Austin's first introduction to the world of film was at the age of five in Tokyo, Japan, where he was cast in a re-occuring role for a NHK drama series. In his teens, he began making his own short films and it became obvious to him that his place was behind the camera, not in front of it. 

After MGM Studios optioned Austin’s script “The Traveler” in 2019, it went on to appear on the Black List, the Hit List, and the Blood List which feature industry’s top un-produced script of that year.