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

Hi Bri, thanks for joining us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

For context; the majority of film and video crew are self-taught or never went to school to specifically learn how to make movies and videos. Many folks will say that they don’t think going to school for film is necessary, or may even go as far as to say it is straight-up useless. To be honest – if students are hoping to go into a career that is more hands-on in the film and video industry (such as operating a camera, G&E, HMU, or art), that’s totally true. A lot of the experience that these industry professionals have received were never specifically from a traditional classroom and are instead just things they’ve picked up over the years through either apprenticeships, PA-ing, or maybe with a degree in something completely different from filmmaking.

I’ve known people in the art department who held amazing careers in dentistry, but now they specialize in building body parts for horror and gore movies, or folks in G&E who studied electrical engineering or CS but decided corporate life wasn’t fun for them, and this was more interesting. People pick up skills from all over, and it’s extremely easy to be self-taught with the amount of content and videos online now. All it takes is trial and error and practice.

However, there are a few positions that I DO recommend going to school for, and I take this from experience. In stark distinction to many others in the film and video crew community, I am one of the few individuals who have gone to school specifically for film and video production. I specialize in producing and Assisting Directing, but I am an Associate Video Producer in my day job. As a producer, I am very grateful I had the opportunity to take classes specifically for producing, as there are many aspects of producing that aren’t as easy to self-study through videos online. I had a lot of questions, so it was very helpful to have a professor right next to me the whole time to walk me through it. People will say producing is more like business than actual filmmaking, but you still will need to have the knowledge of managing the crew and set in addition to how to manage the budget and itemized assets in each scene. As a producer and AD, I would compare the job as a mix of HR, Management, Business Logistics, and also managing a set and crew.

TL;DR: Hands-on skillsets can be learned, but management and tedious paperwork-focused positions will need some schooling.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi, I’m Bri Nguyen (she/her/hers)! I am a video producer and aspiring content creator based in Dallas, Texas.

My love for filmmaking started at the young age of 6, when my parents handed me a camcorder on every family trip and let me roam. I started taking videos of tiny things like the reflection in ponds, a cool bug on a leaf, or a funny dog on the street. Little did I know that I would later find myself experimenting in narrative films with my high school’s International Baccalaureate Programme for Higher Level Film Studies.

While my interest in creating visual images subsided, my passion for managing the pieces of a project flourished. It was not until I was in the Cinematic Arts Production program at the University of Texas at Arlington that I realized my superpower is in driving a project through from concept to distribution. I put these skills to the test through my service with the Vietnamese Student Association, serving in regional and national Media Staff and Media Director leadership positions for their flagship events. During the day, I work as an Associate Producer at a video production company in Dallas – helping manage the logistics of a project while maintaining the budget, client communications, and working with cast and crew.

My work has shown at the Asian Film Festival of Dallas, Dallas International Film Festival, USA Film Festival, Dream Machine Film Festival, the Worthy Awards, and even as a nominee for the Texas Indie Filmmaker Awards. I believe my skills and experiences have driven me to obtain unique perspectives in collaborative teamwork. My presence helps drive a project’s efficiency, and I am a pro at bringing projects to life.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

When I am on set as an AD, our hours oftentimes range from anywhere between simple 6 hour shoots up to 12 hour shoots (with the longest shoot I’ve ever been on lasting 16 hours with overtime pay thankfully!), depending on the nature of the shoot. In order to maintain high morale, I always treat the crew with respect and kindness. This may sound like a low bar, but is always immensely appreciated. I believe maintaining high morale always starts from the beginning – even prior to the shoot, such as during pre-production.

From the Executive Producer to the Production Assistants, everyone should feel like they belong to be on set and feel like they are seen and heard whenever they are working. This can include things as simple as remembering their preferred names and using the correct pronouns to catering crafty to their different dietary restrictions and preferences. Maintaining morale starts with making everyone feel seen and special, even if it is in very small ways.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist or creative is seeing your vision come to life and impact so many different people. I believe in creating with intention, so I always try to create content with the approach to share stories. Whenever I create content, I always hope to share someone else’s story or inspire others.

When I am able to reach that goal, I feel a sense of fulfillment from the ability to impact others with a beautiful story.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bringuyen00.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inggison/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bri.nguyen.9480/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bringuyen00/

Image Credits

@preset.bui
@longtruong.jpg