I studied film theory at the University of Toronto in Ontario Canada. I was inspired by movements like the French New Wave, and directors like Truffaut and Godard. Les Mistons was the first French New Wave film I was exposed to and I instantly fell in love with the raw compositions and the freedom of the camerawork.
Hong Kong cinema is another genre that I absolutely love. It's bright, bold, and filled with passion, emotion and history. My favourite film to this day is ChungKing Express by Wong Kar-Wai. My infatuation with the moving image was so strong that while in University I became a projectionist at the University theatre just so I could watch more movies. I began to seek out more avant-garde films and the movies of Maya Deren in particular. Meshes of the Afternoon is an amazing movie for it's time. Maya Deren does so much in-camera editing that it gives her work a real honesty. I look to do the same with my photography – I am looking to shoot the final image, not prepping for marathons of Photoshop.
After I graduated I knew I wanted to work in film production to see how the professionals created these images. I worked in the camera department on movies and television shows for years and had the opportunity to work with A.S.C. cinematographers, learning how they lit their sets and with fantastic directors, observing how they coached their actors.
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