We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brandon Widener a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Brandon, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?
I think it’s absolutely paramount being comfortable with taking risks as a freelancer. The very first thing most of us had to do was leave all of our friends, family, and home states behind then move to big expensive cities thousands of miles away to pursue our careers.
I developed my ability to bear risk by trial and error. Not all risks worked out, but the more calculated I was in those risks, the better my chances were and I started seeing my wins outweigh my losses. I realized the riskiest thing to do was to avoid risk. Not going for it means never getting it, and when you’re tasked with getting a new job every week, you have to go for it.
Taking calculated risks was always going to be in the recipe for forward movement. Here is one of my all time favorite quotes that helps me remember this:
“Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold, this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. By hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering it’s a feather bed”
Terence McKenna
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m a Director/ Cinematographer who shoots commercial, fashion, documentary, branded content, and loves doing it all. I used to think it was a detriment to not be specialized in one particular area of my field, but I think it’s a matter of time before the folks doing the hiring realize that well rounded creatives are a cheat code to modern day productions.
I’m currently working on the latest installment of National Geographic’s “One Day in America”. In my limited fee-time I’m finishing up a pilot I’ve been creating since 2021 on American immigrants.
I’m in the process of trying to figure out how to get my ideas made more efficiently with a plan for distribution before getting started. The pilot process is time consuming with no guarantees, so I’m sussing out how to start a project with more than just hope it gets picked up one day.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three qualities that I posses that were most impactful on my journey were the following:
- Developed hard skills within my field that would bring in money today, while I pursued the dream of tomorrow
2. Ability to take calculated risks
3. Learn how to turn small opportunities into bigger ones
Developing skills within your field that can get you paid today is better than settling for a job outside of your desired industry while on your journey. If I wanted to be a director for TV and film, I would try my best to spend as much time around and in the industry as possible. Best way to do this? Work in it as anything while on your way to becoming a director. Learn the hard skills of editing, shooting, motion graphics, anything that keeps you in the world of production. Paychecks are great. Paychecks are better when you get to plant seeds and navigate smartly along the way.
You’re going to need to be able to take calculated risks to grow as a creative. You may have to take less money as a production assistant at first rather than perhaps making more at a traditional job outside the industry. Without taking that chance you greatly lessen your ability to break-in to your desired field.
When you do get those opportunities, learn how to flip them into something bigger. Seeing the bigger opportunity within the smaller jobs at first will help you pick the right jobs/passion projects/ work for exposure situations as well. Calculate those risks, take them, work hard, and grow.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m currently looking for someone to partner with on the business front. I have a pilot nearing completion and a few other concepts I’d like to get made and sold, but would love to partner with someone in bringing these projects to life.
The hardest part of my current workflow is keeping track of all the jobs coming in and their ever-shifting dates. Negotiating rates and handling the contractual side of things is something I’d love to hand over to someone who’s much better at it than I. I would love to work with someone that could line up work for us, then have me go execute it creatively. I’m ready to go further in my career and we all know that “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.” Looking to go far if you’re out there!
If you want to collaborate with me please reach out on my instagram or website! Both are my full name.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brandoncolewidener.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandoncolewidener/
Image Credits
Tony Slavagio
