BRUTUS

When I was a kid, "SpongeBob SquarePants" was my favorite show. I would come home every day from school and watch it until I had to literally be dragged away from the screen. I understood time so quickly as a child because "SpongeBob" episodes were 15 minutes each, and my parents used that to their advantage.
"How long until we get home?" I'd nag.
"Two SpongeBob episodes" would always be their response.

I say all of this to make the point that animation is at the core of who I am. Growing up, all I wanted to do was make a TV show like "SpongeBob". And with this project, I can say that a younger me would be incredibly proud. In fact, I'd argue "BRUTUS" would be a hot contender against "SpongeBob" as my favorite show (even though the subject matter is wildly inappropriate for a ten year old).

I set out to independently produce "BRUTUS" after I pitched it to over a dozen studios during my time in Los Angeles in the Spring of 2022. I was disappointed to learn that the animation studios I admired were making TV shows that would have no longevity or artistic success: adaptations of TikToks, prequel-sequels to already established shows from decades prior, and raunchy celebrity-driven sitcoms that only served as paychecks for the people involved. What I was pitching with "BRUTUS" fit none of these categories, and because of that they wanted nothing to do with me.

I was devastated. But it was my mom who reminded me of another animated show I was obsessed with and their independent success: "VeggieTales". As it turns out, the company that produced "VeggieTales", Big Idea Studios, operated out of an old Woolworth's store-front at Yorktown Center - a mall that was only a few miles from my childhood home in suburban Illinois. "VeggieTales" would go on to become one of the best selling children's TV shows of all time. She asked me, "In all seriousness, if they could find success independently, what's stopping you from giving it a try? And what's stopping you from also finding success?"

The remainder of 2022 was dedicated to pre-production and in the Spring of 2023 I officially began producing a Pilot for "BRUTUS". It felt like being on a big expedition, going somewhere that you've only heard about in storybooks and fables. But after seven months of blood, sweat, and tears I can confidently say that the journey was amazing. Creating "BRUTUS" has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life: every day became a chance to not only make my work the best it can be but also gave me an opportunity to grow as an individual and as an artist. If I could do it all again, I wouldn't do a single thing differently.

I am extremely honored and grateful to be considered for your festival and would love to bring this project to as many theaters across the United States and across the world as I can. "BRUTUS" is a story about taking a gamble and desperately hoping it pays off. Not only does Brutus take a massive gamble when approaching Lily, the girl he desperately wants to ask out at the party he's dragged to, but I took a massive gamble when I dedicated everything I had to making my dream a reality. It's only fitting that the story takes place in Las Vegas: a place where you can risk it all to gain everything, and the place where I started my film career in 2017 and my long journey to create something that makes other people feel the way "SpongeBob" made me feel.