AN IDEA WORTH BUILDING
Before a character is costumed, sculpted, applied or rigged, every department needs to be on the same line.
And it begins with an idea worth building.
I am a senior concept designer and visual development partner for film, television and video games. I work with directors, producers and creative leads during development and pre-production to turn early drafts into a clear visual direction.
This gives every department — costume, makeup, art, VFX — one coherent identity to build from, instead of separate decisions that become expensive to reconcile later.
The result is a distinctive character direction capable of strengthening the pitch, guiding the production and remaining with the audience.
IN THE BUSINESS OF IDEAS
I generate ideas fast, and a lot of them — exploring different conceptual routes within the project's vision, rather than minor variations on the same answer, then edit down until I find the central idea that makes the entire character belong together.
This gives directors and producers something meaningful to compare, challenge and build upon.
Before I design what a character looks like, I need to know why they'd do what they do. For Eliris in Darkness Rises for example, the question wasn't "what does a man merging with an alien power look like" — it was "why would a stable, mid-ranking officer risk everything to become a vessel for it." Ambition? A hunger for real power? Once I know the why, the costume and makeup can start answering it: does his uniform sharpen into something cold and austere as he gains power, the alien presence spreading aggressively across his face to mirror it — or does it stay grounded, even warm, if he chooses differently? Silhouette is the last question I answer, not the first — because a striking design that isn't earned by the character's psychology can quickly downgrade an entire production to a collection of pretty pictures.
PRODUCTION KNOWLEDGE,
BUILT IN
My design decisions are informed by having worked inside the departments that will turn 2D designs into 3D reality.
I began as a trainee leatherworker on Thor: The Dark World in 2012. In 2013, my interpretation of Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIV character — built entirely in leather — won their global costuming competition and was exhibited at their Tokyo offices and Tokyo Game Show. I then moved into costume making and supervision — including work at FBFX — before expanding into Makeup FX at Coulier Creatures. From there, I moved into concept design, bringing that practical understanding with me while freelancing across various high-budget productions.
That experience taught me to consider the performer, the workshop and the camera while the design is still fluid. How long might the actor spend in the makeup chair? Where could armour or strapping restrict movement or create discomfort? Which details will register on screen? Where will additional complexity create genuine value?
I understand how costume FX, makeup FX, prosthetics and creatures intersect—and can use that knowledge to make stronger creative decisions, identify potential conflicts and give specialist department heads a more coherent foundation to create from.
Over the years, my work has contributed to productions including Star Wars: Andor, Poor Things, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Star Trek: Discovery, Justice League and 007: Spectre, for studios including Lucasfilm, Disney, Marvel, DC and Universal.
BUILDING SOMETHING DISTINCTIVE?
Are you a director, producer, or development team? Whether the project begins with a script, a character, a world or an unresolved visual problem, I can help define the creative direction.