Garrett Evan Russell was born in Indianapolis, IN to Terri Smith (Anderson, IN) and Dave Russell (Chicago, IL). His mother is an IT manager, and his father is an architect for veterinarian hospitals across the US. He graduated from Ball State University in 2022 with a Bachelor's Degree in Arts and Media, specifically in Video Production and Film. He began his career by directing and producing various short films for his YouTube channel and production company Rockbuster Productions, his first short film was Plague (2021), which he made for very few resources and shot on an iPhone. His first appearance and work on a feature film was when he served as Assistant Director and an extra on Ninja in the Mafia's Shadow (2023). Later on in the year, he became Director of Photography and Film Editor on The First Harvest (2023).