Chris Nicholas.
Born in the Bronx and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Chris Nicholas has worked in television, film, home entertainment, and branded content for more than 25 years. He has edited projects for film studios, television networks, and artists including Paramount, MGM, Sony Pictures, Shout! Factory, Warner Bros. Records, Metallica, Foo Fighters, ESPN, A&E, ABC Family, Fox Reality, and many others.
His work has received critical recognition, and he is best described as a professional storyteller, having created, written, produced, directed, filmed, and edited countless works in the visual arts. After spending two decades building his career in Los Angeles, Chris returned home to South Florida and now serves as Multimedia Production Manager at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale.
Full biography and career story.
EARLY YEARS AND MUSIC CAREER.
In 1991, at the age of 19, Nicholas became the keyboardist for Atlantic Records’ band Collapsing Lungs, touring with such bands as Smashing Pumpkins, House of Pain, and Cypress Hill. The band recorded the album "Colorblind" and shot a video for their single "Crackerjack".
After leaving Atlantic, the group changed members and re-formed as L.U.N.G.S.. Within six months they were signed to Pavement Records/Zoo/BMG and released the full-length CD "Better Class of Losers". Despite strong reviews, a lack of label support, tour backing, and music video promotion led Chris to make a difficult choice about his future in music.
FROM MUSIC TO FILM AND “DEMYSTIFYING THE DEVIL”.
Feeling unfulfilled and confined in the world of music, Nicholas transitioned in late 1995 to television and film, a medium where he could fully express his creativity and vision. While editing national television programs and other projects at a small production company in Boca Raton, Florida, he read Marilyn Manson’s book "The Long Hard Road Out of Hell." Inspired by the story, he set out to create a documentary that charted Manson’s rise to stardom.
Drawing on testimonials from those who supported Manson in his early days, along with home video, rare concert footage, and never-before-seen photos and memorabilia, Nicholas directed, produced, and edited the award-winning documentary "Marilyn Manson: Demystifying the Devil".
"Demystifying the Devil" is one of the best long-form metal home videos ever made, as this is an unauthorized biography of a famous rock star and not a promo project hyped by the record companies.
Released worldwide in 2000, "Demystifying the Devil" debuted at #1 on the UK national home video sales chart, peaked at #22 on Billboard Magazine’s Top 40 Home Video Sales Chart, and reached #17 in the sales charts of Australia and New Zealand. The film earned Nicholas the Best Directorial Debut award at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival and was screened at the Brescia Music and Arts Film Festival in Brescia, Italy.
The documentary received positive reviews from publications including Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Entertainment Weekly. Chris also appeared on The Howard Stern Radio & Television Show to promote the film.
DOCUMENTARIES, TELEVISION, AND DVD EXTRAS.
Following the success of "Demystifying the Devil", Nicholas relocated to Los Angeles to continue building his career. He worked as a producer and editor on documentaries and was hired as a producer for A&E Television’s first season of "Criss Angel: MINDFREAK".
He went on to edit numerous DVD extra content featurettes, including the Stanley Kramer DVD box set, the title piece for the re-release of My So-Called Life (named by Entertainment Weekly as the best DVD release of 2007), and the making-of the fourth season of The Flintstones, among many other titles.
Nicholas also contributed to numerous reality and entertainment programs, including the international hit Hollywood Uncensored, HDNet’s Deadline Unrated!, TLC’s The Singing Office, and later iCRIME with Elizabeth Vargas.
SCREENPLAYS AND INDEPENDENT PROJECTS.
Alongside directing, producing, and editing, Nicholas has written three feature-length screenplays and continues to develop scripted projects. "Event Staff", a dramatic comedy, explores the behind-the-scenes world of concert security. "The Free Clinic" is a low-budget comedy he plans to produce and direct himself.
NEW RIVER ENTERTAINMENT AND SAME DAY VIDEOS.
In 2015, Nicholas launched his own independent production company, New River Entertainment. The company partners with small businesses, corporations, and non-profits to create high-quality video projects that entertain, educate, and engage. Seeing the need for accessible, fast-turnaround content for smaller businesses, he also created a division, Same Day Videos, designed to help mom-and-pop companies that cannot afford high-priced marketing campaigns. For Chris, every business is a potential client and story to be told.
ROLE REVERSAL AND CAREGIVING.
Before founding New River Entertainment, Nicholas put his career on hold to care for his mother, Beatrice, whose health began to decline. Caring for her became a full-time commitment, making traditional production work difficult. Drawing on his background in television and film, he documented their journey together, from doctor visits and emergency room trips to surgeries and the quiet everyday moments that define a life.
Beatrice was a fighter. She beat cancer twice, survived a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery, lived with kidney failure and dialysis, and endured several mini-strokes that led to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, until her body finally gave out. Chris is using those experiences to create the documentary Role Reversal, which explores the caregiving experience of adult children caring for aging parents who can no longer care for themselves.
The film is set against a profound demographic shift. Each day, 10,000 baby boomers turn 65, and over the next 30 years the population of older adults in the United States is projected to nearly double—from 48 million to 88 million, with the largest percentage increase among those 85 and older. This transformation will reshape families, communities, and systems of care across the country.
LEGACY VIDEOS AND END-OF-LIFE STORYTELLING.
In addition to Role Reversal, Nicholas is creating personal Legacy Videos—deeply personal films designed for seniors on hospice, individuals nearing end of life, veterans, and others who want to preserve their stories. When sponsored, these projects are offered to families at no cost.
Gifts in support of Legacy Videos and Role Reversal are processed through his 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, From The Heart Productions, making contributions 100% tax-deductible. These films honor lives, preserve memories, and give families something lasting to hold onto.
RECENT TELEVISION AND COMMERCIAL WORK.
Nicholas was invited to serve as one of the editors on the syndicated series iCRIME featuring host Elizabeth Vargas, the American television journalist known as lead investigative reporter and documentary anchor for A&E Networks and host of Fox’s revival of America’s Most Wanted. Chris edited full 30-minute episodes using Adobe Premiere Productions, working remotely from South Florida by logging into an editorial system in Los Angeles via JUMP, and collaborating through Frame.io for notes from the executive producer. It stands among his most rewarding experiences in television.
Nicholas has also edited more than 100 television commercials for Kevin Harrington’s As Seen On TV and Shark Discoveries DRTV/BRTV campaigns, working remotely as a freelance editor over a three-year period.
CLICK HERE to see a list of commercials he has worked on, along with a recommendation from the Vice President of Production for Kevin Harrington. To watch a selection of featured commercials, visit this YouTube Play List.
INTERVIEWS AND MEDIA APPEARANCES.
The following interviews offer a deeper look at Chris’s journey, motivations, and experiences in music, film, caregiving, and creative work.
CONTACT.
Thank you for taking the time to explore this page and Chris’s work.
To get in touch, please email
chris at chrisnicholas dot com.