturally as time progressed, our work became more refined and our vision more clear but I wouldn't be in the business today without that start.
What's your favorite part about working with writers?
Roadmap is great in the sense that I've truly met a ton of great people that I may not have crossed paths with without the program. I honestly love hearing different backstories first and foremost. There are a ton of writers in this program whose backstories have truly blown my mind. It's really unique to see how these backstories shape the pieces they're writing and I've loved the spread of stories I've seen over the program.
What gets you most excited about a writer's pitch?
You really come to some great revelations when you can talk out scripts with each writer. I tell everyone — your script is one singular part of your package — whether the package is you as a person or for a particular project you've created. I got into this to be a collaborator, and the more open a writer is to true collaboration and really talking things out, the more exciting the process is overall for everyone involved. Nobody has all the answers.
What's one bit of advice that helps you the most in this industry?
I think ultimately it's just important to know that everyone has their own path and not everyone hits certain points in their career at the same time. I feel lucky to have gotten a later start than some of my colleagues because I've never felt the need to look to my left and right to see what those around me were doing. Just keep your head down and be good to everyone, and the right people will notice.
What's your favorite non-industry-related hobby or activity?
Quarantining under strict lockdown in my apartment. Kidding. When things are normal, I love being on the move. Southern California has so much to explore. My girlfriend and I love exploring the different beach towns and wine regions in the area. Once upon a time I was going to concerts as much as possible too but nowadays I'm settling for an unhealthy amount of live Phish recordings.
Jackass ... no seriously, Jackass. I grew up in West Chester, PA with Bam and his guys doing all of their stuff literally in my backyard. Seeing them do what they did without being trained actors and writers really excited me, and my friends and I got into filmmaking at a young age. Naturally as time progressed, our work became more refined and our vision more clear but I wouldn't be in the business today without that start.
What's your favorite part about working with writers?
Roadmap is great in the sense that I've truly met a ton of great people that I may not have crossed paths with without the program. I honestly love hearing different backstories first and foremost. There are a ton of writers in this program whose backstories have truly blown my mind. It's really unique to see how these backstories shape the pieces they're writing and I've loved the spread of stories I've seen over the program.
What gets you most excited about a writer's pitch?
You really come to some great revelations when you can talk out scripts with each writer. I tell everyone — your script is one singular part of your package — whether the package is you as a person or for a particular project you've created. I got into this to be a collaborator, and the more open a writer is to true collaboration and really talking things out, the more exciting the process is overall for everyone involved. Nobody has all the answers.
What's one bit of advice that helps you the most in this industry?
I think ultimately it's just important to know that everyone has their own path and not everyone hits certain points in their career at the same time. I feel lucky to have gotten a later start than some of my colleagues because I've never felt the need to look to my left and right to see what those around me were doing. Just keep your head down and be good to everyone, and the right people will notice.
What's your favorite non-industry-related hobby or activity?
Quarantining under strict lockdown in my apartment. Kidding. When things are normal, I love being on the move. Southern California has so much to explore. My girlfriend and I love exploring the different beach towns and wine regions in the area. Once upon a time I was going to concerts as much as possible too but nowadays I'm settling for an unhealthy amount of live Phish recordings.