EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/ LEAD EDITOR

A powerful docuseries about an NBA hopeful determined to take control of his journey. Makur Maker was a five-star NBA prospect headed to the draft — until an unexpected detour led him to Howard University. This inspiring docuseries follows Makur’s journey and his determination to rewrite his story with the help of his family.

EDITOR

“The story is fascinating, heartbreaking, and infuriating in equal measure. This is the perfect new true crime obsession for people to get their teeth into, and could possibly lead to the freedom of men incarcerated.”

DIRECTOR * EDITOR * CAMERA

SXSW-  GRAND JURY AWARD for EDITING and STORYTELLING

KAREN SCHMEER AWARD for EDITING

NETFLIX Documentary. 

My friend CLAY TWEEL (whom I've known since we worked on KING OF KONG) and I co-directed this film which was brought to us by SETH GORDON.    It was an amazing adventure into the world of start-up culture.   One of my favorite benefits of making documentary films is the opportunity to observe first-hand a culture you wouldn't otherwise get to experience.  Also, I learned how to shoot a rifle on this one, a plastic one at that while shooting (pun intended). 

PRODUCER * EDITOR * CAMERA

This was my first documentary project.  I was initially brought on to shoot/edit exclusive internet content for the band, when a whirlwind of events unraveled after a concert in London on the eve of the Iraq war.   As the scope of the project started to grow, the band's management brought on more experienced filmmakers (Academy Award winning Michael Moore and Barbara Kopple).   This was incredible introduction into verité filmmaking and an amazing opportunity to see all these events unfold.   

CO-PRODUCER + EDITOR + CAMERA

Director Seth Gordon and I had started a motion graphics/ production company just before making this film.  After our experience with the Dixie Chicks on SHUT UP & SING, we had the equipment and some practical skill in making documentaries that we brought into this project.  An incredible experience in filmmaking with friends with whom I continue to collaborate to this day.  While shooting, I even scored myself an inaugural world record on an obscure pinball machine. 

ADDITIONAL EDITOR

Sundance Film Festival

The devastating effects of ALS are on full display in “Gleason,” an emotional powerhouse of a documentary charting former NFL star Steve Gleason’s battle with the debilitating disorder. With seemingly no restrictions from his subjects, director Clay Tweel delivers far more than just a typical inspirational living-with-disease doc: This is a portrait of a family forced to completely readjust their lives, never flinching from the accompanying fears and frustrations. Tweel masterfully assembles roughly four years of footage, much of it shot by Gleason himself, and the result is painfully raw at times but undeniably rewarding.

- VARIETY

DIRECTOR * EDITOR * GRAPHICS

Tribeca Film Festival

How do you make a documentary about a photograph?  I don't know, but we tried.  This project was based on a art exhibition curated by co-director TRISHA ZIFF.  Interestingly, this was also one of the first projects for the now defunct RED ENVELOPE ENTERTAINMENT (NETFLIX's initial foray into original programming).   

"Chevolution zooms in and out on the famous image of Che Guevara taken at a memorial service in Havana in 1960 by Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez, the Cuban celebrity photographer turned revolutionary, who styled himself "Korda". It's a fascinating study of what one of the contributors calls "the Mona Lisa of photography", and how it entered the public domain to be exploited the world over. The film throws a revealing light on communism and capitalism, idealism and opportunism, art and commerce, and how they have interacted and operated on the same materials during the past half century. The editing is superb and Ziff and Lopez have assembled a remarkable line-up of speakers. It's a critical work about propaganda and is far from being propagandistic."

- THE GUARDIAN

CO-PRODUCER + EDITOR + CAMERA + GRAPHICS

Alongside longtime collaborators SETH GORDON, CLAY TWEEL and MARY ROHLICH, we got the opportunity to create the interstitials for the film, along with the main title.  Mostly through animations, including some stop-motion, we had the chance to bring to life some of the anecdotes from an interview we did with the authors.  This was a lot of fun, and emblematic of the DIY spirit that usually manifests itself in our projects.   Yes, certainly there are much more capable animators and stop-motion artists in Los Angeles- but there is something beautiful and intangible when you get yr hands dirty and bring something to life without the baggage of experience. 

ADDITIONAL EDITOR

Chris Perkel’s reverent documentary “Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives” is a valedictory for Mr. Davis, the music executive whose Midas touch with radio hits across genres — especially at Arista Records, from 1975-2000 — is industry legend. The career of Mr. Davis, now 85, covering the 1960s to the present, is remarkable when you consider his longevity and resilience given pop music’s core audience of young listeners. Entertainment luminaries — Aretha Franklin, Puff Daddy, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Alicia Keys and many others — attest to his golden ear and marketplace savvy.

CO-PRODUCER * EDITOR * CAMERA

WINNER BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: LA FILM FESTIVAL

"The young people seen here never seem artificial; you feel their passion for doing magic, as well as their nagging loneliness, devoted as they are to practicing card tricks and such for hours on end, while their peers are off doing what most teenagers do."

By NEIL GENZLINGER, NEW YORK TIMES

DIRECTOR * EDITOR * CAMERA

This film was ultimately directed and finished by the very talented ONDI TIMONER.  Previous to her involvement, CLAY TWEEL and I were the directors of this film- we were in a line of filmmakers who had their hands in this project, including and initiated by the legendary ALBERT MAYSLES and OLIVER STONE.   For creative reasons, we moved along from the project, however some of our work still survived in the last version of the film- including portions of a 6 hour interview we conducted with Russell.   Viva la revolución del señor Brand!

ADDITIONAL EDITOR * CONSULTANT

Director Clay Tweel’s Out of Omaha is inspired, insightful filmmaking that patiently provides a platform for those denied everything, including a soapbox. The fierce urgency of the first half hour lays bare the truth of Omaha’s negligence towards its black community before giving way to a quiet, mournful descent into lives like promising, beautiful blossoms frozen on a vine.

CO-PRODUCER * EDITOR

This was EVA ORNER's directorial film debut, although she had produced several films for ALEX GIBNEY, including the Academy Award winning TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE .  

I'll add that, we owe a lot to filmmakers who brave into the front lines of unfamiliar worlds to bring us back pictures and stories.  These invaluable depictions create understanding and compassion for those with whom we share this world.    

This film was a Nominated for the Audience Award at SxSW and won the Heartland Film Festival. 

EDITOR

Winner SLAMDANCE Audience Award.

Getting Up is a documentary about the life of artist TemptOne and the quest to give him back his ability to do art. It asks the question, 'How does a fallen man get back up?'

Tony 'TemptOne' Quan is a legendary LA artist, social activist and publisher. In 2003, TEMPT was diagnosed with ALS. Except for the use of his eyes, he is now unable to move, breathe or speak... but his mind and creative spirit are intact.

Mick Ebeling founded the Not Impossible Foundation in order to give a voice back to TEMPT, and in 2009 an open-source DIY device called 'The EyeWriter' was created that allowed TEMPT to once again do his art.

Getting Up beautifully illustrates that through the will of two men, and on the shoulders of a community, anything is possible.

EDITOR

The hit new Netflix documentary Why Did You Kill Me? explores Crystal Theobald's tragic death and the extraordinary efforts her family made to ensure those involved in the 24-year-old's murder were held accountable.

Gang-related deaths in Riverside, Calif., are all too common, but what stood out from Theobald's case is how her mother, Belinda Lane, sought information about her killer through MySpace. Thanks to Lane's non-police sanctioned investigation, she found justice for her daughter, who left two young children behind.

ADDITIONAL EDITOR

This impressive feature-length documentary is clearly a labor of love. It's an infectious tribute to the music, the fans, and the power of a shared experience.

The real star of the film, of course, is the music. Viewers will enjoy a heaping of truly classic live performances, including sets from Rage Against the Machine, Daft Punk, MGMT, Billie Eilish and Kanye West.

The festival took on a level of prestige that was all its own. As the film rewinds to performances from years past, we witness the history of modern music. The festival introduced audiences to the power of emerging musical genres like rave and EDM. In turn, the music became better known within the popular culture at large.

EDITOR

For years there persisted a rumor that a suitcase, lost in the chaos of World War II, containing the negatives of photojournalists Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and David “Chim” Seymour taken during the Spanish Civil War had survived. Decades later, the wayward suitcase was discovered in Mexico City, among the belongings of the Mexican ambassador to Vichy France and finally returned to Cornell Capa, the younger brother of Robert Capa and the founder of the International Center of Photography in New York City.

The film showcases the photos and the photojournalists’ work during Spain’s civil war– a battle between communist and fascist that began in 1936 with a failed coup, and killed half a million people before General Franco won control in 1939– and the continuing struggle to come to terms with the country’s painful history.

Ziff weaves in personal, often painful accounts of biographies of those who had survived the war by fleeing Spain, many unable to forget even to this day. 

Within these diverging narratives, through various interviews with experts in the industry, the film pays tribute to the spirit of three extraordinary photographers Capa, Tara and Seymour who passionately believed that photographs could change and shape the way we see the world.

- TIME

A cross section of life in Dallas the year before the pandemic hit, as fault lines emerge between those who follow, make, and battle the law. This five-part series follows the harried lives of city workers, community organizers, and diverse citizens as they confront natural and human-made disasters, a struggling school system, and cycles of incarceration. What will the future of Dallas look like?

LINK

DIRECTOR * EDITOR (Seasons 1 &2)

In its first season in 2014, Undrafted was nominated for a Sports Emmy in the prestigious “Best Documentary Series” category. In season two, Undrafted again dives deep into the powerful human stories of under-the-radar football dreamers, providing a compelling glimpse into the world of talented athletes facing nearly impossible odds in pursuit of an NFL career.

Every year, thousands of college football players leave school with dreams of a career in the National Football League. Of those thousands, 256 players are selected in the NFL Draft. The remaining – the Undrafted – must convince coaches, executives, and the pro football community that they deserve a coveted roster spot on an NFL team.

Undrafted goes inside the lives and tells the inspirational stories of these athletes as they try to fulfill their football dreams. The series follows the players - on and off-the-field- as they prepare and perform in the NFL's Regional Combines (an alternative showcase for lesser-known college players) and their schools’ respective Pro days. These events that have taken on greater importance in recent years as numerous Undrafted players -- including Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler (New England Patriots) -- have earned important roles on pro rosters.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER * CAMERA * PUNK GUITARIST?

If you've ever played air guitar in your bedroom with the music cranked to jet-engine level, Punk Like Me is your film. Rich Wilkes is in his late 30s, married with child. But he never quite recovered from a deep, dark desire to become David Lee Roth, or his punkish doppelganger. What's a former geek dangling in a midlife crisis to do? How about convince (lie to) Warped Tour organizers that he'll do a participatory journalism piece for Rolling Stone if only they'll let his punk band play. Check. Now, he needs to talk mostly fellow midlifers into forming that band. Check. Oh, and they need to have some songs. How about playing punk versions of mariachi songs? Welcome to the world of Carne Asada, a faux punk rock band barreling down the road of lost teenage rawk star dreams in the finest tour bus money can buy. The result is a hilarious, honest film about never, ever growing up. How good is this film? I'm wearing my Carne Asada T-shirt as I write this.

- AUSTIN CHRONICLE

Talk about life imitating art: Scriptwriter Rich Wilkes turns his life into a sitcom in "Punk Like Me," Zach Merck's richly amusing and often insightful docu about the 37-year-old scribe's fleeting attempt to fulfill long-deferred dreams of rock stardom. 

- VARIETY

EDITOR

AN INTENSE NEW virtual reality film isn’t a documentary so much as it is a prayer; its lector is a young Liberian woman named Decontee Davis, and her benediction is a plea for help to rebuild her country after Ebola ravaged it in 2014.

It’s a powerful message even when read on paper, but when heard while standing amongst the orphans themselves and the graves of some of the more than 4,800 lives Ebola has claimed in Liberia, it’s downright heartbreaking. And that’s why the UN wants people to experience it in VR: the immediacy of the 360-degree view gives the film a poignancy that a news report simply can’t.

“The rise of VR as a powerful tool of empathy and understanding couldn’t be happening at a better time, really,” Milk says. “In the end we achieved our goal: bringing Decontee Davis’ beautiful story into an immersive VR space. Any positive reverberations resulting in policy-changing or fundraising is really thanks to her, and her spirit.”

- WIRED

MOTHERBOARD

EDITOR (VR)

SUNDANCE NEW FRONTIER Exhibition

 This was director LUCY WALKER's first adventure into Virtual Reality. 

Organic, spontaneous, sexy dances progress chronologically through Afro-Cuban Santería rumba, mambo, cha-cha-chá, salsa, breakdancing, and reggaeton, with optional audio tracks reflecting the broader story of Cuban history as revealed in the moves. Palpable and transporting, this live-action virtual reality documentary was filmed on location in Cuba and features Ballet de la Televisión Cubana.

ADDITIONAL EDITOR * CONSULTANT

The original film, executive produced by Astronauts Wanted, follows YouTube personality Singh, who has over 1 billion views and 8 million subscribers, on her world tour. Through the 26-city trip, Singh aspires to spread happiness and show how discovering “Unicorn Island” (her metaphorical happy place) saved her life.

Singh believes that YouTube is more than just the entry-way to “making it,” especially now that YouTube Red is pursuing original content creation similar to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. “I think we’re in such an exciting time right now,” she said. “When I first started YouTubeing, the idea was ‘Oh, YouTube is going to be a stepping stone to get to other places,’ and I just totally don’t agree with that,” Singh said. “I think YouTube is amazing. The digital space is amazing.”

- VARIETY

LEAD EDITOR =)

Millennials... how do they work?

HeyUSA is a crowd-sourced travel show. Season One featured social media stars and besties Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart as they traveled the country in an eight-week road trip led by fans, who determined where the duo went and did through hi-octane social interaction.

W00- This was also a high-octane exercise in trying to deliver a show in real-time.

I also cut the updated X-treme version of HeyUSA- HEYUSAX! 

OMG WTF. 

DIRECTOR * EDITOR

Netflix Comedy Especial!

DIRECTOR * EDITOR * CAMERA

I toured with this progressive-metal band in Japan...

(PLACE DEVIL-HORNS EMOJI HERE)

PRODUCER * DIRECTOR * EDITOR * CAMERA

Dixie Chicks concert film for the TOP OF THE WORLD TOUR in 2003.  

"From what I can see, this DVD was put together by monkeys who had available an unlimited supply of espresso and cocaine. No shot lasts longer than two seconds, and footage from many different concerts is slammed together pell-mell with no regard for anything like continuity."

- AMAZON REVIEW

EDITOR * CAMERA * GRAPHICS

"They're so good at what they do..."

H*Commerce: The Business of Hacking You is a six-part online documentary film series directed by Seth Gordon. It centers on the struggle between criminal hackers and security experts.