Born in Vancouver, Canada, O'Brien attended Simon Fraser University and graduated with a BA in Communications and also studied screenwriting at the Vancouver Film School. A prolific writer, he has written for and collaborated with many in the international film industry, including directors and producers in Mexico, Chile, France and of course, Canada and the US. His first produced feature was BLIND HEAT and he also wrote the award winning feature LA TAQUERIA. His consulting credits are many and he's a writer known for enjoying the challenge of "for hire" development work on existing material.