Meet Will Brady

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Will Brady a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Will, 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.

Really deep question. I love it because I realized my purpose from a young age but contextualized it as I was receiving my degree in college. I found myself looking back at my childhood, remembering what I loved to do to discover my purpose. Growing up, I loved to entertain people and make everyone laugh. I attended film camp from age 11 through 18 and pursued a BFA in Film and Television from SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). I always knew I wanted to create movies and television. But I was always told that I am going into the entertainment industry. I never took the word entertainment to heart until I was in the middle of college and realized what it meant to me.

Entertainment meant laughter. It’s the feeling of unity as you sit in a theater and choke a little on your drink while laughter roars around you at what’s happening on screen. Or even as you watch an episode of TV on your phone and let out a little chuckle. It finally clicked in my head that comedy is my passion. Creating and crafting stories that have a lasting impact but with hilarity along the way was key to fulfilling my purpose. My goal and purpose is to make the world laugh and feel joy. Cliché as it sounds, but when you hear an audience burst into laughter, the energy in the room shifts into an electrifying sensation of unity. 

Apart of finding and fulfilling my purpose, I recently produced and wrote a short film called “Cougar Catcher” that’s currently in the festival circuit. It’s a story about an in-debt pool boy that must entertain an old-money widow for financial freedom despite being in a relationship. The story is crafted through an absurd scenario with characters that have heart and compassion. The protagonist, Grayson, finds himself wanting to be financially free in order to fulfill his long term relationship, but has to overcome the obstacle of a sexually deprived widow that just wants love.

My purpose is to craft stories that are rooted in relatable characters that journey through the crazy possibilities of life. This is what makes me want to write and produce movies and television to give someone light to their day.

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?

Here’s a roller coaster, but a fun one not a scary one. I was born and raised in Maryland to a teacher and a school board roofer, but who knew they’d create a filmmaker out of left field. A family friend, who is a spiritual medium, filmed a segment of her documentary at my house when I was little. As a little guy, I didn’t know what was going on but was in awe of the filmmaking process. I found out the producers ran a film camp over the summer and I immediately asked if I could go. I attended for about 7 years, but during my later years of high school, my brother died of a drug overdose. I then decided to use my resources to create a film around my experience, and it was therapy for me. Inevitably, it showed me my love for writing and little did I know the film would be my key to getting into college. 

I applied to SCAD with a pretty low GPA because of my brother’s passing, but after I showed the admissions team my film, things were looking better. I got accepted and moved my life to Atlanta to become a professional filmmaker. I started to build a community and crew of talented filmmakers that are just as passionate as I am. At the end of your four years at SCAD, seniors create what is called the “capstone film”, the pièce de résistance of what you’ve learned. Eventually, it was my time to start writing and faced many challenges coming up with the best story.

I realized that stories are literally around us all the time, but we just have to tune in to realize them. While visiting my uncle in a retirement home, I witnessed a lifeguard and an elderly lady having lunch together. I thought to myself, how crazy would it be if they were together for other reasons? And as a writer, how would that situation arise in my life? That was the conception of “Cougar Catcher”. Two characters that really want love, but to what extent? I produced the film from conception to completion, navigating the business side of film and my team and I are really excited to share this story to the world.

As the film navigates the festivals, I currently work out of Atlanta, Georgia as a production assistant and producer’s assistant. Working on projects the likes of “Saturday Night”, “Captain America: Brave New World”, and new Netflix series “His and Hers”. I’m usually always working because when I’m not on set, I write and produce my passion projects like “Cougar Catcher” and future films and series to fulfill my life’s purpose of comedy. It’s so special to be apart of the film world because I know that I am apart of something larger than myself on a soul level. 

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?

Honesty and Truthfulness are two things that go hand in hand in my book with all realms of life. From work to my personal life, honesty comes first in all that I do. My grandfather always told us growing up that if you’re honest with everything you do, only good things can come from it. Apart of being honest is accepting the truth and being truthful in everything you do. In my work life, I always look for the truth in my characters or production challenges we may face in order to conquer the day. But we have to be honest with our actions on how we approach filming everything. We have to be honest with ourselves about any given truth, whatever that part of life may be.

Effective communication is a skill that translates to all aspects of life as well. A part of my work, we communicate 24/7 about every single detail that goes into making a movie. The Script, Cast, Costumes, Camera, Different shots, Set Design, Blocking, Locations, Catering, and so much more. Being an effective communicator, orchestrating all the different aspects of filmmaking is essential to success. In my personal life, being an openly communicative person is essential to vocalizing feelings, thoughts, and ideas across the spectrum from family to friends, and partners.

I live by the saying “Whatever you put out into the universe comes back to you.” So, I live as optimistically as I can, thinking positively about any given situation while being honest with myself. The universe is infinite, so there are infinite possibilities and knowledge for all of us.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

The saying “It takes a village” is extremely true. A lot of people in my life shaped who I am today. To start would be my mom because she’s shown me how to love, cherish, and be a kind human. My dad has shown me the benefits of being stubborn sometimes, specifically in your beliefs and how to have resilience when times are tough. Stubborn in the belief of positivity. My grandpa has shown me how to live with humility, putting your neighbor before yourself, and a dash of humor. My grandma taught me manners. I know that sounds tough, but she’s shown me how to lead life with dignity, self-worth, and honor.

As a storyteller, it’s always been my fellow filmmakers and previous professors making me a better writer and producer. It takes a village means so much in the film world. From small to big productions, everyone is essential in the creation of whatever the movie or series becomes. Everyone is vital, so, taking what I’ve learned from my family and applying it to work is important to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.willbradyfilm.com
• Instagram: @willbrady0
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-brady0