Meet Anthony Brooks

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

Anthony, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

If you had asked me a year ago what my purpose was, I probably would’ve given you a polished answer—something about visual storytelling, capturing the human experience, and the art of cinematography. And while all of that is still true, I’ve come to realize that purpose isn’t a fixed destination; it evolves. Purpose isn’t some grand bolt of lightning in the dark telling you exactly what you were put on this earth to do. If you’ve lived long enough, you know that’s BS. Purpose shapeshifts. Sometimes, it punches you in the gut and leaves you gasping for air.

For years the past 15 years, I thought I had it all figured out. Being a professional cinematographer was my life. The long days, the 4 a.m. call times, the thrill of chasing that perfect shot—working on projects that put me in the middle of intense, high-energy environments—docuseries, commercials, big projects that made it to major platforms. My work took me to places in the world I never expected to go. Then in 2024 things slowed down. The industry changed. The financial reality of my existing career—the kind of reality no one brags about on Instagram—set in. Suddenly, I was staring at my bank account, at the next few years of my life, and asking a question I never thought I’d have to: What now?

I’ve learned that purpose is more about the overall impact you make. My love for storytelling never faded, but I started asking myself: How else can I create, innovate, and contribute to something meaningful? That question led me down an unexpected path—enrolling in UC Berkeley’s AI for Business Strategies course–diving into AI, construction tech and general process automation methods.

So, did I find my purpose? Not exactly. I’m still writing that story. But here’s what I know: Purpose isn’t a title to be assumed. It’s not a fixed point on a map. It’s the thing that keeps you moving forward, that keeps you curious. And sometimes, you don’t find it—it finds you, usually when you least expect it, usually when you’re on your knees, wondering what’s next.

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?

I was born into a Navy family with the opportunity to travel to military bases around the world—from Baltimore to the island of Kawaii to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Sicily and finally Jacksonville, Florida. With relocation every 3 years, this was the start of my visceral exploratory nature. Each new place was a tapestry of foreign smells, faces and worlds that gave way to new lists of challenges–targeted by native Sicilian teenage boys for fist fights, brushing up against the gritty nature of Baltimore City life, and the impeding lifestyle of the deep southern United States—all by the age of 14. With a global perspective, travel is what shapes me—hardening my approach to truth, no matter how raw or uncomfortable it might be.

I should have been a businessman. At least, that’s what the plan was. After eight years of working at a mortgage and insurance companies, I packed it in and left business school for film school, picking up a camera and pointing it at anything that caught my eye. My 1st photography professor called my black-and-white photos “cinematic.” That’s what changed everything for me.

Without a single connection in the filmmaking world, in 2010 I moved to Los Angeles and scraped by with freelance camera operating and post-production gigs—eventually becoming a professional Director of Photography. After cutting my teeth in the indie world I was able to join the International Cinematographers Guild. I spent years traveling, shooting scripted narratives and documentaries that took me to dozens of cities across the US, lesser travel areas in Mexico, to the maze of Old City Jerusalem, and the heart of Israel and Palestine. I’ve lensed and led teams on feature films, commercials, docuseries—for brands such as Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Sony, eBay, Microsoft, Nike, the Jordan Brand, and Amazon Studios’. As a cinematographer my focus is on capturing anthropological photography, but these days I’ve taken the dive into the field of machine learning—specifically, how artificial intelligence can solve real-world problems. I realized my real obsession wasn’t just capturing images—it was problem-solving, optimizing systems, and making things work better. More specifically, how AI can reshape industries beyond just entertainment.

I’m currently shifting focused efforts on building AI-driven construction planning tools designed to automate schedule optimization, improve resource allocation, and cut down waste. I’m also focused on carving out a space in AI-driven consulting, helping businesses integrate emerging tech in ways that actually work. There’s a lot of noise in the AI space—big promises, bigger disappointments. I want to be part of the group that’s cutting through that, building things that have real impact. It’s a big swing—jumping from cameras to construction tech—but at its core, it’s still about storytelling. Instead of crafting visual narratives, I’m helping people build real-world ones, with smarter systems that make projects more efficient and sustainable.

For anyone who’s followed my work in cinematography, this might seem like a left turn. But to me, it’s just the next chapter. Reinvention is evolution. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the best stories are the ones you never saw coming.

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?

Three Things That Kept Me in the Game

If I had to boil it all down—the thing that kept the fire burning and kept me from throwing my hands up and disappearing into a remote village with a bottle of wine and zero cell service—it comes down to three things: adaptability, problem-solving, and knowing how to read a room with empathy.

I didn’t pick these skills up in some polished business seminar. I learned them in the trenches. On chaotic film sets where everything that could go wrong did. On the road, lugging gear through airports in cities I barely had time to see. In dimly lit bars where the best deals were made over half-finished drinks.

1. Adaptability is the “hustler’s compass”. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you can’t shift when the ground moves beneath you, you’re screwed. You’ve got to learn how to make something work when the odds say it shouldn’t. Sometimes–say yes to weird opportunities. Get comfortable being the least experienced person in the room. Travel—literally or figuratively—so you stop thinking your way is the only way.

2. Problem-Solving [as cliche at it sounds] is the main skill that matters. Everything is a puzzle. Every industry rewards people who can look at a mess and make sense of it. That’s the game. Start questioning everything. Why does this work? Why doesn’t it? Watch documentaries, read about industries that have nothing to do with yours. The best ideas come from unexpected places.

3. Building Relationships is unspoken currency. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are. If people don’t like working with you, you won’t last. The best gigs, the best collaborations, the life-changing opportunities—they come from people who remember how you made them feel. Whether it’s the key grip who had your back when things went sideways or the investor who liked your no-BS approach. The key is to listen more. Talk less. Be the person people want around when things hit the fan. And for the love of God, follow up. Nobody owes you anything—earn it.

There’s no map for this. No neatly drawn path to the life you’re after. You figure it out as you go, take some hits, pivot when you have to. But if you stay sharp, stay curious, and know when to roll with the punches, you’ll make it further than most. Since OUR BURDEN IS OUR DEVELOPMENT, the trick is to never stop moving.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

They made sure I never got too comfortable.

A childhood spent bouncing between countries, cultures, and time zones meant I never had the luxury of thinking the world revolved around one place, one way of living, or one way of thinking. For a few years, it was Sicily, where the pace of life moved like honey and history whispered from the cobblestones. Another, it was Cuba, where ingenuity wasn’t a choice—it was survival. Between Baltimore and Florida, where the edges were sharp, the lessons came at varying speeds, but adaptability was necessary regardless.

That constant motion wired me to be comfortable in discomfort. To walk into unfamiliar spaces and read the room before opening my mouth. To find common ground with people who looked, spoke, and lived nothing like me.

My parents never sold me the illusion of permanence. They didn’t hand me a blueprint and say, this is the way. Instead, they gave me a world map, a sense of curiosity, and the ability to land on my feet no matter where I touched down. That’s a gift you can’t buy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anthonybrooksdp.com
• Instagram: @anthonybrooksdp
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonybrooksdp