[2] He worked his way through college as a professional photographer and attended the AFI Conservatory's Center for Advanced Film Studies as a Cinematography Fellow.
Although his initial career goal was to become a director of photography, at the AFI his interests branched out to encompass writing and directing, which became the two fields where he found eventual success in the entertainment business.
[3] The success of Bloodsport not only turned Jean-Claude Van Damme into an international action star, but it also forged a long and ongoing friendship with the man who wrote it.
[citation needed] Lettich next discovered Mark Dacascos, who made his starring debut in Only the Strong, a film that introduced the Brazilian martial art of capoeira to international audiences.
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Vivica Fox, the film was shot on locations around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and on sound stages in Romania, and was financed and released worldwide by Sony Pictures Entertainment.