West brings sharp storytelling and a filmmaker’s eye for detail to the Pepper team. In his years at Eleven Peppers, he’s become known for his dry humor, genuine appreciation for the designers around him, and steady creativity. Whether he’s swapping ideas with teammates or talking films with the same passion he brings to his own projects, West shows up with humor and a spicier‑the‑better energy that strengthens the whole company.

Scroll on for a Q&A and an infographic celebrating West’s Pepperversary.

1. Best part of working at Eleven Peppers Studios?
Getting to work with all the gifted designers on my team. I’ve learned so much being able to surround myself with talented people every day. You don’t get to be around this much creativity all the time at other places. I try not to take that part for granted.

2. If you were a pepper, what type would you be and why?
Make me a guajillo then puree me into a chili rojo and pour me on top of homemade enchiladas and feed me to my favorite people when I die.

3. What is your favorite 11p event?
I like the company picnics. I like barbecue. There’s stuff for the kids. It’s relaxed and the weather is usually nice. We’re leveling up the company picnic this year, so I’ll report back.

4. What is your favorite present ever received from 11p?
I won a solo stove in a raffle, and I swear I use that thing all the time. Best raffle gift ever. Although, it still produces a lot of smoke, and I still smell like smoke after. Solo stove may need to rework their messaging.

5. Name a Pepper you can always lean on for support or advice:
Katherine Burns has been a trusted confidant for a few years now. She’s a good person to logic problems with and she never gets tired of my jokes. Enjoys them, actually.

6. Name a Pepper whose work ethic inspires you:
I don’t know how Brian Lynch has kids and work and writes all these books and brews all these beers in his free time. I’m trying to be like him.

7. My spice meter : 

1. What’s your favorite film of all time?
I don’t like this question because it’s hard to quantify. But I think The Godfather is probably what I come back to in my head. It’s technically a masterpiece and Marlon Brando is amazing. Sometimes when I play with my daughter in the backyard, while running through our extravagant garden, I worry I’m going to have a heart attack and die like Brando and then my son will have to run my empire – but will he be ready?

2. What’s an indie film you’ve watched that reminded you why you fell in love with filmmaking in the first place?
I’m still pretty moved by Train Dreams last year, but I don’t know if I’d call it an “indie film.” The Clerks behind the scenes box set got me into filmmaking when I was 13 though. Weird leap from that to train dreams.

3. What’s your favorite memory from making your film Take from Me?
Being on set every single day for two weeks is a tiring and rewarding marathon. You become very close with the team that works on the film, and the entire thing becomes a core memory with a long-distance family afterwards.

4. What’s your most memorable film festival experience?
Not a festival but screening and doing a Q&A for Savannah Arts was a lot of fun. There were about 70 senior citizens in the audience, and they had the best questions. Then we got to walk around Savannah a bit.

5. What’s the best thing about being a dad of two?
I love watching my kids grow and change and become different and complex humans. I’m amazed and baffled by them every single day. They grow up incredibly fast. Then they start having opinions and ideas and then it gets scary because the opinions and ideas are bonkers and I taught them zero of those ideas.

6. What’s been your favorite part of settling into your new house?
I love finding all the broken things the previous owner left behind and then getting to fix them for myself.

7. What’s the coolest part of being from Arizona?
The best part of being from Arizona is that I know how to cut open a Saguaro and drink its cactus water but it’s illegal… so like we don’t do that.

8. What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long day?
After a long day of work and children’s activities I like to stay up later than I should, sit alone in the dark of my living room, and watch the Phoenix Suns lose by 10 or so points. Sometimes I lie in bed and watch dating shows and then use weaponized therapy speech for the next few days around the house.