opty printy

I'm one of Ohio’s tallest filmmakers and have been creating homemade short films & videos for almost the better part of most of a decade. My early shorts were full of zombies and space men but my recent work is more focused on the sincere and silly moments of everyday life, though inward fantasy tends to dominate reality. My films typically incorporate some kind of “hands-on” method such as animation, collage or optical printing (the more archaic the better) and I record original soundtracks with banjos, casios and slidey guitars.
I attended the University of Toledo's film program where I discovered the pains ‘n joys of small-gauge experimental filmmaking and made annual treks to the nearby Ann Arbor Film Festival , where my brains were further expanded. "Opty printy” was my slang name for optical printing class in school. I also coined the term “backyard avant-garde” to describe my work 'cause it's fun to just make stuff up, am I right?
My short films have screened at festivals across the Midwest and Canada including the Chicago Underground Film Festival , Athens Film + Video Festival , James River Festival of the Moving Image , Cucalorus Film Festival and Flicker Chapel Hill . My work is featured regularly in regional micro-cinemas and art spaces including the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit and the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus. I've never won a major award but have racked up a butt-load of honorable mentions.
Me and my filmy pals recently finished a super 8 comedy short called T-shirt of Me, which was co-written by Lyn Elliot . I'm currently workin' on two new experimental films and helping my friends do their thing too.
Lastest but not leastest, I've had some recent mentions in the Columbus Alive newspaper...
NEW article about 2009 Wexner Showcase
article about Pecha Kucha Night
article about Digital Underpants/Wexner Showcase
article about Madlab Film Festival