Meet David Bradburn

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to David Bradburn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi David, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I don’t think I’ve overcome imposter syndrome as much as I have learned to recognize and manage it. There are clearly times where we are punching up and hopefully leveling up. Doing things we’ve never done before, and it is normal to feel like an imposter. But knowing the feeling allows us to manage it: feel it, accept it, breathe through it, then move on. Doubt is natural and even healthy and learning to know when to risk and when to retreat is part of growing. There’s no magic formula beyond paying attention to what’s going on internally, what’s happened in similar situations in the past, and being clear about where you want to go. Then sometimes it is really just buckle and hold on. The thing about imposter syndrome is that it in and of itself has never killed anyone. Made us all uncomfortable sure, but it by itself is always survivable.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Put simply; I direct. I hold the overall vision of a project and work with all the other artist to help the vision come to life. This could be on a commercial set, a narrative set, or increasingly working on educational videos. The most exciting project I have going now is the Sept. ’24 premiere of my latest short film. It is a dark comedy about testicular cancer called “My Best Nut”. The film, in part, was inspired by the death of my best friend from high school and college.

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?

As I look back over my career, there are a few through lines that I have been able to lean on for success. One is certainly the ability to understand story and how to tell stories. Whether it is a narrative or commercial or even a corporate interview, the story is the thing and finding it and telling it will be what makes the final product compelling or not. Two is the ability to work and communicate with people. As a director, most of the job is getting people to understand the vision of the product and brining it in on time and on budget. Finally, I would say that having a fair understanding of the various technical aspects of all the different jobs that go into filming is very helpful.

I had the advantage of being a teacher and being able to see (by my eyes or others) where I needed to focus to improve at what I was doing and then being able to design projects and exercises to help make that happen more easily. Always learning and growing is something that will get you to the later part of your career.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am always looking for people to partner and collaborate with after all filmmaking is very much a community art form. I look for people who are work that I find interesting, or have a skill set that balances out mine, or is eager to learn and will to do the work to learn. And not to put too fine a point on this answer, but looking for projects that already have funding be it commercial or narrative is always a plus. The best way to reach out about partnerships or collaborations is via instagram @fork_the_man or via email at [email protected]

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dlbradburn.com, www.forktheman.com
• Instagram: @fork_the_man
• Linkedin: www. linkedin.com/in/dlbradburn
• Youtube: @forktheman
• Other: https://www.vimeo.com/forktheman

Image Credits

Kyle Bice and Dev Enarson