How many years have you been a judge?

1-3 years

What excited you about judging for the Telly Awards?

Seeing work excites me — both what to do and what not to. Seeing how people are telling stories today and being exposed to new talent.

What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?

I was an Assistant Account Executive at Y&R working on Weight Watchers. I learned to pay attention to details!!

What project are you most proud to have worked on?

A feature documentary called Coyote: The Mike Plant Story. Proud because I uncovered the story and saw it through (as a producer) to film festivals around the world and on Delta in-flight entertainment.

What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?

Ups and downs, ebbs and flows. I’ll be part of something awesome one week and not much to do the next.

What do you look for to determine excellence in video?

Storytelling first and foremost, of course. Then did they do something that I want to steal..

What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?

As a producer/director, I’ve gotta interact with all sorts of people…which I love. In the morning, I could be meeting with the marketing department at Blumhouse Productions. By lunch I’m briefing my director of photography (Blaine Westropp) and in the afternoon I’m interviewing a rock star in Joshua Tree about how he created the score for his new videogame. (based on a true story)

What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?

I’m working on a documentary about the quirky world of competitive Skee-Ball…but like any great story, there’s a stunning twist.

Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?

Speaking of “spark”…ehhh.. But also, I talk to people about the story…a lot. As I tell people the story, I start to figure out what’s important and what’s not…and what’s the quickest path from A-Z but still true to the story.

What inspired you to pursue your career path?

My former partner Matt Walker was/is a producer. He worked with Casey Neistat and I saw the power of storytelling on Youtube.

In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?

Smaller and more nimble production teams which reminds me of a quote I love, “Specialization is for insects.”