We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Theo Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Theo, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
You know, when I transferred from Oakwook College (now University) to Southern Adventist University and pursue film, I knew I was going to have a cultural shift. Oakwood is an HBCU (Historically Black College or University), and there’s a comfort in knowing you’re surrounded by people that have lots of the same life experiences as you.
Southern was much more diverse group, and of course the film department was an microcosm within itself. There was maybe a few Black students there, but I was “adopted” by several upperclassmen that had blazed that trail and helped me find a place for myself.
Fast-forwarding to now, I think that I’ve always found a way to find a comfort even if I’m the only one who looks like me in a room, because I was raised and encouraged to be comfortable by myself, and not because someone allowed me to be. Things are getting a lot better by the day, from the establishment of Ava DuVernay’s Array Crew, to the inclusiveness of current Academy voters. There’s so many people in this industry that have been fighting for decades and will never have their names known outside of their own circles, but that’s allowed myself and others to pick up that baton.
I’ve always made it a personal initiative to make sure there were others like me on set, but especially in the production areas. It’s hard to break in regardless of skin color, and even though I may have found a comfort in my own lane, I know that it’s so important for me to help as many as I can so they can get seats at the table as well.
As a director, I can only have a project deemed a success if the amazing people who work on it are as effective as they can be. Everyone has their own journey and path, and making a film is a special place where you get to see an intersection of a diverse group of people.
It’s awesome when that diversity can reflect our real world.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m a film director based in LA, by way of Dallas, Texas. I’ve been here in the West Adams neighborhood coming up on 10 years, and have loved every bit of it.
My latest feature film is sci-fi movie called An Electric Sleep – we had a really amazing festival run and got to connect with audiences across the country right out to the pandemic, and now it’s found a home on the streaming platform Mometu. They’re a really special service that uses human curation to create playlist for film lovers – I think of them as a Letterboxd-meets-Pandora for movie lovers.
I think I’m drawn to intimate character stories within the science fiction and fantasy genres thanks to my parents. There was a deep love of Star Trek and comics in my home growing up, and that just took roots once I learned I could skip classes at school to go to the theatre. I guess I had my own set of unfortunate priorities!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
For me, I think there’s a tons of things I had to learn and will be learning until the day I die, but here’s been my personal three foundational pillars.
Faith is my biggest one. There’s a verse I love that talks about God having a plan for each one of our lives. I know I’ve asked Him… hundreds of times, that if He wanted me to continue this path, to please guide me in the right direction. It’s a mentality that I’m always going to be growing in, but that trust in God that He’s with me has taken such a load off, in every up and down.
Second is friends/community. Something I’ve seen from people I admire, is that their friend group tends to keep each other uplifted and motivated, even when one of them may be hitting a rough patch. I’ve been blessed to have a close circle of friends who often times know what to say before I even ask. These people will keep you lifted even if you may be in a block,
Lastly… this may seem like a cop out, but just enjoying the creative journey! There’s so many ways you may find yourself inspired – mines is mainly sitting 2/3’s up and in the middle of any movie theatre – and it reminds me why I love what I get to do every day.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
When I work with clients, the best ones are the ones that have their vision for what the ad may look like – projects like a short form documentary or telling a compelling narrative story in 30 seconds can all be interpreted 1000 different ways. The ones that I’ve found myself working with time and time again are able to know what they want, and what they want the creative partnership to look like.
I’ve worked with clients in healthcare to film studios, but that’s something that’s been a uniformity between them when it comes to a great relationship.
So if this resonates with someone who’s looking to collaborate on a project, let’s talk about it!
Contact Info:
- Website: theobrownfilms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awesomertheo/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theo-brown-77ba1631/
