A profound filmmaker from Australia, who made films such as Snowtown, Macbeth, True History of the Kelly Gang and Nitram, he's become one of my favorite directors ever since I discovered him directing Assassin's Creed. I enjoyed the visual aspect of the film, but felt held him back from sharing his storytelling abilities. His works usually integrate social realism that incorporate violent and challenging themes that often range from madness, myth and identity formation. He does this with simplistic yet provocative cinematography that help tell a story with the audience in the scene with the characters; in good and bad moments. I'm inspired by how he portrays the horrors of suburbia and the struggles of community and fraternity.

Ever since his adaptation of Watchmen and 300, I have become intrigued and enthralled by the way he can adapt worlds from comic books and tells mature stories; either ones that are prewritten or something he has created.  Because of his sheer ambition and willingness to give comic book movies a range beyond a certain formula, he's also a favorite of mine. Even though I don't really read much comics, I did read Watchmen. And his adaptation is one of my favorites. His director cut of Justice League can attest to his capabilities of delivering great characterizations and intriguing narratives with weight and layers.  Despite having much experience in visual aspects of film, I admire how he tackles grittier angles to tell stories that are set in reality without leaving out room for a satisfying payoff; whether triumphant or tragic.

David Lynch is a filmmaker I have grown to appreciate through the years of being a writer.  His films are so distinct that he even set a name for his style known as "Lynchian". As someone who loves surreal imagery, surreal stories and intends to create stories with such elements, his style is something I take great inspiration from. His horror film Eraserhead was the film that made me instantly interested in his work. His films are fever dreams that incorporate unsettlement, violence and a sense of wonder in the oddness of situations beyond logic.  Like Justin Kurzel, he knows how to created an ominous tone that can both captivate and intimidate the audience. 

J.K. Rowling is one of these authors that manages to take several genres and create a unique set of worlds and characters that are still relevant to this day. Not only was her beloved series a big inspiration for Kevin Princeton books, but she is my inspiration that got me to pursue writing in the first place. If I were to ever have a meal with her, or simply have a conversation with her, I would thank her gracefully. But I give gratitude to my older brother for introducing Harry Potter to me when we were younger. From incorporating coming of age elements to mystery, she manages to create something that generally stands out from other fantasy novels that appeals to both adults and children. Regardless of her recent antics, I would still remain an admirer of her work as an author.

I’m inspired to reinvent pulp stories that reflected epic adventures and extraordinary  characters that make it seem like they are actually based on reality. Say what you will on his political stance, but Edgar Rice Burroughs is someone who was clearly admired for how he reinforced science fiction and adventure stories that captivated readers at the time. His series of stories based on his character John Carter illustrates this very well, which has inspired a lot of notable sci-fi stories we know. The way he writes the series of twelve books like planetary explorative journal entries inspired my style of writing stories in first person. With rigor and detail, he created something that is not only three dimensional but something that people can find themselves immersing in. Not to mention that his version of Mars is something very innovative and inventive. 

Even though I mostly write fiction, I founded myself both intrigued and more socially conscious after reading Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night for my high school summer reading assignment. Though it felt like such a long time ago now, I remember how my heart ached when reading through the characters. Since it is a memoir, it gave me a very personal insight on what he was going through internally and externally. It really highlighted much of the ugliest parts of human history. Moments of great happiness and sadness were shown. It helps that his writing style had something human that audiences can relate to. Yes, I’m well aware that what an author creates is a consumer product. But what interests and inspires me is when that product has a great sense of raw vulnerability that doesn’t shy away from letting one sit with themselves in their most pleasant and ugliness. And stories like Night has proved that human stories need to be told without always being exploited, over-the-top or larger than life to send a message. 

Writing in video games has also influenced my writing. And throughout the years, video games have proven itself again and again that they are capable of telling not only great and beautiful stories, but they could also be bolder and powerful just as novels, films and television. The big advantage they have is that it is an interactive medium. Games like the Red Dead series, American McGee's Alice, Life is Strange and Wolf Among Us come to mind.  And one of my favorite game series Assassin’s Creed is an example of that. Canadian-French game developer Patrice Désilets shows artistry in this series and clearly illustrates what inspired it. From its multilayered story that jumps between the past and present, its unique blend of science fiction, history and conspiracy theories, his work has set a trend that keeps getting reinvented. Especially for the betterment of telling powerful stories that invoke untouched themes. 

Just like video games, anime and manga has also proved to become a great avenue for bold writing. I find it more braver, especially in this day and age where everything is played very safely for the sake of the committee. When done right, they can tell unforgettable stories. The writing in anime is also an influence in my eclectic style. One such manga is the dark fantasy series Berserk written by Kentaru Miura. His series is not for the faint of heart. Not only because of the *ahem* content in the series. But because of how the content correlates with the subject matters that Kentaru tries to tell without dancing around them. He doesn’t do it to subvert expectations but to express his own passion throughout. Despite the setting inspired by Europe, it still has the essence of values from other parts of the world that is relatable and interesting to read or watch. 

This is someone that has made a peculiar entrance to my roster of inspiration influences. I knew Adi Shankar from his dark interpretation of the Power Rangers and mostly his adaptation of the Castlevania series. Honestly, I didn’t know what to think of him at first at the time. But ever since watching the series, and recently watching his new show Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix, he has won me over. I will admit that part of me underestimated how he approaches adapting or writing original stories. Especially within established worlds. One thing that stands out to me is how he writes characters as well that help draw out the rest of the world. And it was clear when watching Captain Laserhawk. On top of that, he is too obsessed with creating edgy material that also has semblance of humor, humanity and philosophy as well.