We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brian DiLorenzo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brian below.

Brian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you have any key partners or vendors – if so, how’d you find them and start working with them?

Filmmaking to me is all about finding key partners. On every production, there’s quite literally dozens of roles to be filled, whether it’s behind the camera or in front of it. The relationships you build during that process will form in a number of ways. Maybe it’s an actor you love to cast or a DP you always shoot with. If the collaboration is a success, there’s a good chance you might work together again someday. Outside of those customary roles however, there is a different type of relationship, one which in some ways feels even more significant, and that is your friendships with other directors.

Many of the indie filmmakers I know and proud to consider friends are Swiss Army knives of talent. They can write, they can edit, operate their own camera, record their own sound, or just as easily whip up a fake poster in Photoshop.

You spend years of your life supporting and learning from each other, jumping on sets as an extra set of hands or just listening over drinks to the anxieties and worries another director is facing on their own production.

Over the years I’ve done everything from PA to produce for my friends, First AD, record sound, grip, gaff, occasionally act (although not my strong suit), and finally, edit.

Editing has been by far the most demanding in terms of time and patience, but I’m proud now to get the occasional call from a friend asking me to edit their film. This has included my frequent collaborator writer-director-actor Justin Andrew Davis, editing his new short “Definitely Something,” which is now on the 2024 festival circuit.

I try my best to always “stay in my lane” whenever I’m asked to fill one of these particular roles, because at the end of the day, it is their film and their story to tell. Your job is to help them tell it with as much impact as possible and then get out of the way.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Since 2010, I’ve worked in several different news environments, including NBC, Al Jazeera, Vice, and most currently, CBS News. It’s been an eye-opening, informative route I never thought I’d take, especially after studying film in college. Although the roles have given me so much invaluable experience, I still remain connected to my indie filmmaking roots. In 2020, I released my first feature film “Myth” directly on streaming and home video. That was a huge four-year effort for me, and ever since its release I’ve been developing a follow-up feature, “The Bushwick Psycho,” which will be a shift into in the thriller genre.

The skills needed for my job in broadcast television are not necessarily the same for indie film. The value I bring to a smaller, more independent production, can be way less technical and if anything, is more about reading a situation quickly and having good EQ.

Vibes on a set are so important, and when they’re off, everyone feels them. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to set up a C-stand or the difference between a 50 and 18mm lens. If you can bring positive energy, know intuitively when to step in and when to step out, that’s really all the qualifications you need for being on a set. Above anything else, that’s what I really hope to bring.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The beautiful thing about completing any creative project is being able to go back and revisit it. In terms of feature filmmaking, you might get distribution and be able to surf over to a streaming platform such as Amazon Prime Video or Tubi and check out your film there. With “Myth” we were also fortunate enough to have a physical release through Walmart and Best Buy for DVD and BluRay. More than just the physical product however, are all the memories and experiences you carry with you while making it. Going back to collaboration, if you can make a film on your terms and the people that took part in making it also had a great time, then that is the best reward you could possibly ask for.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I love books about filmmaking, especially ones that really go into great detail about the process and history.

I highly recommend “Easy Rider Raging Bulls” by Peter Biskind for that reason. If you’re a Stanley Kubrick fan, I also suggest “Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece” by Michael Benson. “Conquest of the Useless” by Werner Herzog is also fantastic.

In terms of philosophy, one phrase I’ve really connected with is “Envy is the thief of joy.” At times in your career, you might feel that your friends or peers are pulling ahead of you. Maybe they got into a festival you were rejected from or just wrapped production on their film while you’re still scribbling down ideas in a notebook. Although it might feel easy to compare, there is absolutely nothing to gain from it and certainly no joy. To be a friend and be a member of a community, every victory should be celebrated. As a new artist finds a path forward, they’re also clearing the trail for everyone else behind them.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdilorenzofilm/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.dilorenzo.92/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dilorenzobrian/