Paul is an award-winning short filmmaker and writer, who’s short films have screened at almost every major genre film festival worldwide.

His latest short film Eel Girl is a provocative and unsettling science-fiction horror short, that combines stunning visuals with the dark and visceral undertones of H. P. Lovecraft. Shot on 35mm by New Zealand Director of Photography Richard Bluck (Black Sheep, Lord of the Rings), the film features special makeup effects by Oscar winning Weta Workshop. Eel Girl has picked up 17 awards and 7 nominations, including the Grand Prix at the Court Metrange Film Festival, France, 2nd place in the Best Short Film Award at the 2008 Rushes Soho Shorts, London.

Paul’s first short film, Night of the Hell Hamsters, a cautionary and bloody little tale about the dangers of mixing the occult with small furry family pets opened on the festival circuit in 2006 to rave reviews, two Audience Favorite awards and a Best Director and Best Cinematography Award. The film has played at over 50 film festivals around the world, is now listed on several cult film databases, was released on DVD in December 2008 and has the dubious honour of being copied and pirated on multiple bit-torrent websites.

Paul began his career as a freelance illustrator working in the advertising and publishing industry, before moving to New Zealand to work at Weta Digital on the visual effects for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy where he was responsible for creating the look of digital creatures such as the Balrog, mumakil, fell-beast and Shelob.

Before directing, Paul worked in San Francisco, London and New Zealand on films such as Constantine, Sin City, 30 Days of Night and The Chronicles of Narnia and is the author of 2 best selling instructional DVDs on Digital Texture Painting from the Gnomon Workshop.

He is currently in development on Dark Hollow, co-written by Paul Finch and Paul Campion, and based on the novel of the same name by best-selling US author Brian Keene.