Crafting cohesive scenes,
one phase at a time.
A walk through how I approach cinematic direction — from preparation to layout, and the principles that tie each phase together.
Casting is about finding an actor who resonates with the role — bringing authenticity and depth to the character.
In auditions, I look at three things at once: technical skill — can the actor carry the role through voice and body — creative intuition, the unique angle they find on the character, and adaptability, how they listen to a scene partner and respond to direction in the moment. The live audition is where these meet. It's the chance to see how they move through space, use the environment, and inhabit the role beyond the page.
Script analysis sets the foundation for everything that follows. I work through each character's objectives, map the sequence of events to find the beats that need blocking, and explore "what if" scenarios — what if there's a secret? what if one character becomes an obstacle for another? I'll have actors play against the intended meaning of a line, or paraphrase it in simpler terms, to see what surfaces. These exercises are inspired by Judith Weston's Directing Actors1 — they generate options I can bring into live sessions or stage production.
The bridge from page to performance —
storyboards, briefing, filming.
Storyboards and previs set the visual language before anyone steps on stage. I review them with art, narrative, and design leads to keep the vision aligned across departments — and they double as briefing material for actors, audio teams, VFX, and motion capture. They're less about locking the scene and more about making sure everyone arrives with the same shared image in their head.
Before filming, each actor gets a concise character brief — what happened before, what happens after, where they are in their arc — along with relevant storyboards and pre-visualizations. I share my vision for the scene but stay open to what they bring back. On the floor, I prepare action verbs and playable objectives so every line is motivated, and I keep alternative blocking ready for variation between takes.
I come prepared, but I stay open to what the stage gives back. Every scene brings new insights, and the best performances emerge when the plan is a starting point, not a finish line.
The story guides the tools —
not the other way around.
Each project asks for its own cinematographic approach. The story guides which tools and techniques to use — not the other way around. On past projects, that's meant aligning the player's view with the character's perspective to deepen emotional connection, and working within a consistent set of prime lenses, typically 12mm to 85mm, to keep depth and focus in service of the in-game point of view.
These are small examples of the choices that shape a project's style guide as it evolves — a guide that keeps cinematography, editing, and tone consistent across hours of cinematics, while still leaving room for each scene to find its own voice.