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

Hi Theo, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I think, from most of the conversations I’ve been able to chat with others about, is that the moment where we get to earn a living from doing creative work often times feels like a quiet, subtle thing. Before, I assumed that it would be some grand form of getting “the” job that would pivot me into a new direction, but in actuality, it was looking up from the work and realizing that I’d been directing and producing projects that were sustaining me.

The bigger projects came along as I worked more, but in the beginning, it was being able to team with more boutique agencies that would be open to sharing a creative vision that we could accomplish together.

Theo, 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?

Before I share, I just want to say thank you to Canvas Rebel for having me – I’m a big fan of y’all and how you support local artists. So, thank you.

I moved to LA about 9 years ago, and started working in film as a PA, while directing shorts with friends. I got to find a community of actors, which was awesome since that would mean I didn’t have to rally my other friends to get in front of the camera. I moved out here with a small group of friends from our college days who also were a DP, producer, and so on, so we had our own crew pretty much ready to go (and armed with a T2i).

A few years in, I got to the point where I was ADing (1st Assistant Director) films and producing commercials pretty consistently, but I also was directing more of my own. Mainly documentaries and commercials, but the experience I was able to get from both sides of the production process helped me get a intimate look at how to scale up my own films.

In 2019, I was asked to adapt the children’s book, “Smoky Mountain Rescue,” into a series. I was pretty comfortable with large films at this point, but the challenge was that the main cast consisted of three kids and a dog. That meant shorten time on set, with limited rehearsals due to availability. Plus, there was a bear involved! But that was a great, great experience. Tim Banks, my DP (and close college friend) came out to Atlanta to work on it with me, and that was amazing to step back at times and just soak it in. It was really special to win a Telly for that series.

That same year, we were in the process of finishing principal photography on “An Electric Sleep,” a sci-fi film that was written and produced by Ben Taylor. We had begun shooting it in the fall prion, but has to postpone due to an actor’s offset injury. This was an indie film, so we had to adjust our timeline with the flexibly of getting everyone back together.

We were solidly in post in 2020, but of course the pandemic slowed everything to a halt. Our producers and EP’s were understanding, and we were even able to get a few distribution offers ahead of the final mix thanks to some relationships that Ben had established. After a year long festival run, it was the perfect capstone to get it released. Pretty unique journey, for sure.

At the moment, I just finished a proof of concept that I’m itching to finish. I love getting to explore grounded character stories that are wrapped up into genre films but take a new twist on familiar settings, so this one will be really special.

Looking back, I think something that God’s been generous to me in, is letting me connect with incredible people in this town. LA is full of kind, giving people that have helped me grow professionally, creatively, and personally, and it’s just a special feeling of gratitude that I have.

When I get opportunities to connect with students now, I always remember how a mentor told me to make sure I’m leaving the door open for someone else. As a Black film director, lots of people have blazed a path for me, and I hope my films make them proud.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I recently shot a film and had a close friend of mines on as a producer. I’ve known him for years, but had never done any narrative projects together. It was an intense three-day shoot, but the crew and cast were just phenomenal.

I remember he and I were watching a scene through monitor, and it’s just magic. The actors and camera were just perfectly in sync, and I knew I had the take that would do the story justice. After cutting, he taps me on the shoulder and just says, “That’s why we’re making this.”

Personally, I look at directing as shepherding a story from the script to the screen. Being able to witness those moments of magic throughout the process, where so many different people are using their crafts and skills alined for one film? That’s more than rewarding. That’s inspiring.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’d love to give a great soliloquy about a deep personal event that made me pick up a camera at 22 months old and never stopped filming, but my story isn’t that. Maybe it’s just that I watched Back To The Future and Star Trek far too many times as a kid. Growing up in the 90’s? Ah, it was a Golden Corral buffet of films to soak up and watch!

My dad leaned heavy into the star-driven releases, but my mom would always make sure to check the bottom shelves at Blockbuster for any movie that may have not received the prime real estate. I would absolutely sneak out of bed and crawl behind the couch to watch what they saw. I had a steady late night diet of fallen Reeces Pieces and popcorn, with Steven Spielberg and Sidney Potier, and everything in-between. Those were some of my best memories growing up.

I’m just very grateful that I get to make films. It’s not exactly what 7 year old me in Dallas, Texas was dreaming about. He was, however, definitely having nightmares from Jurassic Park.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theobrownfilms.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awesomertheo/

Image Credits
PICTURE CREDIT: MADDISON ROSE OCTOBER