We were lucky to catch up with Brent recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brent, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

The kindest thing someone has done for me in my field of work is ask my opinion when I didn’t didn’t feel I deserved to have an opinion yet. In film world, there can be a hierarchy of importance on set and when you’re new you know not to jump into things without being asked. You hardly ever get asked.

One time, I was on set as a PA/cam op and the director asked me my opinion on the lens choice and framing. I was taken aback by it but confidently answered that we should switch from the 24mm to the 35mm and pull back a few feet for framing. They took my advice and I ended up working with them on a lot of other things. Even though this was a small thing, this was seminal in me finding my footing on set and having confidence in myself and my work.

Nowadays, I try my hardest to ask volunteers, PAs, and anyone else around about their opinions in order to empower them on set. I know how much it meant to me way back when and I hope I can do that for someone too.

Brent, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Brent and I work in film. Well, it’s all digital now but I work in video production. I started in bands in my early twenties and quickly got into audio engineering and producing. I always did photography and video work throughout but didn’t concentrate on it until much later.

I’ve tried my hand at producing albums (8), live shows, production managing, and anything else that helped create art around me. I wasn’t feeling fulfilled though until I decided to go full time into freelance film.

When the world shut down in 2020, my production manager role at a venue I worked at was gone. There was obviously no live music to support and I had to find out what I could do during this time. A friend of mine, Oliver Stellfox, hit me up to help shoot a live concert series that was starting that week called Sessions In Place. We did 73 straight Saturdays and now we’ve had 90+ episodes, 1 Emmy, 2 Emmy nominations, 2 Telly awards, and over 110 bands and comedians we’ve supported in the scene. It’s been the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever been a part of.

My role in the company is co-owner, producer, steadicam, and lead editor.

We recently moved our offices from Oliver’s apartment to our venue partner, Emerald City Trapeze, which is a circus wonderland. We were lucky enough to get an office, storage space, and were able to put our shows on there. They love supporting local art, music, and comedy and we love them very much.

I also shoot/direct/edit music videos. I love to find dark, macabre, contrasted, and beautiful imagery in my work. I recently started collaborating with Dark Details (Chris Cunningham) who is probably the best in the state at that style. It’s been an honor to shoot with him on videos for Danny Elfman, Dead Cross, Stu Brooks, and Marble.

Another thing I love is shooting comedy specials and am putting more and more weight into that area of my professional life. I love stand up comedy so much and I love the comedy scene in the PNW with a passion.
Most shows happen and then they are over. Yes, there are IG reels, TikTok, YouTube shorts, etc but making the actual special is uniquely fulfilling. To do my part to create a comedy special for people that have put so much effort into that medium is a really incredible and unique thing.
Comedy is an art. They’re painting with words and I want to solidify that moment in time, when they’re at the crest of performing that show, and display it in a way that captures what they have been doing for months or even years. It’s a right of passage to record a special and I love being a part of each comic’s story in that way.

I believe I’m here to capture the ephemeral magic of live performance, whether music, comedy, dance, circus, and crystallize it into medium that communicates that performance in an honest and real way. I want people watching my work to see and experience it how I see and experience it. And I strive to do that better and better with each project.

I love supporting the music and comedy scenes here in Seattle. I think artists of all mediums deserve to be uplifted and if I can use my skillset to help that, I always will.

During the week, you can usually find me at Comedy/Bar in Capital Hill or at a show in Ballard. If you see me, come say hello!

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Creatives need access to better funding through grants and/or forgivable loans.

These days creatives have to be their own manager, social media experts, brand ambassadors, constantly network, and find new, inventive ways to show their art. It can be such an exhaustive process. I respect every creative out there grinding to make ends meet while surviving off of their work.

If creatives had better access to grants (grant writing workshops too) and forgivable loans they could spend so much more time working on the things that actually give them life and purpose.

I often times find myself exhausted just trying to prove online that I do what I do.

Having more money means creatives would have more time to take more risks with their art. Not that I think artists play it safe per-say, but rather they have limited ways to express themselves when their constricted by financial woes and constant social media upkeep.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

YouTube! I wish YouTube existed when I first started. It’s such an amazing resource for people to learn basically anything they want to.

I still jump on constantly for editing tips, color grading tricks and workflows, and After Effects problems. So many after effects problems.

YouTube university is a real thing and I am definitely in attendance. There’s so much to learn from other people who have figured out things you wouldn’t have thought about.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.BrentJamesDriscoll.com | www.sessionsinplace.com
• Instagram: @brentjamesdriscoll
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brentjamesdriscoll?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-james-driscoll-891328118

Image Credits
@sessionsinplace @littleradhen @jpmartinphotography @dragon.cookie