Thomas’s two lives, mystery author and filmmaker, often overlap. For years he’s directed and shot cop shows for TV, and he’s heard great stories from the police he’s filmed. He’s ridden on patrols, been to crime scenes, as well as crime labs. All of these experiences inform his writing of private eye stories. This page has images from his life as a mystery writer and filmmaker.
My first shoot
As a sophomore at University of Southern California, this was my first time behind a 16mm film camera. Up to then, I had shot only Super-8. Looking through the viewfinder, I quickly realized I loved watching life unfold through a flickering shutter. My friend, writer/director Willard Carroll, sent me this shot just a few weeks ago — I hadn’t known it existed before then.
