Curtains Open. Interior Website Bio.
I’m a Writer, Director, and NYU Film alum and my goal is to direct a feature film or mini-series with themes of magical-realism or high concept action. Since launching my company A Forceful Tide Productions, I’ve worked in different film crafts to fund my passion projects. I love not just film, but storytelling. In New York, I’ve been involved behind the scenes with stand-up, poetry, and zines. Art tells stories, in its history or by its medium, and here is a part of mine.
When choosing the name of my company, A Forceful Tide Productions, I had this David Foster Wallace quote in mind, but let me preface it by saying it’s not one that I entirely agree with but it is a perspective that paints how I make films.
An ad that pretends to be art is -- at absolute best -- like somebody who smiles warmly at you only because he wants something from you. This is dishonest, but what's sinister is the cumulative effect that such dishonesty has on us: (...) it messes with our heads and eventually starts upping our defenses even in cases of genuine smiles and real art and true goodwill. It makes us feel confused and lonely and impotent and angry and scared. It causes despair.
- David Foster Wallace.
Gi and his team on the set of Gold (NYC, 2019)
Wow. David Foster Wallace really hates ads.
It’s syllogism -- at absolute best -- to think that because advertisers can identify a relatable narrative then commercials have no artistic merit. I don’t want to become some gallery elitist sounding off on what art isn’t. But, if advertisements are without art, are all superhero movies blasphemy? Only Siths deal in absolutes.
“Transformers: Robots in Disguise”, was made with the intent to sell toys to children (but really their parents). It’s “advertisements in disguise.” Still, people are surprised there’s seven movie installments in the franchise.
People are complex and multi-faceted, even those we might disregard as “two-dimensional.” I think of different experiences and beliefs as dyed water, filling up reservoirs. And the self that we put forward is a mix of these different reservoirs.
Although I disagree with David Foster Wallace, the reason this quote paints my work is because I understand that art and craft are two different reservoirs, serving the Director independently. This notion has allowed my style of filmmaking to evolve by recognizing:
1) The love that art gives, inspiring solidarity.
2) My respect and dedication to craft, clarifying my message.
Storytelling’s importance demands respect, lest you be roasted by David Foster Wallace. We give films permission to take our narrative and reflect it in a way that confirms, or at the very least, makes tolerable our worldview. We want them to be genuine because we want to be understood.
Stories can be the tide that washes over someone, forcing them to see outside themselves.
Sound mixing for Hot Girls Aren’t Funny (NYC, 2016)
Gi boom operating for Blood and Water (Michigan, 2015)
Working on a major union television show acclimated me to working under pressure and the expectations between the camera, production, lighting, and art departments. As a Sound Mixer, I read the script before we shoot. I observe how each Director will interpret a script or deliver notes, and the importance of knowing the material. As an Electrician, I create drama in every frame. This informs my own writing to rely less on dialogue and clunky exposition. This ever-growing holistic knowledge has taught me how to take an idea from conception to execution while overcoming both practical and storytelling challenges particular to film:
1) Understanding the needs of every department helps run a smooth set.
2) Creative solutions for when I direct.
3) Improving my craft makes me a better storyteller.
Great! Another college film kid who writes poetry..
I was able to take a Master Poetry Workshop taught by poet Major Jackson. I learned a lot about how much information an audience needs in order to create aesthetic and build accessible narratives. I also appreciated the lack of restriction that poetry has on form. I took a break from directing in order to refine my voice and write more poetry, studying in Florence for a summer. Allowing myself to take a step back and most importantly, learning to listen, has helped me put together different pieces and tools of filmmaking.
One of my filmmaking inspirations is Yorgos Lanthimos. He has an ability to suspend his audience’s disbelief and that to me is the most important part of a film. He is able to subvert mundane moments and bring out tension. The tension he creates allows for his films to become progressively more absurd. What culminates that you believe it when a man can be turned into a lobster, or that a hip-hop/swing routine can break out in an 18th century Queen’s Victorian Ballroom.
Crew photo for Brothers and Daughters (New Jersey, 2015)
Gi and the Council of Elders (NYC, 2014)
Remember that David Foster Wallace quote? About commercials and art? Despite his objections, his “ad that pretends to be art” has achieved what art intends to reveal: a dialogue.
Hell, someone taped a banana to a wall and called it art.
I started A Forceful Tide Productions with the intent to write and direct a project every year. I want my films to, at the very least, feel real. Whether people connect to my work through a spectacular transformative message, or because of technical shots and impressive visuals; by making other realities feel possible, you help others understand hope, change, and growth.
aforcefultide@gmail.com // 213 399 7208