After attending college in Santa Barbara, Chris moved to Los Angeles and began working extensively in the film and television industry. In 2012, he joined the roster of The Masses, a filmmaking collective started by director Matt Amato and the late Heath Ledger. With The Masses, Chris directed music videos which were featured on acclaimed music websites such as Pitchfork, The Fader, and Filter. He’s brought his inventive visual voice to branded content for Adidas, the burlesque superstar, Dita Von Teese, the design-duo The Haas Brothers, and fashion brands such as Elle and Esquire among others. His most recent short film, Good Boy, screened at numerous film festivals including NewFilmmaker LA’s showcase of LGBTQ+ works in June 2017.
It’s easy to scroll through social media and call someone’s thirsty shirtless pics “desperate,” yet in moments when we need it, we find ourselves uploading something for our own dopamine hit. It’s easy to read #metoo stories and say “If that was me, I’d say no…” and yet many of us have found ourselves backed into a corner, suddenly speechless.
This is what I loved so much about the script for Content- it was muddy. As a gay man living in L.A. pursuing goals in the film industry, the situation was familiar. I remembered times I’d meet someone of influence for a drink, hoping it would help my career. I’d be flirtatious and charming, of course. But then I’d realize they had no interest in my career goals. After declining their advances, I’d go home, not feeling empowered. Instead, my mind would buzz with what-if’s and worst case scenarios.
My goal with Content was not to lay out a clean and tidy, good guy vs. abuser story tied neatly in a bow. Instead, I wanted to portray just how complicated and confusing these situations can often be. Yes, Kevin is flirtatious in the beginning. Yes, the photographer is a hottie. Yes, Kevin never says “no.” Yet, as things go from common flirtation to something more invasive, these things we consider to be so casual and expected, especially in gay culture, grow suddenly darker and more disturbing, challenging the definition of “consent.”
LGBTQ+ Toronto Film Festival 