Merlin is originally from the deep wilderness of Northeast Washington state, where he honed his skill as a keen observer through countless hours spent watching the natural world around him. Now based in Los Angeles, Merlin began his film career as a PA on a Jackie Chan film before then going to law school and working as an entertainment lawyer. The energy of production and creative work kept calling him, however, and he returned to school to study directing at UCLA, where he received an MFA.
As a director, Merlin is particularly focused on visual storytelling and the craft of working with actors. He has created work on behalf of brands such as Sprite, Coca-Cola, Uber, Morgan Stanley and ARRI, and his work has been featured in publications including Vice, Out Magazine, Shots, Booooooom, Flaunt Magazine, and Director’s Notes. Awards received include the Cirque du Soleil Emerging Artist Fellowship and the MPAA Directing Award. Recently, Merlin was selected as a directing fellow for the Kyoto Filmmakers Lab, wrote and directed a package of digital shorts for Eli Roth’s Crypt TV, created a promo spot and related content for a Coca-Cola project featuring Olivia Wilde, and was shortlisted for the Porsche Advertising Award.