At the turn of the century, struggling to break into directing, I found myself mailing VHS tapes of my short films and music videos to production companies—only to be met with rejection or silence. As the costs piled up, I taught myself to build a website to showcase my work, a novel approach in the pre-YouTube era. Alongside my videos, I shared photos and updates on my journey, unknowingly fostering a community of fellow aspiring filmmakers. Encouraged by this connection, I kept creating, and eventually, my satirical hip-hop video for DJ Format’s We Know Something You Don’t Know became an early viral hit. That success landed me representation in both the UK and the US, leading to music video and commercial gigs worldwide.
One opportunity led to another, including a documentary on the infamous Gumball Rally, which introduced me to Rob Dyrdek and led to the creation of Rob & Big, my first TV show. Balancing short-form work, reality TV, and short films—often collaborating with comedian Nick Thune—my career evolved until I was finally in the running to direct feature films. My big break came when Amy Pascal hired me for Zombieland, a film that not only marked my directorial debut but completely changed the course of my life and career. The rest, as they say, is history.
At the turn of the century, struggling to break into directing, I found myself mailing VHS tapes of my short films and music videos to production companies—only to be met with rejection or silence. As the costs piled up, I taught myself to build a website to showcase my work, a novel approach in the pre-YouTube era. Alongside my videos, I shared photos and updates on my journey, unknowingly fostering a community of fellow aspiring filmmakers. Encouraged by this connection, I kept creating, and eventually, my satirical hip-hop video for DJ Format’s We Know Something You Don’t Know became an early viral hit. That success landed me representation in both the UK and the US, leading to music video and commercial gigs worldwide.
One opportunity led to another, including a documentary on the infamous Gumball Rally, which introduced me to Rob Dyrdek and led to the creation of Rob & Big, my first TV show. Balancing short-form work, reality TV, and short films—often collaborating with comedian Nick Thune—my career evolved until I was finally in the running to direct feature films. My big break came when Amy Pascal hired me for Zombieland, a film that not only marked my directorial debut but completely changed the course of my life and career. The rest, as they say, is history.
