We recently connected with Brandon Larson and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Brandon, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes from how I was raised. I’m deeply rooted in the idea of the American Dream. I grew up believing that if you work hard, stay disciplined, and don’t ever quit when things get tough, you can build something meaningful for yourself. As a kid growing up around a military lifestyle, this instilled structure, discipline, and accountability early on. That mindset has stayed with me. I’m always asking myself, what can I do today that will help better shape my tomorrow?
I feel battle tested at this point in my life now. I’ve had to start from scratch so many times. In my early twenties, I left Los Angeles with almost nothing and was at one of the lowest points in my life. I’ve relocated multiple times for work, often choosing opportunity over comfort. I’ve moved out of state away from friends and family for financial stability and eventually returned back to California to be closer to family and pursue film more seriously.
Each move I’ve made has reinforced the same lesson: nothing happens unless you show up daily and do the work. That is my mindset, and it has helped me overcome adversity. I believe this will continue pushing me forward creatively and achieve my goals.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m predominantly an actor and independent filmmaker focused on telling character-driven stories. I’m drawn to writing my own projects that explore themes of greed, obsession and isolation. Whether I’m acting or producing, I’m more interested in work where I get to collaborate with talented local artists and filmmakers. I really want to bring people together from all walks of life.
What excites me most about independent filmmaking is the complete freedom to create opportunities rather than wait around for them. Most of my recent projects have been funded out of my own pocket or developed collaboratively with a small team here in the Sacramento area. which has allowed me to stay creative.
Professionally, I’ve been focused on building a body of work that reflects my wide range. From period-driven pieces to psychological dramas. My recent projects include Scar, a Gold Rush–era Western short film, and Raven Motel, a psychological thriller inspired by themes of obsession and Edgar Allan Poe. Scar is currently navigating the festival circuit, while the two other short films are in post-production stages. Of course, I continue to audition and keep writing my next screenplays.
My brand does still feel in its early stages, I am still learning as I go and discovering what I enjoy. I do know that I’m less interested in chasing trends, going viral, or being a “content creator.” I want to build quality work over quantity. Moving to Sacramento has been an important step professionally, as it’s allowed me to find my way in the industry.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, three qualities have had the biggest impact on my journey: consistency, adaptability with a willingness to try new things, and building strong relationships rooted in trust, professionalism and collaboration.
Consistency has been essential. Progress rarely comes overnight. I show up regularly to the film networking events here in NorCal, and I am committed to doing the work. My advice would be to stay focused and create healthy habits. For example, I don’t go to parties to get drunk anymore. There’s more important things to do with my time. Instead, I exercise, watch films, read screenplays, take acting workshops or intensives, and I work on my craft.
Be willing to become more adaptable and open to learn new things. I feel learning new roles can give you more opportunities. If I am solely focused on being an actor, how can I find my way into the industry? It’ll be far more challenging this way. The daily grind of auditioning can take a toll. It’s okay to take breaks to do something else. I didn’t start with any experience as a producer, but independent filmmaking requires stepping into unfamiliar territory. When a critical location fell through on Scar, I spent time connecting with the local community in Dutch Flat to problem-solve and find a new location to film at. In fact, it ended up being more visually appealing. That challenge helped me become a better producer and to be prepared for any issues that may arise. I’ve learned not to cave under pressure but find a solution to each problem.
Most importantly, I think having a trust in your team and having a hands off approach to allow people the creative freedom to collaborate is vital. The best work happens when people feel respected, heard and valued. I really care about the crew who is lifting heavy equipment, doing hard manual labor, long hours and not a lot of rest. Anything I can do to make the crew’s experience better on set means a lot to me. Each professional working relationship that you build matters. Word gets out fast and your reputation depends on you being easy to work with and having interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with empathy, compassion and even a good sense of humor.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest area of growth has been learning to fully oversee and help guide the creative process from start to finish. At the beginning of 2025, my goal was simply to write, produce, and act in a single short film. By the end of the year, I have written and produced four films.
What I learned is that taking a leap of faith and trying something new is going to be nerve-wracking and frightening, but it’s a necessary risk if you want to create your own original works. Writing the script is only the beginning, but actually seeing a project to completion requires: budgeting, contracts, releases, marketing, and pitching, etc. These short films can become proof of concepts, and you just never know where that can lead to something bigger and gain the attention of the right individuals to propel you further in the industry.
This past year also has pushed me to adopt a stronger business mindset, display leadership qualities, and to collaborate more intentionally. Instead of only auditioning or writing in isolation, I focused on building teams, surrounding myself with others who have similar goals and finding people whose skills complemented my own. Looking at this now, this is a major shift from creating individually to now working with other creatives. You just can’t do this endeavor alone. Teamwork makes the dream work.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandolarson
Image Credits
Lisa Keating, Ed Harimoto, StoryLit Films, Runaway Mill Productions LLC
