The Atlantis Artist Spotlight

“Muchas personas renuncian a partes de sí mismas por miedo a cómo serán percibidas.” “Many people give up parts of themselves out of fear of how they will be perceived.”

“Trust the audience to lean in rather than be overwhelmed.”

“I was 14 when the writing started.”

“Imagination works like a bridge between my inner world and the outside.”

“Belief systems don’t collapse from revelation — they erode through doubt, contradiction, and silence.”

"The key was not playing the villain — Mark truly believes he’s doing nothing wrong"

I wasn’t interested in explaining the world to the audience — only in observing it honestly and letting meaning emerge.

Working on Evil Connection was a challenging yet rewarding experience. Although most of the team didn’t have much experience and we were working with a limited budget, the majority of the crew proved to be true warriors. There were moments of stress, and some team members had to leave in difficult situations, but the core group remained resilient and committed until the very end.

The most important thing I wanted to achieve was to reach people on that childlike level, that level when all dreams are possible and innocence drives creativity. I want people to walk away from this short film thinking they can do anything!

Some advice that I would give to someone aspiring to get into the film industry would be to be ready for a lot of work and a lot of practice. Most people haven’t gotten the practice that I did when I was younger making home movies, so however and whenever you can, go out and practice the areas you are interested in. You can study filmmaking for years, but until you go out and do it yourself, you won’t know how much of a reward and amazing experience it is bringing your imagination to life.

Be ready for a lot of work. We’ve had several films that have started in our region and then eventually fizzled out before they hit the finish line. It’s easy to be taken in by the idea that making films is fun (because it is!), but there is also a lot of hard work and dedication that goes into seeing the project through to the end.

When I am in the room, and when I hear people laugh, or maybe cry as you say, it remind me the reason why I want to make movies, and it bring me the motivation to go on new projects.

It was a challenge. I reworked the script many times. In the end I just let the character and the audience have moments to breathe and sit in the scene to help slow it down a little. However I didn't mind having to go through the stages of life in that short of a time either, because that is how it feels sometimes when we look at our own lives. It really does feel like a blur when we look back on it.

Find a writer’s group where the writers are doing the work. Meet regularly. Learn from each other. Take the critique. People think that writing is something anyone can do. If I had a nickel for every person who’s said, “I’m writing a book.” Or “I have an idea for a screenplay” or even, “I’m writing a screenplay,” I’d be stockpiling a lot of nickels.

Having three primary minds was nice, just because whenever there is doubt or conflicting ideas between two people, there was always a third person to sort of give their opinion and maybe weigh in.

I’m new to JBHS, and I’m proud that my students were able to produce three short films that I felt had the quality needed to enter into festivals.

Throughout the film there are double meanings, a possible second reading of each action or word. The surface and what is hidden underneath.

When I say I’m excited, I mean like there’s lightning shooting out of my eyeballs.