Nick attended SUNY Purchase with a strong interest in sound design, music, and movies. It was during this time that he met a group of like-minded individuals, including producer Bob Gosse, director Hal Hartley, and actors Edie Falco, Paul Schulze, Saul Stein, and Adam Trese, with whom he would collaborate for the next decade.
After completing his studies, Nick worked on various commercials and feature films in New York City, and wrote a few scripts that gained attention within the industry. In the early 1990s, his SUNY friend Bob Gosse, along with Larry Meistrich, founded The Shooting Gallery a, production company dedicated to supporting independent filmmakers.
Nick's first feature film, Laws of Gravity (1992),was produced through The Shooting Gallery and starred Edie Falco, Adam Trese, and Paul Schulze. This film marked a return to the cinematic verité style of New York City, reminiscent of the work of directors Sidney Lumet and Martin Scorsese in the 1970s.
Nick's subsequent feature film, New Jersey Drive (1995),was produced by Spike Lee and starred Shar-Ron Corley, Gabriel Cassius, Saul Stein, and Donald Faison. This film received critical acclaim and earned Nick nominations for best director at the Independent Spirit Awards. New Jersey Drive also won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and received nominations and awards at the Torino and Berlin film festivals.
Nick's third feature film, Illtown (1998),was a more experimental work that starred Michael Rapaport, Lili Taylor, Adam Trese, Kevin Corrigan, Angela Featherstone, Tony Danza, Isaac Hayes, Paul Schulze, and Saul Stein. In an interview with the Village Voice, Nick described the mood and tempo of Illtown as reflecting his own emotional state at the time, saying that the film was a way for him to "come out the other end" of a difficult period.
Former New York City mayor Ed Koch has praised Illtown, calling it "a masterpiece" that, like a Picasso, may not be easily understood but is undoubtedly a work of genius.
In 1995, Nick was approached by Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson to create a look and tone for their new NBC series, Homicide: Life on the Street. Nick went on to direct the pilot episode and subsequent episodes of the show. He also collaborated with Fontana on the creation of the HBO series Oz, which premiered in 1997.
After Oz, Nick continued to work in television, directing episodes of some of the best shows of the past two decades. He has developed close relationships with creators and has been inspired by the wealth of up-and-coming artists. Nick is now the founder of Eidophusikan Productions, a company that will produce television and bring new projects to life.
