You have extensive work in music videos, how did you begin that part of your career?

I got into music videos right after dropping out of film school. I bought a 5D package, and dove headfirst into the Craigslist 5DMKII-shooter-for-hire scene. The jobs were basically a mix of no-budget student films, sleazy, weird short films by older, failed filmmaker types, and shitty music videos.

Before long, I found myself employed by a couple of directors who regularly shot thousand-dollar-ish-budget rap videos for local LA artists. My rate was $250 a day - for myself and my entire package. Eventually $350. I lived that life for about two years, before I met director Abteen Bagheri in 2011. Abteen was referred to me through a friend - he knew I had experience shooting low budget rap videos, and he was about to direct his first music video after graduating from Stanford. Which was a no budget rap video.

It was for an unknown rapper from Harlem named A$AP Rocky, a song called “Peso.” I’d never met Abteen, and to accept the job I would have to fly myself to New York City the next day - out of my own pocket, of course. I was so desperate to shoot anything at all, so I agreed immediately. I flew out the night before the shoot, and met Abteen for the first time at about 11PM. We had to wake up at like 6AM the next day.

Between Abteen’s sharp vision, Rocky’s charismatic talent, and my two years of 5D rap video experience, it was lightning in a motherf-----g bottle. The video is an all-time classic, and it instantly propelled Rocky to worldwide fame. Abteen and I edited the video together, and we became and remain close friends and collaborators.

Based on the strength of that video, Abteen slowly began to get other opportunities. About 8 months after “Peso” we shot two videos back-to-back: Delta Spirit “California” and Blood Orange “I’m Sorry We Lied.” Each video had a budget of about $7k - which sounded like a million dollars at the time.

Those videos put Abteen and myself fully on the map. After that, I started to get calls from other low-budget (but talented and ambitious) up-and-coming music video directors. That was the beginning.

As of this interview, I’ve shot ninety-four (94) music videos. But I won’t shoot more than 100 in my life, so I’m at the end of my prolific music video career.