SHORT FILMS
DEATHHAUS SHORT PREVIS
While shooting stock images, I developed a great friendship with the team behind a top-tier haunted house attraction. That relationship sparked an idea: what if I wrote a movie script using their incredible, already-built sets? Over the course of two years, I fully developed the project—from script to merchandise.
To help raise capital, I created a short film as a proof of concept. I found a budget-friendly pre-vis software and used it to bring the opening scenes to life—pushing the program far beyond what it was ever meant to do. 🙂
CONCEPT SHORT FOR MOVIE PITCH – DEATHHAUS (Viewer Beware)
After finishing the pre-vis video, I was ready to move forward with shooting the short film. I pulled together a team of friends, and we approached it like a professional production—complete with a detailed schedule and clearly defined roles for everyone. Over two days, we shot the film using the FS700 camera. Ahead of time, I’d even created an audio version to help our young actor rehearse and get into character. At one point, I was close to securing real investment funding, but the deal fell through when COVID hit. Still, I haven’t given up hope—maybe one day I’ll bring the full project to life.
CATALYST (2019)
Percy Bell (Sinners 2025), brother from another mother and I were itching to create something fun and creative. He’s both an actor and an incredible athlete, so we teamed up with DP Seth Dunlap and Championtone Fitness. We shot a series of workout scenes and edited them together to a music track I had composed. There are actually two versions floating around online—one of them features a voiceover by a friend of mine, a VO pro, Bill Russell, who nailed the tone of a tough-love high school coach.
RUN (2019)
This is another great example of don’t sit around, go practice your crafts. I had just bought the DJI Mavic 2 and thought that it could handheld also, so this whole piece was shot on a drone. So, Percy was down to help, think we did this all in 2 hrs.
BOB THAT’S THE SPIRIT (2018)
“Bob, That’s the Spirit”—a horror short that follows a girlfriend determined to get her boyfriend, Bob, into the Halloween spirit… whether he likes it or not.
Written by Dieter Spears and David Buchert, the film stars Natalie Ruffino, Ryan King, and Bill Russell, and was shot on a Sony A7R II. With more time to work on this project, I focused heavily on lighting and direction, and also took the opportunity to experiment more creatively in the editing process. I also got to know more of the local Nashville Actors.
DETETHER (2018)
Detether is a short horror film that explores how texting can quietly consume our lives. Back in the day, I experimented with removing the camera from a DJI Inspire drone and mounting it to a handheld rig—hoping to create a compact camera with a built-in gimbal. It almost worked. But time was tight, so I pivoted and grabbed my Sony A7R II instead. The lighting wasn’t ideal—truth is, I was still figuring that part out—but you learn by doing. And that’s exactly what we did.
ALONE (2023)
While vacationing in Florida with the family, one of my nieces was bored. So I said, “Let’s make a movie.” She replied, “But you don’t have your big cameras.” I smiled and said, “We don’t need them—we’ve got an iPhone, and that’s all we need.”
We sat down and started brainstorming. I told her, “Let’s start with what we know. Everyone’s out at the beach, and we’ve got an empty villa—so let’s use that. A girl, home alone…” From there, the story took shape. It was such a joy to create with her and to see her light up as she watched me bring it all together.
That Friday night, we had a family movie premiere. Everyone gathered to watch—and it was a blast. The whole experience reminded me of something important: in 2025, there’s no excuse not to create. Your phone is a powerful tool. Use it. Hone your craft. Stay creative.