Born and raised in the Santa Cruz area of California, Stephen began making LEGO stop-motion films around the age of eleven. Throughout junior high and high school, he continued to build his skill set, learning professional editing software such as Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Blender 3D. Stephen also learned a great deal about documentary filmmaking while documenting his high school youth group's annual disaster relief trips. During junior college, Stephen collaborated with several friends to help build a YouTube channel called Action Studios (formerly Tri-Hards), primarily working as a cinematographer and visual effects supervisor. In 2016, Stephen was accepted into the Film and Television Production program at the University of Southern California, where he continued to build his network and portfolio working on many student productions. Since graduation, Stephen has lived in the Los Angeles area, and works as a render and stage technician on the Avatar sequels in Manhattan Beach. He also works as a freelance visual effects supervisor and artist.