ABOUT
On the Cannes red carpet.
My name is Tom Cassese, and I am a New York-based independent filmmaker, illustrator, and animator.
Since early childhood, I have always had a passion for visual storytelling, whether it was with pencil drawings or a bulky VHS camcorder and Fisher-Price toys. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was developing story concepts, character designs, and building entire worlds at quite a young age.
Throughout middle school and high school, my skills improved. I started creating more sophisticated films and comedy skits with my friends. I decided to pursue filmmaking at Hofstra University, where I graduated summa cum laude from the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and Honors College with a Bachelor's degree in Film Studies and Production. I also took my fair share of television studies and production courses. At Hofstra, I developed my visual storytelling abilities and gained experience directing, writing, producing, and editing a wide array of film projects. During my senior year, I directed two award-winning films -- Wanted and Concurrence. Both screened in festivals around the country and world, most notably at the 69th Cannes Film Festival and the Big Apple Film Festival.
While not working on independent film projects, I work in the television industry. I am a program operations coordinator at AMC Networks and SundanceTV, and I have previously worked for The Discovery Channel and truTV. During college, I interned at DC Comics in their editorial administration and talent relations department, which gave me invaluable behind-the-scenes insight into the business of creative storytelling.
Since childhood, I have never stopped developing original ideas, and now that I'm older, I have found the opportunity to actually pitch my concepts. Recently I pitched my animated short idea, Forbidden, to the development teams at Frederator Studios, Sony, and Nickelodeon. I then developed an animated feature, The Wrong Side of the Universe, and pitched it to executives at DreamWorks Animation Studios. I fully intend to continue developing and pitching ideas, so I decided to go back to school to further hone this skill. I started classes at the School of Visual Arts in New York City in computer animation and visual media property development taught by former Marvel Comics executive editor Carl Potts.
With all this happening, I still found the time to write and produce my next short film, a horror comedy Zoul. I recently hosted a private screening at the renowned IFC Center in New York City for the cast, crew, family, and friends. Now I'm waiting to hear back from film festivals.
Thank you so much for visiting my site! Please feel free to explore and check out my work. There are always more updates to come!
- Tom
Since early childhood, I have always had a passion for visual storytelling, whether it was with pencil drawings or a bulky VHS camcorder and Fisher-Price toys. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was developing story concepts, character designs, and building entire worlds at quite a young age.
Throughout middle school and high school, my skills improved. I started creating more sophisticated films and comedy skits with my friends. I decided to pursue filmmaking at Hofstra University, where I graduated summa cum laude from the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication and Honors College with a Bachelor's degree in Film Studies and Production. I also took my fair share of television studies and production courses. At Hofstra, I developed my visual storytelling abilities and gained experience directing, writing, producing, and editing a wide array of film projects. During my senior year, I directed two award-winning films -- Wanted and Concurrence. Both screened in festivals around the country and world, most notably at the 69th Cannes Film Festival and the Big Apple Film Festival.
While not working on independent film projects, I work in the television industry. I am a program operations coordinator at AMC Networks and SundanceTV, and I have previously worked for The Discovery Channel and truTV. During college, I interned at DC Comics in their editorial administration and talent relations department, which gave me invaluable behind-the-scenes insight into the business of creative storytelling.
Since childhood, I have never stopped developing original ideas, and now that I'm older, I have found the opportunity to actually pitch my concepts. Recently I pitched my animated short idea, Forbidden, to the development teams at Frederator Studios, Sony, and Nickelodeon. I then developed an animated feature, The Wrong Side of the Universe, and pitched it to executives at DreamWorks Animation Studios. I fully intend to continue developing and pitching ideas, so I decided to go back to school to further hone this skill. I started classes at the School of Visual Arts in New York City in computer animation and visual media property development taught by former Marvel Comics executive editor Carl Potts.
With all this happening, I still found the time to write and produce my next short film, a horror comedy Zoul. I recently hosted a private screening at the renowned IFC Center in New York City for the cast, crew, family, and friends. Now I'm waiting to hear back from film festivals.
Thank you so much for visiting my site! Please feel free to explore and check out my work. There are always more updates to come!
- Tom