PRODUCTION WITH A PURPOSE
My guiding principle across the board is simple: people first. Always.
My values are as important as the vision. Below sits my compass when navigating productions:
SUSTAINABLE WORKING CONDITIONS
When I take on a project, a phrase persists in my head: set people up for success. This includes establishing a healthy workplace culture and maintaining ethical labor practices. Gone are the 12, 14, 16 hour days in the production industry. Work/life balance is not just a trend, it's critical to overall wellbeing. Production days should be capped at 10-hours (maximum) with meal breaks. I promise you, this will lead to a more successful product.
I also take State labor laws seriously. I encourage all parties (myself included) to further investigate and apply State-regulated laws to your company’s operations and hiring practices.
MARKET RATES
Talented people who create profitable content deserve their due.
I advocate for market rates that align with my collaborators' experience and expertise. Too often the first budget cut is crew rates. If companies and brands seek world-class, high-production value, I ask clients to recognize contractors' and employees' contributions when building their budgets. We earned those rates after all. To add, personnel deserve to be paid on time.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
I really mean it when I say, I celebrate diverse perspectives. My sincere mission as a filmmaker is to extend opportunities to those underrepresented in the production industry (like me) both behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera. In fact, this has been my aim for over 15 years!
Unfortunately, we still remain far from equal opportunity—facts are facts—but, with the support of my collaborators and clients, we can take one step toward parity in the production industry. That's a really good thing.
GREEN AMBITION
If willing to make adjustments, productions can accommodate healthy environmental practices, so let's put that consciousness into action. Unfortunately, there is far too much waste in production, but it doesn’t need to be that way.
While most productions can’t go fully green because of financial limitations, injecting budgets with green initiative line items will eliminate unnecessary waste and alleviate that ever-present landfill footprint. A little investment actually goes a long way.
ETHICAL APPROACH TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
I responsibly explore the application of AI software to streamline workflows and ease organizational pain points, but I cannot stand by systems that replace jobs.
I concept, write, and direct my own original material. I don't use AI to generate creative work—it lacks human ingenuity and is simply not necessary. If a brand or company is relying on software to ideate, craft narratives and write scripts, please know that you are contributing to rapid job loss and even mass copyright infringement. Perhaps you just haven't found the right talent? We're out there, and AI can't match our passion.
Remember, people first.