Release Date: May 2023

Crew position: Director of Photography, Colorist

Description of film/role: This short film represents another peak of mine in cinematography, as I have used my cinematographic knowledge and skills in order to emphasis the characters' detrimental decisions and the plot twists through visual storytelling. I have dedicated a long portion of pre-production to constructing a strong shotlist and figuring out the best complex lighting for each room we shot. The senior thesis project is a well-written story of a mom who decides to give a mortal test to the guy her daughter fell in love with when she invited him for dinner at home. The merging of the low key lighting, high contrast, intense red and blue lighting, and strong shadows during the fight scenes reflect the struggle the characters are facing when figuring out what each of them truly wants from the other one. Betrayal is at the core of the story and the immense emotions provoked by it lead to fatal decisions that are best conveyed through handheld movement, telephoto close-ups and Dutch angles, all shot on RED. A look into the short film is available on demand, as it is currently in the postproduction process.

Release Date: May 2022

Crew position: Editor, Sound Mixer, VFX Artist

Description of film/role: This senior capstone film project is a very professionally developed short movie written and directed by filmmaker Sydney Sagehorn. I had a wonderful time editing the film, cutting down several scenes out to make it as conscise and enjoyable as possible. The meaning of art is debated in unexpected and comedic ways throughout the film, as educated people are trying their hardest to buy a painting belonging to the granddaughter of the artist. After several fine cuts and feedback sessions between the director and I, the movie reached a glorious picture lock that allowed me to continue designing title sequences and performing sound mixing work. The movie is available on demand as it is currently in the festival circuit.
*If you want to watch the trailer I made for the short film, access this link.

Release Date: May 2022

Crew position: Director of Photography, Colorist

Description of film/role: This short film represents my peak in cinematography, as I have intensely prepared for executing all the technical and artisitc tasks in the camera department. The senior capstone project is a well-written story of a woman trapped in an unhappy and toxic marriage whose mean of escape is her imagination. Her ideas lead her to unexpected situations, some real, some not. The merging of the black&white cinematography and the colorful, contrasted scenes reflect the interior battle the characters are constantly experiencing. I loved shooting this project on the RED camera, using 6 types of unifocal lenses that I changed often in order to best convey the mood of the shot. Working with the 85-year-old writer and director, Marillyn Seeberger, is an accomplishment I will cheerish for the entirety of my film career. The movie is available on demand as it is currently in the festival circuit.

Release Date: May 2022

Crew position: Director of Photography, Colorist

Description of film/role: This short film presents the story of a former military man who returns home after being deployed. As with most wars and griefs in life, people don't escape untouched. He gets back to his wife only to discover his personality will be forever affected by the PTSD symptoms developed during his time in the army. Although a very relatable story, the film does not fail to touch anyone who understands the struggle of overcoming life's challenges. The movie, written and directed by Zach Ruwitch along with the help of the SMU film department, is available on demand as it is currently in the festival circuit.

Release Date: December 2021

Crew position: Sound mixer/designer/editor & ADR/Foley recorder

Description of film/role: One of my favorite collaborative sound projects of all time was to build the post sound of a movie from scratch, with no audio bite given from it. I therefore learned the intricate details of sound design, sound mixing and editing, recording foley, doing ADR and better comprehending the technicals and mechanics of audio mixing in Pro Tools and on set.

Release Date: July 2022

Crew position: Sound mixer/designer/recorder/editor

Description of film/role: I loved working in sound post for this short film because the dramatic intensity the characters brought with their supernatural aspects gives a lot of opportunity for creative choices regarding sound. It was really exciting working with a very flexible and serious director, Lexie Shamir, for fulfilling the movie's goals. The post sound is ready and can be analyzed above as the film is still in the festival circuit.

Release Date: March 2022

Crew position: Editor

Description of film/role: This short comedy was a real pleasure to edit because of its quick editing style, detailed director-editor feedback, and stylistic elements. The movie presents the struggles a teenage guy faces when struggling to figure out an ideal date plan using multiple partners. The short movie is available on demand as it is currently in the festival circuit.
*If you want to watch the trailer I made for the short film, access this link.

Release Date: February 2022

Crew position: Director of Photography, Colorist

Description of film/role: This short tragedy touches the soul of the audience through its universal story: how do we copy with losing someone? I worked on this short film as a cinematographer, outlining a very detailed storyboard and shotlist months in advance along with the director, Brianna Flores, because of the vast artistic possibilities the script offered for cinematography. The contrast and saturation that the coloring needed also emphasized its dramatic nature. The movie is available on demand as it is currently in the festival circuit.

Release Date: May 2021

Crew position: Writer, Director, Producer, Post Production Artist

Description of film/role: This short film represents my directorial debut in the professional filmmaking world, a journey when I learned a lot about working with actors, casting, and managing large crews. It is a thriller-drama piece about a broke man who is trying to pay the rent by kidnapping a girl and coming out as the one who rescued her to obtain the big reward from her rich parents. However, he encounters multiple obstacles on his way that might not let him achieve his endgoal, although the police does not seem to be on the right side of the law. The film turned out better than expected as we shot two endings to choose the option that fits best, and the short movie is available on demand as it is currently in the festival circuit.

Release Date: July 2021

Crew position: Director of Photography

Description of film/role: This short comedy film contains one of the best cinematography works I have ever performed due to intense planning, improved strategies for camera movement and organization, and great attention to detail. The short film, written and directed by filmmaker Sydney Sagehorn along with the help of the SMU Film Department, tells the story of how acts of humanity gain negative connotations once the press gets involved. The outcome turned out amazing, and the short movie is available on demand as it is currently in the festival circuit.

Release Date: December 2020

Crew position: Director of Photography

Description of film/role: I worked as the director of photography on a student short film that was shot in October 2020. I met with the director to refine the script, work through the lines of dialogue, decide the order and importance of events, and create a very detailed shot list for each scene. I worked with the FS7 and had 3 changeable lenses (25mm, 50mm, and 85 mm). The movie is about an unexpected outcome of a family brunch when the daughter brings home her supposed boyfriend.

Awards/Recognition: Film selection at North Texas University Film Festival

Release Date: January 2021

Crew position: Editor

Description of film/role: I edited in Avid Media Composer a 10-minute short film directed by filmmaker Arnulfo Garza along with the support of the SMU Film Department. The movie portrays the struggles human face when having to decide between good and bad, especially when civilians’ lives are involved in military operations. The process of editing consisted of creating several rough cuts and fine cuts until achieving the desired picture lock, and assisting the director with the post-production processes of color correction and sound mixing.

Release Date: February 2021

Crew position: Sound mixer, 1st Assistant Camera, Assistant Director, Gaffer, Grip

Description of film/role: I worked on Cullen Blanchfield’s thesis film, an independent project where he documented the emotional hardships of unprivileged people during the global pandemic. I set up the lighting for his interviews, worked on sound recording, and helped him with the camera and set design. I also contributed to the post-production phases of his documentary.

Release Date: May 2022>

Crew position: DIT and Assistant Editor

Description of film/role: The winner of the 2021 SMU Summer Feature Film Competition is Kelsey Hodge, a recent alumna film student, who has written and directed the film Smile, based on the story of a teenage Black girl who tries to mend her relationships with friends and family after a suicide attempt. I worked closely on set with the editor for fulfilling my job as a DIT: I did the necessary backups, created proxies, and synched the footage. I also cut dailies so the production team could know ahead of time when to do reshoots so that we had all the coverage needed. Currently, the film is in a big festival circuit, being the recipient for the Austin Film Society 2022 Grant, and the trailer I have cut for it is also available on demand.
*If you want to watch a short video that gives an insight into the production month of the indie feature, access this link.