Swim to Steven is starting its festival journey with The San Diego International Film Festival this weekend, and Hollyshorts next month. I'm excited to share this film, which was a joy to make, beginning to end.  

The High Life

Currently on the film festival circuit is The High Life, and indie pilot I directed for writer/star Stephanie Sanditz, based on the true story of hiking her dead Aunt's ashes naked up a mountain with her family. Had a great time on this little half hour dramedy, produced by Shannon E Riggs, Kimberly McCullough, and Mary Rohlich.

The Skimm

I spent a week in July with the powerhouse women from The Skimm, and directed these Facebook Watch shows for them.

First, an unscripted competition show where up and coming female entrepreneurs pitch their ideas in an elevator to win a year of mentorship.

Then Chelsea Handler, Brooklyn Decker, Minka Kelly and Shiri Appleby got into bathtubs, to break down some complicated global issues in less than three minutes.

Enjoy!

New Directing Reel

As mentioned, new directing reel.

Ooooh, Hyperlinked!

The Hyperlinked theme song is really catchy. If you listen to it more than twice, you end up going around the rest of the day singing, "Ooooh, Hyperlinked!" In fact all of the songs are infectious, as are the five girls in L2M, a tween pop group who also star in the show.

It was a joy to direct five of the 10 half-hour episodes in the first season of Hyperlinked, including the season finale. From Youtube Red and Disney, I like to think of the show as The Monkees for girls in the digital age. I was inspired by my years watching Facts of Life, too. Another show with a killer theme song.

Since Hyperlinked aired this past June, it has been awarded the Common Sense Media Seal, and has inspired girls to become interested in careers in computer science. The pilot, directed by Kimmy Gatewood, has been viewed 2.5 million times.

Here is a trailer!

How To Not Wash Dishes Like An Asshole

So El Niño didn't quite deliver.  The drought is still real and we are barreling toward a very dry dystopian future.  Yes, California will go full Mad Max in a generation or two, and Charlize Theron won't be around to save us.  Here is a short I directed (written by and starring Diana Gitelman) to remind us that the little things help.

(Photo cred: Not me.  George Miller and his Academy Award sweeping team of genius designers.)

Reely? Part 2

Here is my new directing reel.

My 1st Emmy Nom

With the Emmys coming up this weekend, it suddenly occurred to me that I forgot to mention I was nominated!!!

Okay, thats a little misleading.  It was for a local, Los Angeles Area Emmy, for best Public Service Announcement.  (You may remember the PSA for the Santa Monica Museum of Art that I directed from earlier this year.) Anyway, we didn't win, but as they say, it was an honor just to be nominated.

Here are some photos from the award ceremony last July.

Take A (Closer) Look!

A lot of people don't know that there's a free museum in Santa Monica!  So I was happy to bring attention to it, by directing this PSA for The Santa Monica Museum of Art.  SMMoA is located in Bergamot Station, right next to the new Metro stop, and open to the public six days a week.  I was also pretty psyched that this rainbow-pixel-scape by Robert Swain was the exhibition we were able to craft the whole spot around. Take a look!

MILFs (Mothers I'd Like to Film)

I made some comedy web series for Nick Mom. (I hinted at this earlier in the year, but since they're up, subtlety is no longer needed.)  Here is the first episode of Your Childless Friend, an advice show for parents, by a woman who is not a mom and probably shouldn't ever pursue it.  And here is the first episode of Healthy Parents Healthy Kids, a DIY home-cooking show by the most awkward couple in America.  I loved working with all these actors, and teaming up again with Cami Delavigne, writer extraordinaire.  Enjoy!  There are at least two more episodes of each show coming soon...

Atop Green Mountain

I started off the year making some fun stuff for NickMom. More hilarious redheads coming soon.

Climate Change

Yesterday, I was lucky to be one of a small gathering of producers and directors who were invited to participate in the first annual Women Filmmaker's Initiative Forum, co-hosted by Women In Film and the Sundance Institute.  You may remember that earlier this year, there was a lot of hoopla when they released the sobering results of their extensive research into the real statistics about female filmmakers.  But they're not just studying it, they're actually set on doing something to change it, starting with the basic issue of how women filmmakers lack the access to capital that their male counterparts enjoy.  Hence, yesterday's financing forum.  And I have to say, after a full twelve hours where we talked about everything from foreign sales to raising girls with confidence, I think that the climate can change. Everyone there felt it, but we all agreed it will only work if women continue to help other women.

#whatsyourhealthy #yeshealthyisanoun #dealwithit

As I sit here doing prep on my one of my last Aetna shoots of the year, I thought maybe I'd share a little bit about the job!  Since May, I have been directing and co-writing all the videos for their, "What's Your Healthy?" YouTube show.  This has meant lots of traveling and working with the really cool people at My Damn Channel.  It has also meant trying my hand at unscripted, man-on-the-street type stuff.  The show is hosted by Angie Greenup, who is a delight.  My favorite episodes so far are this garden, this de-cluttering, and this one at the Dance Theater of Harlem.  With at least twenty more on their way, there's definitely something for everyone.  Also, Slate printed an article poking fun at the campaign, which was pretty amusing. 

KCET and Me

Exciting news!  Hold For Laughs will screen on KCET this Thursday, January 31st at 9pm as part of their Fine Cut series.  Why?  Because---get this---we were selected as one of the sixteen best student films to come out of the many prestigious So Cal film schools in the last two years.  Woah!  Not only that, but ours was the first ever to be chosen from AFI's Directing Workshop for Women program.

Last night I went to a party celebrating the filmmakers, held at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  Here is me after that party, with the giant Emmy of my dreams. 

Blog on Blog Action 6

The sound of my own voice makes me want to crawl under a large object and die alone.  However, David Newhoff has a great voice, and on his blog, The Illusion of More, he addresses with real insight all the stuff that comes up for those of us who participate in the digital culture.  Which is, you know, all of us.  He interviewed me about my perspective on these things, and you can listen to our chat here.

Blog on Blog Action 5

How do you know when you're legit?  When the Scientific American blogs about your science mockumentary web series. 

Web Burger

Remember how I teased you with a rather cryptic reference to Umami a couple of months ago?  Well, now I can tell you what the hell that was all about.

Over the summer, I wrote and directed a branded web series for Umami Burger.  If you're not familiar with the Umami restaurants, there are twelve of them in LA and a few more in San Francisco, Miami, and New York... and their burgers are works of culinary art.  I had the privilege of aligning myself with their awesomeness, and now there is a really fun, silly bit of internet comedy to prove it.  It's all about burgers and the human brain.  WATCH ALL FIVE EPISODES HERE.  And yes, that is a mustachioed Ray Wise in the photo.  He is the star, along with a stellar supporting cast.

Go on, take a bite. 

Foster & Jacobs

Tony Foster and Doug Jacobs are two great Los Angeles playwrights, and great friends, and I have helped to produce a night of their shorter work.  I'm also acting in one of the plays and directing a couple others.  The night is funny and fast and nostalgic and raunchy.  Need one more reason to come?  Watch the promo video I filmed in my bathroom. 

The Fifth Feeling

Do you like Umami?  If you don't yet, you will soon.  As soon as our web series about the fifth flavor comes out.  Like I said, soon.

The Play that Almost Was

It was such a joy to direct "Picasso at the Lapin Agile", if only for a short while. After four amazing weeks of rehearsal, the production was cancelled. But what fun it was while it lasted! Hopefully the tremendous cast and I will get another go at it another day, but until then, enjoy this promo film I shot, for the play that almost was...