ABOUT ME
Creator and Educator
Cuttlefish Productions has been a space for me to create.
To explore ideas and to challenge myself. Everything up to this point has been self funded to maintain the same freedom a painter has when it is just between them and a blank canvas.
I received a B.A. Degree in Film/Video Production with an Emphasis in animation from Grand Valley State University in 1996, received my secondary education degree from Madonna University in 2003, and a Masters Degree in Media Arts from Wayne State University in 2008. I am an alumni of the Walt Disney World College Program in Orlando, Florida, and interned at Jim Henson Productions in New York City. I have worked in Video Production for General Motors and Henry Ford Health System. I currently live in southeast Michigan with my family and work as a Multimedia Instructor at the Center for Science and Industry in Utica Community Schools.
Why Cuttlefish?
Cuttlefish are almost magical creatures. They may not look impressive at first sight, but their uniqueness comes from within. Cuttlefish use adaptive camouflage to blend in with any environment, including very complex ones. I like the idea of being able to change with the artistic environment I find myself in at the moment. My interest in art history is connected to the cuttlefish because the dark brown ink they use, called sepia, was a popular writing and drawing ink during the Renaissance and onward. I also want my work to be sincere, and have a lot of heart. Cuttlefish have three hearts.
And it all started with a Tom Waits song that uses the word “cuttlefish” in the lyrics.
Film Festival
AWARDS
WHAT I'M ALL ABOUT
MY PHILOSOPHY
01. PROCESS = RESULTS
The process of creating is an art, and it determines the results.
02. I GO THE EXTRA STEP
Pain is temporary, art is forever.
03. ALWAYS USER FRIENDLY
Being a good collaborator is an essential skill.
WHAT I'M ALL ABOUT
MY TOOLS
PHOTOSHOP
PREMIERE
AFTER EFFECTS
INDESIGN
CINEMA 4D
FINAL CUT PRO
Plus Adobe Lightroom, Illustrator, Audition, Final Draft, and MS Office
CORE PRINCIPLES
MISSION
When you create art, you are actually creating two works: the work itself, and the process of creating, which is the art of problem solving. The stories of why a creative endeavor is pursued is just as important as the final work. That’s why I have added the stories behind films on the Works page. If interested, you can read about the hidden art behind the films.
