Taylor Toole, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School class of 1997, played soccer, lacrosse, and also did theater. He had mixed feelings about high school, but remembered Mr. Sharkovitz’s class requiring seniors to make a video and present it to the class as a highlight. “Our group did a great job on a surreal comedy with lots of gags about getting to school, and then winning a trophy and accolades from fellow students,” he noted. And more importantly, Taylor believes that that experience had a significant impact on why making films and videos is his life’s work today.
Taylor chose to major in film production at Emerson College because, unlike some of the other colleges he visited, there he was allowed to access the camera equipment right away. It was a perfect fit since Taylor liked to do hands-on work, and he spent his undergraduate years collaborating on countless short films throughout the streets of Boston. During the summers, he returned to the Island and worked as a landscaper for Matt Tobin at Tea Lane Nursery. After Taylor finished at Emerson, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked entry-level jobs on the HBO shows “Project Greenlight” and “Deadwood.” He was also able to attend the Sundance Festival in Utah. (No, he did not meet Robert Redford — I asked him.)
After a few years on the West Coast, Taylor returned home to make a feature film, ”Mow Crew,” an indie comedy based on his experiences as a landscaper. He learned how difficult it was to produce a movie while working full-time, but he did it, editing commercials by day and his film by night. “Mow Crew” went on to play at film festivals across the country, garnering a shelf full of awards. A career in advertising as a director and editor followed, punctuated by personal film projects every few years.
Today, Taylor and his family live in Arlington, where he produces videos for clients ranging from the Office of Problem Gambling Services to the Boston Beer Co. Working freelance has allowed him and his wife, Jen, to focus on their favorite project of all, raising their two children, Charlie and Jasper. Taylor, we are so proud of your persistence in developing your skill in an area that started way back in that high school class with Mr. Sharkovitz!
Marge Harris was a teacher at MVRHS for 27 years. You can contact her at margeharris@comcast.net. This column appears twice a month.