As a kid (and still to this day) I was always a fan of dinosaurs, monsters, and pretty much anything with big 'ol teeth and claws. Something about that primal ferocity, the awesome sense of power, combined with some gnarly designs and really cool techniques used to bring them to life on the screen. I'd spend my days drawing the beasts that gripped my imagination, and watching films and documentaries about them. Some of the best ones I remember watching are from the BBC Walking With series, like Walking with Dinosaurs and Walking with Beasts. I remember being really inspired by these documentaries, and I was fascinated with how they were made. I was amazed to find out they were created in part with lifelike animatronics and puppets. This planted the first seeds of filmmaking in my mind- I thought that if I could get my hands on a puppet that looked lifelike enough, I too could make great films like these! And it wasn't just these ones  either: There were the Jurassic Park movies, the 90's Goosebumps show, old B-monster movies (such as Them! [1954] and Unknown Island [1948]), The Dark Crystal (1982), Labyrinth (1986), and of course the Godzilla films. Even homemade YouTube films, like Blaisingm's Dino Dreams and TheCyberController's Attack of the Nightmare-a-saurus, were pivotal in my inspiration. They made me think, wow, maybe if they can do it, so can I! Bottom line: I loved all of these because of the unique way they were made, with practical effects like puppets, animatronics, and costumes. CGI is also an amazing special effects tool, but my young mind felt much more inspired by the more tangible effects that were really there, in front of the camera. For my own films, I didn't know the first thing about 3D animation, but I did know how to use a puppet. And so, that's the path I would take- No Budget Films, using inexpensive techniques and props that a kid could get his hands on.