05
ABOUT
BIOGRAPHY
When I was 17, my favourite high school teacher decided to showcase my short film at our Year 12 graduation. She thought the work was outstanding and it would be a way of showing off the newly introduced Film and TV subject. I'd "worked my butt off" on the piece and sweated over every cut so I was nervous, but excited as I watched the jubilant crowd settle in for the show.
The lights dimmed and the images of the opening sequence flickered across the carefree faces. Unfortunately, my tragic story of two lovers parted by death ended up leaching the joy right out of the room. Not only was I not repentant, I was proud! I was thrilled! This guilty pleasure grew into a burning desire to know more, to make more. And so I did.
In pursuit of this dream, I went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Film and TV in Brisbane, and was also later accepted into the prestigious Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) to study Masters in Cinematography. My graduating short film "Danya", earned me first prize in the Kodak Film School World Competition for the Asia Pacific Region and was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival.
I am now an experienced cinematographer known for my intuitive style. I've worked in commercials for clients such as Mitsubishi, Ford, Pepsi, Sunsilk and Virgin Australia; worked on projects with companies such as Shine Australia; shot music videos for some of Australia's top artists including Delta Goodrem, Guy Sebastian, Silverchair, and Jessica Mauboy. I have also created award winning short films, feature films and documentaries.
In 2013, yearning to push myself out of my comfortable, creative boundaries, I moved to the Philippines. I worked as the in-house cinematographer for Reality Films for feature films, and Revolver Studios for commercials - the No.1 Production House of the Year, for four years running. My Collaboration with renowned director Erik Matti (who has been named one of the greatest Filipino director of all time) on feature film "Kubot : The Aswang Chronicles 2", earned me 2 nominations in the Philippines for the Best Cinematography at the 40th MMFF Awards and Cinematographer of the Year in the 31st PMPC Star Awards.
Despite this, my driving force as a cinematographer hasn't altered since my Year 12 graduation. I still sweat over each shot and strive to create pictures that captivate an audience. I feel most at home when I'm on set collaborating with directors discussing how we can create meanings and tell stories.