Aileen studied filmmaking as part of her Electronic Media, Arts & Communications degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Two of her videos (“Love Story” and “Dream Man”) won 1st Place in RPI’s McKinney Contest in 2011 and 2012, and the short science-fiction film that she wrote and directed for her thesis (“Refurbished”) was shown at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in April 2012. More of her early student films can be found here.

In 2014, Aileen founded the production studio Pencil Ink Productions with Amanda Daly. The company produces creative projects and provides video services to local actors and organizations. Aileen also often collaborates with Evan Gandy of Anicca Digital Arts.

Aileen also has a passion for the power of arts education. She currently mentors students through a program called Film Connection and works as the videographer for PlayWrite, a non-profit that empowers at-risk youth through theater. Previously, she was video producer at the literary non-profit Late Night Library, a filmmaker-in-residence for summer camp students at Steve & Kate’s Camp, and an instructor of week-long therapeutic filmmaking workshops for veterans with I Was There, a program of the Patton Veterans Project. Aileen occasionally teaches production classes and speaks on film-related panels around the Pacific Northwest.