Derek is a veteran filmmaker. (Which is to say I'm a military veteran and a filmmaker. I didn't, like, grip on Chinatown.) Born and raised in South Florida Derek grew up making films with his friends and when they weren't free he'd cast his toys. After 8 years in the US Coast Guard where he would make web series and perform standup comedy on the side, he left to pursue his dream of completing film school. Derek now lives in Orlando and makes films for passion while working as an online instructor at one of the top 30 film schools in the US.