We were lucky to catch up with Bron Theron recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Bron thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Risk Taking in life is a must. The worst place you can be is the same place you were last year. Risk could mean so many different things. For me risk is money and time. I believe you risk yourself in relationships with other people as well. If you are not willing to risk things you can’t complain when nothing happens in your pursuit of the goals you have. I was born in California but did not move to LA area until 2002. I took a chance on the big city that had plenty of opportunities but also more than enough people to fill them. My first jobs in LA was working as an extra in films and tv, as well as working at a movie theater. These jobs are not that exciting but I did meet my wife on set on a job. The risks I was taking at the time were driving all over town for auditions and making very little money with these two jobs. It took about a year before I landed a lead role in a film. Then it took another year before I got a high paying job as a mural artist on tour. I was doing live art for bands like The Roots, LL Cool J, Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes and many more. After the tours I would make feature documentaries on Graffiti from all the cities I traveled to. I knew I wanted to be a film maker at that point. I was tired of auditioning but I had to keep doing that at the very least to network. It is a mental risk just going places in traffic, giving a performance and being told you didn’t get the job. That is how the entertainment world works. I knew that I could be a film maker. I knew I could write stories that are interesting and different. I knew I needed money to make a film happen. Here is where the bigger risks I took paid off. I went back to acting classes after a good 10 year hiatus from making films. I gathered people to collaborate with and made shorts , then a small web series. I started donating money to independent films on indiegogo. I networked with other film makers in that circle for a good year until I started my own indiegogo for a feature film I wrote. I borrowed money, I pulled favors, even traded some of my mural work for locations and other services. I got any of my actor friends that had a name in the industry to be a part of this project. I spent my own money as well. I did anything to make sure I completed this film I wrote. Lucky for me I was able to release the film in 2023 and now it is on many streaming platforms. The film turned out great and it is one of the most proud accomplishments I have. Now I am on to the next film. If I didn’t sacrifice the time, money and mental stress of dealing with tons of humans to make my creation I would not be in the position I am now. It is a ton of work seeing through a creation but it is well worth it. Life goes fast if you have something you want to do I recommend you start today trying to achieve it. The film I put out called Half Dead Fred has won best picture in Hollywood ,England , Canada and has tons of other accolades. I did not go unnoticed for my efforts. I wanted to be a film maker and I am a film maker. It doesn’t happen over night but it happens.
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.
I started doing graffiti art in 1994. I love it and will always attribute graffiti culture to my success. I started making films about graffiti art in 2004. I answered an ad in the Backstage West magazine for a tour artist for Hip Hop groups. I auditioned by making a canvas for the manager of the tour. They liked my work and bam I was on tour with Musiq Soul Child and popular R&B singer. In easch city I would record graffiti and street art and then edit it when we got off tour. I taught myself how to edit and had 3 full length documentaries from my years of touring. I then did my first feature with actors. It was a mockumentary called Primal Rap. It was a cross between Spinal Tap and 8 Mile. I toured around with that film got a distribution deal and stopped making films for a long time. This was during the market crash in 2009. Lucky for me I got back into film making later. I always made more money doing mural work and design work but I knew I had stories to tell. so I got back into film producing. I got back into acting and I got back my mind set of finishing narrative projects. I work steady as a content creator for marketing. That is a fun job and it keeps me editing and gaining knowledge of cameras and software, but my goals have been making good stories and That is my passion. I worked for many huge companies doing mural work and production work but the biggest reward I feel is talking to a stranger after they watched my feature in a movie theater. I recently shot a movie in Flint Michigan and the amount of people that thanked me just for being there shooting was overwhelming.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
There are many times I had to pivot my job choice. I did any job to keep me a float while I try to shoot movie stuff. I worked with kids at an after school program for a while and I had to stop because I had to keep taking time off to work on movies. I felt it wasn’t fair to the kids really. They need stability and though I did like working with kids I had to just say nope I am going to make film making work or die trying. Right now I am still in that process from large scale mural work. I am trying to retire and do film making full time. What most people don’t know is people in the film industry have many side hustles. It is rare that in the entertainment industry you only do one position. All the big actors start their own production companies, start a wine business or a real estate empire. I have several side hustles to enable my film making career.
How did you build your audience on social media?
The way I built my audience was simple. I got other folks to post my stuff that have a bigger following. I kept consistent with content and I did contests and give aways. Unfortunately the platforms always change and the rules do too. You gotta stay on top of it. I don’t do it but I am sure if you are just starting out you can use AI to help you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC89OQYiyeJv9kTXd2REdNSA
- Instagram: @whiteninjaproductions
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442828019400518/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC89OQYiyeJv9kTXd2REdNSA
- Other: @halfdeadfred @pancakemanthemovie
Image Credits
Photo by Derek Easely