Deon is a 1999 graduate from UCLA, with a major in Ancient Civilizations and a minor in Film/Television Productions. In 2007, he completed the UCLA Extension Film/TV Screenwriting Program, then entered (Los Angeles City College) LACC's Directors Program, where he studied directing and cinematography. At LACC, he wrote and directed his first short film, titled "Hey Joe"--a tribute to the Jimi Hendrix song of the same title. "Hey Joe" won First Place in LACC's student film showcase for 2002. His work experience entails dozens of TV show and pilot productions, as well as five years with Walt Disney Imagineering, where he worked in the Creative (story & project development) Department. As a screenwriter, he has developed several shorts and TV spec scripts, and he has written almost a dozen feature length screenplays--two of which have reached the finalist in major screenplay competitions. As an independent filmmaker, he has directed and/or produced several music videos and short films, while partnering up with Jaleel Ghafur and Eric Bivens-Bush in the founding of Rising Nile Productions, the company that produced his latest endeavor, the short film titled "The Don of Virgil Jr. High". This film won the AUDIENCE FAVORITE SHORT FILM at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival.
