Art, film, and creative tools. Exploring ideas across mediums.

Thayne Wheeler

Independent director. Character-driven stories across genres.

Thayne Wheeler is a film director and production designer. He has designed several feature films and directed short films, with credits that can be seen on IMDb.He grew up between cultures, the son of an Argentine mother and an American soldier. He lived in Germany, Panama, Mexico, and across the United States, and that movement shaped his perspective.His main project is the Canal Zone Documentary, a feature film and preservation effort about the Zonians of the former Panama Canal Zone. Learn more on the CZD page.He holds an MFA in Film Directing and a BFA in Illustration from ArtCenter College of Design, and an AAS in Graphic Design and Illustration from BYU-Idaho. He has taught film, art, design, and photography at the college level. See Work.

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Canal Zone Documentary

No complete documentary of the Panama Canal Zone has been made by the people who lived there. This one will be.I spent my formative years in the Canal Zone, at Quarry Heights overlooking Balboa. The Canal Zone Documentary is my effort to record the history, the culture, and the voices of the Zonians (residents of the former Panama Canal Zone) while those who remember it can still tell it themselves.The project builds toward a feature-length film. Along the way, it lives in the open. The CZD Review is a digital archival magazine, published as a PDF three times a year. Between issues, I share community stories, research, and behind-the-scenes work on the CZD Substack.Follow along: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube: @canalzonedocumentaryGet involved
If you lived in the Canal Zone, or your family did, I want to hear from you. Share your story, your photographs, and the names of people who should be on camera. If you currently reside in Utah, we are working to pull together a community here. Message the CZD page on Facebook or write to me through the Contact page.Support the Canal Zone Documentary (CZD)
There are several ways to help this project move forward and some have no monetary costs. Please review the CZD Support page.

CZD on Substack

CZD Review

CZD Fb Page

CZD Group

CZD Instagram

Support Canal Zone Documentary

This film is made by one person and the community behind it. Every kind of support helps, and much of it costs nothing.Follow and share
Follow CZD on Facebook and Instagram. Like, comment, and share the posts that matter to you. Each share puts the project in front of another Zonian who may hold a story or a photograph.
CZD Facebook Page
CZD Facebook Group
CZD InstagramSubscribe on Substack
A free subscription keeps you connected to the CZD Review and the stories between issues. A paid subscription starts at $5 a month and does far more. It supports the research, the archive work, and the time each issue takes. It is the most helpful way to stand behind this project over time.
CZD on SubstackLeave a tip on Ko-fi
If a post or an article moved you, a Ko-fi tip is a simple way to say thanks. It is one time, with no commitment.
Tip on Ko-fiHelp the archive grow
I keep a list on Amazon of items this project needs: external hard drives, books on Canal Zone history, and archival storage to protect what Zonians send me. Each item covers a specific need.
CZD Amazon RegistryGive your photographs and papers a home
Several of you have asked what to do with family photographs, letters, and records when your descendants don’t want them. Institutions have strict criteria and timelines that often don’t fit a family’s situation. If this is you, contact me. We will work out what is best for your items. I will care for them, keep a record of where they came from, and credit you when they appear in the film or the CZD Review, if you wish. I cannot guarantee that any will show up in the film. Once the project is completed, hopefully I can contribute them to an institution.Coming next: a crowdfunding campaign
When the film is ready for its next step, I plan to launch a campaign on Kickstarter or Seed&Spark. Subscribe on Substack to hear first.Support for CZD is not tax-deductible.

About Thayne

Creative + Storyteller + Educator

Perspective Built Across Places, Disciplines, and People.

I was raised in many places; abroad as well as state-side. By the time I reached adulthood, I had lived in Germany, the Panama Canal Zone, Mexico, and across multiple regions of the United States. These experiences shape my creativity and how I observe people, culture, and communication long before I ever thought of them as a subject of study. That early exposure to different environments taught me that context matters, perspective matters, and attention is never accidental.My professional life is a cross-disciplinary path. I’ve been formally trained in art, design, and film, and I’ve applied that foundation through photography, filmmaking, and creative direction. I’ve worked on commercial projects, led art direction and production design, and built a career centered largely on photographing people, with the understanding that human presence is what ultimately carries meaning.Teaching has been a parallel throughline. I began teaching at the college level in 2001 and have worked with students across disciplines: filmmakers, photographers, designers, illustrators, animators, and interior designers — ranging from beginners to seasoned professionals with decades of experience.

Whether in a classroom, a workshop, or a critique, my focus has always been on fundamentals: how to see clearly, make decisions, and understand why something works instead of simply copying what’s trending.Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to receive recognition for my photography and to see my work published, but those moments are less defining than the environments I’ve worked within; on sets, in studios, across cultures, and inside creative communities. Living in places like Panama during politically charged years, participating in productions across multiple states and countries, and working alongside people from vastly different backgrounds reinforced the same lesson: clarity and trust are earned, not assumed.This page is meant to give you a sense of how those experiences connect. If you’re interested in the broader context — the detours, side projects, and longer arcs—you’ll find more in Explore More.

PHOTO | FILM | EXPLORE MORE

Creative Work

I work across film, art, design, and photography. The tools change, but the questions stay the same: what does the viewer need to see, and why.

ART

DESIGN

PHOTO

FILM

INSTRUCTION

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Thayne's Photography

Editorial • Lifestyle • Beauty • Portrait

My photography journey began in the early 2000s in Los Angeles, working as an assistant to a commercial photographer and director. That introduction wasn’t academic—it was practical. I learned by being on set, working with ad agencies, photographing talent, and supporting commercial projects for established brands, including automotive work and national campaigns.Later, I became the last owner of a historic photography studio in Idaho—one that had operated continuously since the late 1800s. That experience grounded my work in portraiture, responsibility, and continuity, before eventually leading me to Utah, where I shifted toward freelance, lifestyle, fashion, and beauty photography. Along the way, my images have been used both independently and within film productions, and my work has been published in outlets such as RAAMAT magazine.Much of my photographic education came not from classrooms, but from necessity—learning alongside other photographers, solving real problems, and refining judgment through use. That foundation continues to inform how I approach people, images, and visual decision-making today.

PHOTO | FILM | EXPLORE MORE

Thayne's Film Experience

Directing • Art & Production Design

Film has always been about storytelling for me—not just in writing or directing, but in how visual decisions support meaning. My training emphasized how to read and break down a script, identify what matters, and translate that into images that serve and support the narrative and characters. That foundation continues to guide how I think about pacing, framing, and intent, regardless of scale or format.Over the years, I’ve worked across a wide range of productions—commercials, PSAs, infomercials, in-house brand videos, and short films—often in roles centered on visual storytelling, including art direction and production design. I’ve also spent time behind the camera as a cinematographer and have written, produced, and directed my own short-form projects. The formats change, but the underlying discipline remains the same: clarity, economy, and respect for the audience.What has stayed with me most, though, are not the formats or titles, but the people. The best sets I’ve been on were shaped by professionals who combined skill with patience, generosity, and respect—directors, actors, and crew who understood that good work and good character are not separate things. That perspective influences how I collaborate today and how I approach creative problem-solving. For those interested in the broader context of that work, Explore More offers a deeper look.Independent projects are developed through LionHart LLC.

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In Development

In Development

Working Title	Genre	One-liner	Note
Canal Zone Documentary	Documentary	coming soon	Research stage
Second Chance is the Charm	Coming of Age / Comedy	coming soon	Script near completion
Second Chances	Short Film (POC)	coming soon	Post production
Christian	Short Film	coming soon	Post production
The Third	Thriller / Horror	coming soon	script development
Ignoble	Drama	coming soon	script development

Media Kit

A quick overview for brands, agencies and collaborators. Download or view my media kit below for UGC, content creation and creative brand partnerships.My Focus: art, film photo, design, storytelling, tool, etc.

UGC (tools, art supplies, creative gear)
Product photography & editorial visuals
Voiceovers, storytelling & cinematic short form
TikTok Shop & Affiliate integrations

For a quick overview of deliverables, usage, and availability, view the media kit.

Download

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Where to Find Thayne

I create content across platforms. Here's where to connect, follow or view my work:

ArtGearGuru is on TikTok and focused on tools, materials, and practical decisions in the visual arts. The content centers on how and why tools are used—drawing from real-world experience across art, design, photography, and film—rather than trends or hype. It’s a space for thoughtful evaluation, clarity, and long-term usefulness, aimed at serious learners and working creatives. ArtGearGuru on TikTok

Artforma™ is an educational outlet focused on foundational visual principles—how artists see, think, and make decisions across mediums. Drawing from decades of professional practice and teaching, the content emphasizes clarity over trends, process over shortcuts, and transferable understanding rather than style imitation. It reflects the same underlying approach that informs my creative work: slow thinking, sound judgment, and respect for craft. Artforma™ on YouTube

The Panama Canal Zone community is made up of former residents and families connected to a place that no longer exists; a place that existed for almost a century. What remains is a shared cultural memory—stories, photographs, language, traditions, and a strong sense of identity shaped by life between worlds. Over time, that nostalgia has grown into active community spaces where history is preserved, discussed, and reinterpreted by thousands of people across generations. Maintaining these communities requires consistency, sensitivity, historical awareness, and an understanding of how content resonates emotionally over long periods—not just momentary attention.Panama Canal Zonian* | Canal Zone Documentary**Found on both Facebook and Instagram

I’ve used Pinterest for close to a decade as a visual archive and working reference—long before short-form content became dominant. It holds a broad range of material: my own photography, shared video, visual studies, and curated boards spanning art, design, film, and tools. More than a social platform, it functions as a long-term thinking space—one that reflects how ideas are gathered, organized, revisited, and refined over time.
Thayne Wheeler on Pinterest

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Explore More

Projects, stories, and paths beyond the portfolio.

My education followed both structured and practical routes. I studied at what was then Ricks College (now BYU–Idaho), earning an Associates in Graphic Design and Illustration, before earning both a BFA in Illustration and MFA in Film Directing from Art Center College of Design. Being in Pasadena meant learning not just in classrooms, but through proximity—directors visiting class to speak about current productions, long conversations about craft, and an environment that demanded clarity of thought as much as technical skill. That mix of rigor and exposure continues to inform how I evaluate work.Teaching added another layer entirely. When I first began teaching at the college level, I assumed my students would be young and early in their careers. Instead, many were seasoned professionals—animators from major studios, art directors, photographers—people with decades of experience. It forced me to deepen my understanding quickly. I couldn’t rely on current knowledge at the time; I had to bring real value to every room, regardless of who was sitting in it. That expectation sharpened both my thinking and my humility.One early class still makes me smile. I sat among the students as they filtered in, chatting casually about the instructor—how demanding he was, how intense the course sounded—before eventually standing up to introduce myself as the teacher. The disbelief, then laughter, set the tone immediately. It reminded me that authority doesn’t need to announce itself, and that approachability and seriousness can coexist.Professionally, my work has crossed photography, film, graphic design, art and creative direction, including being the last owner of a photography studio that had operated continuously since 1898—a responsibility that came with history attached. I’ve worked on productions in multiple regions, collaborated with a wide range of talent, and received recognition for my photography along the way. Those details matter less on their own than what they point to: continuity, adaptability, and care for the work and the people involved.If you’re interested in how this background translates into applied projects, Brand Work is a good next step. If you’d rather see where ideas are tested and shared in public, the Platforms page offers that view.