I started young.
Fourteen. My first and last time on stage — a musical called Saloon. My singing was terrible. That was the end of my acting career.
So I moved into lighting.
Through high school I worked on fashion shows and theatre productions. On weekends I unloaded lighting trucks for concerts — Mango Groove, Dr. Alban, Indecent Obsession, Chris de Burgh.
Long nights. Heavy gear. No glamour.
I was drawn to what happened behind the scenes — how light and sound could move a room.
Before I’d even finished school, I was working at Theatre on the Bay as a follow spot operator on The American Chippendales. Still a kid. But already certain this was my world.
After school, I joined Platypus Productions as a PA.
Coffee. Deliveries. Painting studios. Endless VHS copies. Even the director’s laundry.
And at the same time, I became a father.
Nicholas.
A beautiful little boy who changed everything.
Suddenly it wasn’t just about chasing opportunity. It was about responsibility. About building something solid. About growing up quickly.
At Platypus, I grew fast. The partners trusted me and gave me opportunities I’ll always be grateful for.
I remember being sent out to shoot a simple corporate insert — just flags outside a building. We were shooting on Super VHS. I got the white balance completely wrong.
I never lived that one down.
But that’s how you learn.
Alongside the corporate work, I was privileged to shoot for Front Row on M-Net.
I flew to New York and London. I must have been twenty-three. I remember seeing snow for the first time.
It wasn’t glamorous. It was just Bonnie, the producer, and me — a camera, a redhead flight kit, a sound kit — navigating the Tube and figuring it out as we went.
I interviewed Ashleigh Lazarus, a South African living in New York known for the Peter Stuyvesant commercials we grew up with. I also interviewed Richard E. Grant and Dave Matthews.
I was young. Curious. Slightly overwhelmed. Learning fast.
Over ten years at Platypus, I moved from assisting to shooting to editing. That’s where I built my foundation — as a filmmaker, and as a man.
While I was there, fashion opened the world.
I travelled to islands around the world shooting documentary work for SA Sports Illustrated Swimwear.
White beaches. Endless horizons. Sunsets that didn’t feel real.
I miss that light sometimes.
I also shot documentaries for Cosmopolitan Lingerie — work that took me to the desert in India, to Argentina, and to Milan.
Different landscapes. Different cultures. Real moments unfolding.
Somewhere in those years I bought a Bolex and began shooting 16mm. Slower. Intentional. Every frame carried weight.
After Platypus, I joined Peter Gird Productions for a year, shooting second unit on a major South African Tourism production.
I remember filming Nelson Mandela on the lawn in front of the Union Buildings. The director, Michael Middleton, had injured his back and asked me to jump onto the giraffe crane and operate the shot.
I was young. Out of my depth. But trusted.
Another day, Michael asked me to climb into the Sea Point swimming pool with a 35mm camera inside a HydroFlex housing.
Those moments — when someone believes in you before you fully believe in yourself — stay with you.
From there I moved to Johannesburg and spent two years at Freeze Films. It was a fast, formative chapter that sharpened my instincts.
I briefly tried starting my own company, Kiss Films, but realised running a business wasn’t my path. I wanted to make films.
I was fortunate to join Egg Films, where I spent ten years shaping my voice. Some of my most memorable work came from that time — including one of my favourites, First Kiss.
After Egg, I joined my friends at Carbon Films. I travelled to Lapland to shoot a Klipdrift campaign in the snow — a moment that still sits with me.
While there, I also directed a campaign addressing gender-based violence, work I’m deeply proud of.
During Covid, I chose to go freelance. I’ve been working independently ever since.
Over time, something shifted.
Less spectacle. More people.
Today I focus on intimate, character-driven storytelling.
Light taught me mood.
Camera taught me perspective.
Editing taught me rhythm.
Narrative brought it all together.
And whatever I make now, I make to make you feel.