Artist's Statement-- Creating happiness through film

I have found that my personal happiness depends on the happiness of Those around me. If my friends and family are happy, I am generally happy. And when things are not going well for the people around me, I take on their stress and foul mood. Luckily, I seem to have the fortunate ability to make the people around me smile. I somehow manage to put a smile on most people’s face when recounting an awkward story or sharing a funny moment. I found at nine years old that the easiest and most effective way of sharing my sense of humor is through making films.

Movies and television shows are the ultimate escape for the viewer; they can make the audience laugh and cry, and movies can even provoke change on a mass scale. Because my goal throughout my life has been to make others happy, I am attracted to film since there is no better medium to communicate an emotion to a mass audience countless times. Through film I have the potential to make millions of people laugh and smile. I can change the mood of someone in New York in the year 2009 and in Tokyo, Japan in 2050.

I make situational comedies, that is, comedies that are character driven and are humorous because of an awkward moment, not from a physical action. For example, a physical comedy would be a man falling on the ground because he slipped on a banana peel. To make this scene a situational comedy, the man falls to the ground after slipping on a banana peel, all in front of his ex-girlfriend. Awkward.

I like developing characters that are easily relatable. This means featuring characters in my films that have universal problems and who are sympathetic in understandable ways. We all know what it feels like to have feelings for someone that are not reciprocated. We have all had a zit on our face at an inopportune time. Humans learn social norms by watching film and television shows so having easily relatable characters in my films allows the audience to leave the theater with a feeling of acceptance and happiness.

I have always been interested in film editing. I believe that I have good comedic timing and I also have great rhythmic timing so I love editing music videos. I believe that editors are the true storytellers since the film is sculpted and molded in the editing room. As an editor I have the control to turn a bad acting performance into a compelling performance and I can create stories that did not previously exist. A film is truly made in the editing room.

I also enjoy directing. This semester I was one of four students chosen to direct an undergraduate thesis, the most advanced and prestigious film funded by USC. I believe that coming from an editing background makes me a stronger director because I have a good idea of how the material will cut together so I really know my story and characters.

I love all aspects of the filmmaking process. Really every role on a film crew is important and I have been fortunate enough to attend the USC School of Cinematic Arts where I have had the opportunity to try my hand at every position. I have already made nine films and a music video within school and am looking forward to creating more films that generate happiness in the future.