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

Alright, Tristan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

From a very young age, I’ve always possessed a great love for film and it has always be a huge source of inspiration to fuel my creatively. However, the journey toward accomplishing meaningful goals and improving the skills related to being an aspiring film maker, has been long and vigorous. But it’s this journey I feel is a vital part of who you are and how it shapes the work you want to create. Learning the craft is always about making that start, and recognising that you won’t be an expert straight away. You have to allow yourself time to get better at it. My passion is film, but the best personal example of this would be my accomplishment at learning another language. I set out and started to learn Japanese back in 2012, over 10 years ago, and it has been a long process but I’ve never given up learning and improving that skill. From living in Japan for a year in 2014 to recently passing the first level of the certified Japanese Language Proficiency Test, I recognise that it has been long journey to get to this point, with constant learning and practical use being the key to getting better at it but never forgetting that you can always be better.
The same applies to my career. I made start by heading to film school which is were I started to learn a lot of theory and practical skills, but it was the academic restrictions that I found most challenging in regards to properly achieving greater success.
It was only a few years later after graduating (taking a break from all the study), that I made the decision to make a big start at learning and creating by actively doing. I found a creative muse in my friend Taysha McFarland, and we founded a small production company back in 2017. We had one simple objective, to connect with and collaborate with local creatives within the industry, thereby learning more and more as we go, especially with every new production. From finding small success with short films to tangible income generated by corporate gigs, music videos and actor showreels, with every new project, you got to allow yourself to learn from each one. A key aspect of that is being okay with making mistakes and facing failure. I’ve rewatched some of the films I made 5 years ago and can actively pinpoint at what aspects were lacking, whilst also acknowledging what was successful. I’m different to who I was back then, and can confidently say I’m more skilled and knowledgable than when I was back then.
Never neglect this journey to learning your craft, for it never takes just one day to learn something. Being patient with yourself and allowing yourself time reflect is some of the best advice I give to any aspiring film makers.

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?

I’ve always been a passionate fan of film and TV, but as many may know it’s one thing to know, it’s another thing entirely to do. So whilst I have always had a wealth of knowledge of film facts and trivia, hungry to learn more about the latest show or movie that inspires me, it’s been a journey to get to where I am now and there is much more to go. I have always actively pursued a career in film, but as any artist will tell you, the success you find will most likely be very limited in the beginning. But that was a mind set I was prepared for from the start, that is, being prepared to never give up and keep at it, no matter how long it may take to achieve to success.
A key decision that has led to where I am at the moment, was when I helped start a small production company 6 years ago (Toprock Productions). Film is a super collaborative art, with numerous people helping you achieve the vision that you have for the project. I therefore, knew that in order to achieve my aspirations of creating bigger and better films, I needed to have the ability to meet and work with people from every part of the film creation process. I achieved this by cold calling and meeting people across my local industry, from every creative level including writers, actors, crew, editors etc. The objective of this was to trust yourself to find the people that you worked well with and who believed in the passion/vision that you hoped to achieve, especially on the smaller productions where budget and resources were severely limited. It was the accumulation (over several years) of meeting, working with and making connections with numerous skilled individuals over numerous productions, that have built the foundations for where I am now. Each new production has led to further opportunities, each new one slowly becoming bigger and grander, enabling me as a producer to become bigger and better at what I do.
My main goal has always been about creating art that elicit emotions through well told stories/characters, whether that be comedies that entertain and bring that much needed laughter or through well told drama’s the allow people to become absorbed by worlds and characters I helped create. Film and entertainment is all about this, allowing people to become infatuated and attached to art, the highest achievement being if you manage to create something that inspires another individual in their own artistic journey.
Over the past few years I have gradually been achieving that, from well received short films, two small feature films and most recently, I’ve entered production for a Youtube web series to be released later this year. That said, I would consider myself an emerging talent, but definitely one that is excited and hungry for the future that lies ahead of me.
I can confidently claim that my proudest accomplishment has been working with and collaborating with other fellow emerging film makers, who have helped me take those important steps toward my goals. A film is huge creative undertaking, as anyone who has attempted that mammoth task will tell you, and it takes a huge team to work toward the final product. I have experienced this process many times over, and it’s the people that I work with that I am most proud of, as I couldn’t do it without them.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I originally herald from Melbourne, Australia, which unfortunately holds the dubious title as one of the most lock-downed cities throughout the COVID pandemic 2020-21 (over this period Melbourne endured 263 days of hard lockdown). As suffered by many during this time, it was very challenging to keep your artistic aspirations alive, with all my ambitious and plans that had being put on temporary but long hold. However, looking back during this time, I appreciated that I was able to still fuel my creativity by staying connected with my fellow friends and creatives, working on smaller projects that kept our passion alive. We entertained each other, making little videos amongst ourselves and trying to learn new skills online that would further our talents.
One little initiative that we started was a weekly video series, where a few us would interview each other on a particular topic (from acting to film score composing) and would invite a fellow creative who specialised on the given topic to join in. It was a fun little series that really helped us to stay motivated throughout an especially difficult time. The last episode we released focused on finding creativity despite the limitations that you’ve been given, and I think thats sums up the resilience that I found during this particular trying time. No matter the limitations that you’ve handed, there is a way to still remain creative and keep that passion alive.

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

For me, this is super easy to answer. The most rewarding aspects of this craft, would be working hard to create a film, going through the whole arduous process, from script to screen; and for the final film to reach somebody. Whether that be a on a macro or micro level. From receiving recognition for your work with awards and accolades to someone coming up to you and sharing how much they admire your work. To me, that is highest achievement an artist can reach and something that we all hope to achieve. I’ve already had a taste of it, with one of the first short films I helped write and produce, finding an audience online. The film itself (called “If Only”), is short film that focuses on the ugliness of depression and suicide, and how it can affect anyone, but with huge message of hope that you should never give up, because then you take away the chance of things ever getting better. I still consider this film to be one of my greatest achievements, as I sincerely believe its message has impacted and helped someone get through a particualr dark time in their life. Some of the comments made on the video have suggested as much, and that to me validates the work that I put into that film, but also fills me with such pride and happiness that I can make art that someone is inspired by, which is the highest honour that I hope to continually achieve with my work.      

Contact Info:

• Website: https://toprockproductions.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/toprockproductions?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ToprockProductions
• Other: Lyanna Kea (Youtube Channel) we’re currently collaborating on for a new web series: https://www.youtube.com/@LyannaKea

Image Credits
Christmas Promo Shoot Photo – Jane Zhang Galactic Circus Production Photos – Will Chan Showreel Shoot 2022 Photo – Khang Nguyen