Director, Cinematographer and Writer

I first met Phillip Wheeler on set in the live stream short film called “Western Sol” written by Austin Glass and Directed by Benjamin J. Strickland. The concept was to film under the solar eclipse of 2017 and stream it live. Cast and Crew drove to a Wyoming set from Washington State. It was a surreal experience, but one memorable thing was I met Phillip, who is a great actor. We played opposite in that film, and I knew that this was the type of actor I wanted to work with again. His elevation in this craft will also elevate you in yours.

A few years passed while looking for the perfect project to join and opportunities to invite Phillip. Nothing came up, so like some actors, I started the journey to create my own project. Fast-forward to 2021 I had written a script and I wanted Phillip to be in it. Then Covid hit, the script was on the shelf, but that was a blessing, it gave me time to rewrite, and rewrite again to make something interesting.

I hand-picked the other roles for the film, in which some I only met once on set, others I’ve worked with on multiple projects.

After working on multiple projects with award-winning Writer / Director Tim Earnheart, I learned a lot on utilizing a small crew and having everyone, actors included, pitch-in on the production roles. I knew he had created a process that I wanted to duplicate.

2023 was the year to do this. I reached out to the hand-picked crew and cast and started a plan. Some had multiple roles, like David Nance, who played the Bookie in the bar and also served as the 1st Assistant Camera Operator, Tyler Arns, whose artwork supplied the storyboards, and he also was the Boom Operator and Katelyn Downing, my wife, who also served as the assistant director, executive producer and production head.

I had recently met Daniel Christensen at a 48 hr film project and thought he would be a great victim since I wanted to go against stereotypical victims and he was a perfect choice. Paring, Daniel and Phillip, elevated the film. The only one scene that they have together is so good that it could not be cut. I had to keep it in one take.

The concept of Cozen started with a documentary I watched that was so bizarre that it piqued my creative mind in the “what if” world. I also wanted to make it a bit current since we had just gone through Covid.

This film was created for entertainment, but mainly to shine a light on my fellow actors. The next film will star Giovanny Vazquez in continuing his role as Tepox and will explore his journey. Kate and I are always open to collaborate, so please reach out. We only ask that you keep the drama in front of the camera and leave the ego behind.

Thank you for your support!!