Stories. Music. Art.
“I’ve been captivated by stories, music, and art for as long as I can remember…”
Adaptable
The medium changes, but the creative drive stays the same. Me, through the years.
I’ve been captivated by stories, music, and art for as long as I can remember—shaped equally by 80s pop culture and my heritage (Puerto Rican and South Korean). That lifelong curiosity has made me deeply adaptable, equipping me to approach complex challenges from unique angles by bridging hands-on artistic exploration with professional execution.
As a Creative Director, I channel these experiences into helping projects grow through a powerful blend of strategy and storytelling that leaves a lasting impression.
My creative journey traces all the way back to marveling at the engineering gimmicks of my first G.I. Joe action figure, winding through a rich music career as a drummer, singer, and composer, and extending into my film work today.
Organizing a lifetime of diverse passions wasn't easy, but what follows here are the cliff notes of who I am and the imaginative mindset that drives my work.
…Stories shift perspectives.
Growing up with an English teacher and filmmaker father, I learned early on that narrative is everything. The who, what, and why of a story are the essential foundations required to guide an audience.
That foundation was sparked by cartoons, comic books, and video games. Long before cinematic universes became the norm, I was learning from lore and episodic media that grow alongside their audiences. Behind every great medium is a creator with a profound mastery of storytelling.
Since I was a kid, I’ve been obsessed with how things were made. I’d scour TV Guides for behind-the-scenes specials, read monster magazines to study directors, and dive into classical literature. Talking about Cyclops from the X-Men naturally led to learning about the original—Polyphemus from Homer’s Odyssey.
Delving into how these worlds were built and learning from them early on profoundly shaped how I approach capturing a story today. Whether it's fostering empathy in the workplace or designing a campaign that unites an audience, stories shift perspectives. Capturing those narratives honestly and truthfully is the core of what I do.
Engineering a strong opening requires a careful balance of narrative, editing, and sound design. Here’s a look at how I break it down. Start Here.
Carrying over from the commentary—here’s how I mapped out the opening scene in the script. Read Below.
Watch it all come together, right here.
MUSIC…
Rudiments of project planning
Since my first job at 15, I've realized that a sharp eye for detail makes any environment easier to navigate—mastering how to prioritize and compartmentalize tasks from most important to least. Music was the primary reason for that keen sense of detail; it taught me the rudiments of project planning, and that foundation has carried into every aspect of my life. For me, creativity and strategy go hand in hand: every project starts with a core 'hook,' and every element must serve the bigger picture.
My path—from playing percussion in school to receiving a record deal in my twenties and touring professionally—honed my business acumen and adaptability. Navigating high-pressure environments on the road taught me how to collaborate with diverse teams and align moving parts efficiently. Today, I channel that background into creative leadership, bridging artistic execution with strategic vision.
What is a workplace, after all, other than a stage set up for a genre-specific performance? Couldn't we view our team members as band members, each equipped with a unique, genius skill set?
The real question is: how do we arrange those distinct personalities and talents to ensure every track (or project) delivers the right impact?
For me, leadership is the Maestro—coordinating moving parts so that every individual strength serves the bigger picture.
And who doesn't love a massive crescendo right before the final curtain drops?
My little sonic time capsule.
Listen to my music, across the years.
…ART
taught ME
Form and Space.
My perspective on visual communication started early, shaped by an unlikely source: toys. Even as a child, I recognized they were more than just objects—I was fascinated by discovering the minds behind iconic lines like Kenner, realizing how engineering, mechanics, and artistry intersected in every piece. Finding inspiration in how those creations came to life fueled my passion to express myself creatively from a young age. That early curiosity taught me to deconstruct problems through sketching and hands-on creation, a foundation further honed by dedicated art and photography teachers throughout my education.
Whether in music or studio art, creative expression remained a constant through my studies at Full Sail University. Immersed in 3D design, art history, sculpture, and visual communication, I learned to view form and space as interconnected systems.
I put that multidisciplinary mindset into practice as the founder of Studio Daisho, where we produced original audio foley and music composition for games and film, alongside developing The Center—a 2D isometric video game based on my 10-page Sci-Fi story/sketches. I later channeled my lifelong toy enthusiasm into Maven Collectibles, partnering with an incredible team to manufacture custom blank toy armatures for artists and customizers twice over.
Today, I approach leadership through that same unified lens. By treating diverse mediums as a single language, I help teams bridge the gap between abstract concepts and unforgettable execution. It’s all thanks to recognizing and thinking artistically, art taught me form and space.
I’ve been building and painting model kits since I was 10. This is one of my favorites: a rare, 28-piece resin kit of Gaira from “War of the Gargantuas (1966)”, sculpted by Atsushi Asai Sensei (Produced by Kaiju Freaks) in 2015. Standing about a foot tall and nearly two feet long, it took several months of prep, custom scratch-building, and meticulous painting to bring to life.
My old business partner, Jim, from Maven Collectibles, gifted it to me to commemorate our partnership and launch our company. I was able to use it in the company portfolio as we moved toward mass-manufacturing our own models and toys. Through careful photography, this piece became a masterclass in form, space, and finishing. The photography and lighting techniques I developed here proved invaluable for the macro filming and reflective surface work I tackled later in my career.
My Genesis:
August 9th, 1986
Late 1990s: Creative Foundations
Initiated formal studies in music and art through middle school band and specialized art classes, sparking a lifelong trajectory in 3D design, percussion, photography, and audio.
2001-2005: Academic & Artistic Convergence
Joined the band Kattiwankis in 2001, securing a 2nd-place finish at a Chester, VA Battle of the Bands the following year.
Cultivated a robust multi-disciplinary high school portfolio spanning music performance, professional sound recording, contemporary art, art history, 3D design, photography, drama, and film. Graduated from James River High School in 2005, followed by foundational liberal arts and engineering studies at John Tyler Community College (2005–2007).
2007-Early 2010s: Industry Breakthroughs & Entrepreneurial Pivot
Music Career & Recognition: Built a decade-long professional profile as a touring drummer, vocalist, songwriter, and audio engineer for bands like A Sky Like Mortars and Monster Violence. Garnered two formal record deal offers.
Strategic Evolution: Opted to decline the record deals in favor of a merit scholarship at Full Sail University to study Music Composition, Sound Design, and Business. Ultimately chose to accelerate directly into the professional marketplace, launching my first music-based business after recognizing that real-world industry experience superseded formal coursework.
Tigerchop Workshop - Transformed a passion for model kit fabrication and custom toy design into a profitable freelance venture, generating supplemental income while advancing my professional career. Managed end-to-end custom toy and model kit commission projects for online clients, consistently delivering high-quality, made-to-order products under strict deadlines. I did this under the moniker “TW” (for Tigerchop Workshop).
2013-2016: Studio Daisho LLC & Multimedia Innovation
Venture Launch: Founded Studio Daisho LLC as CEO and Lead Sound/Music Designer, delivering original music/auditory production for indie filmmakers, game developers, and enterprises.
Game Development & Production: Spearheaded the development of an original in-studio video game powered by beta Unreal Engine 4, seamlessly fusing proprietary sound design with original storytelling, character design, and voice acting. Directed a distributed network of over 30 developers, successfully delivering a fully playable demo, cinematics, and an original score.
Family Milestone: Welcomed the birth of my first daughter (2013).
2016-Early 2022: Maven Collectibles LLC & Enterprise Leadership
Executive & Creative Direction: Co-founded Maven Collectibles LLC, serving as Creative Director (and later CEO), directing brand strategy, visual identity, business planning, and end-to-end manufacturing operations.
High-End Manufacturing & Partnerships: Conceptualized and successfully crowdfunded prominent original intellectual properties—including signature 1:10th and 1:12th scale superheroine action figures and the acclaimed 1:12th scale TITAN figure. Spearheaded product design for global industry leaders like Warner Bros., DC Collectibles, Marvel, and Kotobukiya.
Multidisciplinary Expansion: Leveraged this era to master advanced product photography, promotional filmmaking, live-stream production, and scriptwriting.
Strategic Transition & Resilience: When global supply chain disruptions and factory closures during the pandemic impacted manufacturing partners, successfully steered operations through multiple facility transitions. Following the triumphant delivery of the TITAN project, transitioned cleanly into independent prototype artistry under "Tigerchop Workshop," expanding advanced cinematic and photographic studies under familial mentorship and rigorous self-directed mastery.
Family Milestones: Married in 2017 and welcomed the birth of my second daughter (2019).
Mid 2022: Tigerchop Media LLC
Co-founded and restructured operations alongside Director of Photography Albert Clanton, officially unifying under the enduring Tigerchop Media banner in Richmond, Virginia. Strategically pivoted focus toward high-end independent filmmaking, cinematic storytelling, and comprehensive multimedia production.
2022-Late 2024: The Sun’s Shadow Cinematic Milestone
Wrote, directed, executive-produced, edited, and engineered the sound and original score for the landmark three-part independent documentary series, The Sun’s Shadow. Successfully brought the project to global audiences via major streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video, delivering a masterclass in independent filmmaking that chronicles the rich history of American bladesmithing and Japanese metallurgy.