What was the biggest inspiration behind Plainclothes?

My hometown (Syracuse, New York). My family, especially my brother who was becoming a police officer while I wrote the script. But also while researching this story, I read somewhere that at a certain age (maybe 12 to 13 years old), boys are taught that a punch is better than a hug. That sentiment stuck with me and really helped me form the question I set out to ask — what happens when you police your feelings? 

Films are lasting artistic legacies, what do you want yours to say?

That I wasn’t afraid to look at feelings straight on and deeply explore them with the medium. 

Describe who you want Plainclothes to reach?

Throughout a lot of the writing, I imagined making this for my 20-year-old self who was struggling with the idea of coming out. However, through test screenings, many audience members shared with me moments in their lives where they felt like they couldn’t be their true selves or how they covered their feelings for a number of reasons (appearances, family, society). If I can help people realize how they might police their feelings and hold back their true selves, even in the smallest way, I feel like I’ve done my job. 

Your favorite part of making the film? Memories from the process?

Oh so many. Making this in Syracuse, my hometown, was a dream. Getting to invite my family to the set and show them around was very special, a full circle moment for me. 

I also loved bringing people who’ve become a big part of my life over the years to Syracuse and sharing the experience with them. I was lucky to make Plainclothes with several of my closest friends from USC film school — Vanessa Pantley (producer), Alessandra Ford Balazs (who played Jessie), and Erik Vogt-Nilsen (editor). Our investor and my dear friend, Arthur Landon was on set all 18 days of the shoot. That kind of dedication meant the world to me.

It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced — spending time with my friends in my hometown while making a project so personal. A true homegrown experience. 

What was a big challenge you faced while making Plainclothes?

A big challenge came from losing a key location. I spent six or seven years developing the film with a very specific location in mind — a spot in Syracuse that I spent a lot of time in while growing up. I’ve dreamed of filming there since I was a teenager, and I even shot my proof of concept in the space with the understanding that we’d return for the feature.

However, when it came time to make the feature, a new team took over and denied our production a couple of months before production began. It was a lifetime of spending time in the space, a decade or more of thinking how I would capture it, and six or seven years of writing the script with the specific location in mind. In a month, I needed to rethink the visuals of the film I saw in my head for years.

I learned with most of production (and life) you prepare, prepare, prepare, and be prepared enough to adapt or throw out all the plans when things don’t work out. I learned a lot and it was a blessing in disguise.

Why does this story need to be told now?

My big takeaway from conversations with cast, crew, and test audiences was how universal the idea of policing your feelings really is. It’s a quiet, internal struggle that so many people share, regardless of whether you’re queer or not.

If you weren’t a filmmaker, what would you be doing?

I would probably be a therapist. But, I have to say, I miss acting on stage a lot. In high school, I was in a short play by Anton Chekhov called The Proposal in which I played a highly anxious man named Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov who is asking for his neighbor’s hand in marriage and they cannot hold a conversation without arguing over land. Long story short, it was a comedy, and making a live audience laugh night after night, sometimes during different moments, was so exhilarating. That live connection I felt with an audience reminded me of the energy during the test screenings of Plainclothes in Syracuse, feeling the room and seeing how big or small tweaks landed. I’ve been telling stories with the camera since I was 10 so it’s hard to picture myself doing anything else, really. 

What is something that all filmmakers should keep in mind in order to become better cinematic storytellers?

While editing, Erik Vogt-Nilsen and I had an iconic spreadsheet called “Editing Intentions” where we mapped out  day-by-day goals for weeks of work. At the top of each weekly schedule, I wrote: “Trust the actors, trust the script.” It reminded me to trust the foundation and keep building from there. 

Who are your creative heroes?

Judy Garland, Howard Ashman, Francis Ford Coppola, Lana Del Rey

What was the last thing you saw that you wish you made?

Anora

One thing people don’t know about me is _____

I’m equal parts introvert and extrovert. 

Which of your personal characteristics contributes most to your success as a storyteller?

My persistence.

Who was the first person you told when you learned you got into the Sundance Film Festival?

My brother, Joey, who happened to be with his daughter, my niece, Charli. Both of whom are featured in my film!