DIRECTING DUTY ON HISTORY CHANNELS "LIVE TO TELL"

I'm honored to have had the opportunity to direct four episodes of LIVE TO TELL for History Channel.  Working with real SOF veterans under the guidance of a former Navy SEAL and an Army Ranger, we survived brush fires, 100 degree temperatures, rattlesnakes and sleepless nights to bring you these combat stories.  In the end, it's nothing compared to what our real servicemen and women deal with on a daily basis.  The Peter Berg / Film 45 produced series is set to air Veterans Day, 2016 and I couldn't be more proud to have been a part of it.

THE WATCHER GETS A TRAILER

Check out our trailer for THE WATCHER.  Stay tuned for information on our release in Fall 2016.

THE WATCHER GETS PICKED UP

RAVENS WATCH has been officially rebranded as THE WATCHER.  We've been picked up by Lifetime and will air October 2016!  A Netflix run will follow in November.  

WELCOME ABOARD THE CRAZY TRAIN!

Only 15 days for 215 scenes!  Glad I decided to hire a 2nd Unit.

DEEP IN THE DARKNESS PEERING....

So glad to be working with Keith Christensen and Jason Collins (AUTONOMOUS FX) on the design of the Raven.  During the Plague, novice doctors would show up to the homes of the sick in terrifying bird-like masks.  Glass eye openings and a cone shaped beak that held scented substances were believed to prevent the communication of the disease.    Our Raven stalker has modeled himself after these plague doctors.   While other see him as a demon, he views himself as a savior.  Wait until you see this thing!

FINALLY, I GET TO BE THE H.A.I.C.

I wasn't going to believe it until I saw the call sheet and stepped on set, but I'm officially the head asshole in charge.   It took a long time to get here, but I'm finally directing a feature.  Now for the real challenge, delivering on my childhood dream!  Can't wait. 

WE HAVE A CAST

Happy to announce that RAVEN'S WATCH is officially cast, EMMA will be played by Erin Cahill, known to many as the pink Power Ranger.   Denise Crosby of STAR TREK fame joins us as her neighbor Jeanne and my good friend Edi Gathegi from TWILIGHT and BLACK LIST will be playing NOAH.  In addition, Tracie Thoms (LOVE, CRIMINAL MINDS) and Kevin Daniels (MODERN FAMILY) have signed on as the Washingtons.    And look out for newcomer Riley Baron as Mikey. So excited about this cast!

GETTING OUT OF THE EDITORS' CHAIR

Looks like I'm leaving the editors chair for the directors, at least for a while anyway.  Today we started pre-production on RAVEN'S WATCH.  After the success of BAD BLOOD, I convinced Mar Vista to hand me the reigns on the script I wrote.  I'll believe it when I'm standing on set yelling "Action!"  In the meantime, my producers made a fancy sign which fits right in line with our budget.

Live to Tell Premieres Sunday, January 10th on History Channel

I spent the latter half of 2015 cutting with an amazing team over at Film 45 on LIVE TO TELL, a new docu-series from Peter Perg.  It's a harrowing and impactful portrayal of the triumphs and sacrifices of the United States Special Operations Forces and what they endured on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq.    My first episode, "Redwings Recovery" airs January 17 and tells the story of the US Army Rangers who rescued Marcus Luttrell, the subject of LONE SURVIVOR.  I couldn't be more proud to have been part of this series.

Billions in Change Premieres

Check out the new trailer of "Billions in Change," a documentary I'm very proud to have spent six months cutting.  Now available on Hulu.

SYNOPSIS: The world is facing some huge problems. There’s a lot of talk about how to solve them. But talk doesn’t reduce pollution, or grow food, or heal the sick. That takes doing. This film is the story about a group of doers, the elegantly simple inventions they have made to change the lives of billions of people, and the unconventional billionaire spearheading the project.

Peter Berg Preps Docu-Series on US Special Forces

Happy to announce that I've been hired as the supervising editor on Film 45's new History Channel series, LIVE TO TELL airing this winter.

http://www.hollywoodintoto.com/peter-berg-preps-docu-series-u-s-special-forces/

DIRECTORS VISION FOR "BAD BLOOD"

Now that "Bad Blood" has had it's premiere on Lifteime, I thought I'd post the piece I shot to campaign for the directors chair.  And while I didn't land this one, we had a blast making it.   Thanks again to everyone who came out to play!

Dead to Me Premieres Online

After playing several festivals last year, I thought I'd post the little film that, like it's subject matter, just wouldn't die.   Conceived, shot and edited in just under 40 hours, it shows what a couple of creative folks can do if they have enough coffee.

Bad Blood Poster and Trailer Get Released!

I believe it's important to celebrate your failures as much as your successes.  The trailer for my first writer-for-hire gig, BAD BLOOD straddles the fence on both.  Sure, it's not close to anything I ever imagined, but my name is on a movie where a guy drops to his knees and screams "Nooooo!!!"  Hollywood dream: officially modified.

Frameline 38

July 27th, 2014 - Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story screened at the historic Castro Theater in San Francisco.  The 1400 seat theater was packed, even at 1:30 in the afternoon.  Having seen the movie countless times, I was planning on sneaking out for a bite to eat.  Our flight was late and we barely made it in time...  I was starving.  Thankfully, Sandrine convinced me to stick around.  I'm not sure whether it was the audiences warm reception or the size of the theater, but it was a very emotional experience.  Images I'd labored over on a 23 inch screen only six months prior were no being projected onto a massive 40 foot screen and the audience was getting it.   Seeing the Valor crew again as well as a few high school friends made for an awesome afternoon.

Lady Valor Site and Trailer Released

I got a chance to cut the trailer for "Lady Valor," which just got released on the new film website - http://www.ladyvalorfilm.com.  Stay tuned for more festival times, with a potential LA screening this summer!

Hot Docs 2014 Screens Lady Valor

Thanks to Hot Docs for providing Lady Valor with an awesome opportunity!

The Chimera Principle Wraps Week 1

After some last minute casting scrambles, "The Chimera Principle" finally went into production this week.  It's been a totally surreal experience, seeing actors portraying characters I developed months ago, seeing actual locations for places I made up, hearing people say the words I wrote... well, most of them anyway.  

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Knowing that I'd be bored on set with no actual role in the production itself and admittedly, frustrated with some of the last minute "polishes" made without me,  I decided to keep myself busy by shooting behind the scenes.  

In a strange way, I became the writer in disguise.  Everyone saw me with a camera in my hand and assumed I was just the EPK shooter.  The call sheet told them no different.  But slowly the word spread and I'd get the occasional whisper, "I heard you're the writer?"   For many years I've been fighting the strange circumstance of being the writer who no one knew was a writer, the unfortunate side effect of several development hells and a more successful editing career.   "I am the writer," I'd tell them with a slight smile, betraying the beginning of the end of a long held secret.  I've always been the writer.    

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I couldn't have killed a lovelier person.  Sorry you had to spend 6 hours on the floor as a corpse.