We recently connected with Brandon Champ Robinson and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Brandon Champ with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Being a young black male raised in the inner city of Milwaukee, WI, we always have the same origin story, so I won’t bore you with that part. I’ve always had a solid work ethic, but I kicked it into a new gear in 2012. I had to have neurosurgery to clean up an Arteoveniouns Malformation, otherwise known as an AVM. This procedure was supposed to take 2 hours. I was under for 8.
I was staring at a bright light in the recovery room when I awoke. I thought It was over. I thought I died on the table. Shortly after, my arm started to tingle. I guess I was lying on it for a while, and it went to sleep, and when I looked to my right, I saw nurses and realized I was still here. At that moment, I realized two things. One, I had nothing to leave my family, and how would my wife and two boys go on without? And two, I had been wasting my God-given talents by not at least attempting to chase my dream and fulfill its potential. At that moment, I decided there needed to be a change. My wife and I made a plan, saved for a year, packed up, and shipped all our things to California.
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?
Growing up, I loved entertainment and entertaining. I started out really good at creating music, and as I got older, I wanted to have certain things for my music. I taught myself Photoshop to make flyers and covers. I taught myself to code and even, at one point, created an online video magazine. But the thing I wanted the most was music videos. This is where my love for storytelling began as, more often than not, I would write some kind of storyline to intertwine with our performance sections in the music video. Soon, I started to realize that I would focus more on the story part than I would on the performances, and people loved it.
I created Imagination Upgraded originally as a YouTube Channel. I wanted to separate what I was known for doing in my city, which was making music videos, and introduce my full filmmaker side. I started with a fan film based on the DC Comics character Harley Quinn. You can watch that series if you like at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNCQFTIYG9lu-1mjCtkIbJIWR7bAoMkof&si=IexjhxYqqAINGJrc.
I decided to create a fan film first as a way to engage a new audience with a familiar face. It’s a little bait and switch if you will. I started with a trailer, and the response was unlike any response I had ever received doing music. Needless to say, my pursuit of being a rapper started to slow down at that point. I had been bitten by the bug.
Fast forward to now, I have directed a feature film, DP’d numerous shorts, music videos (still lol), brand videos, and documentaries, one of which is a series currently running on Netflix called “SPYOPS.” I have also edited countless productions of all sorts. One of my favorite pieces that I have done is a pilot called Noodles, which I directed and produced along with a partner who was the creator and also stars in the film. We are still shopping for it, and I actually plan to re-edit it and give it a film festival run. If you would like to see the trailer, you can also watch it on my YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/S-fzyC5fChQ?si=cp3uAUwLu6sV3EHF. If you would like to watch the entire pilot, it can currently be seen at www.regrade.tv, which is a streaming service that I also created during the pandemic.
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?
Some of the skills or qualities that I’ve learned will also help upcoming filmmakers on their journey.
1. You are never fully ready. The only way to start is to just take action. If you wait for the perfect moment, you will be waiting forever. There will always be obstacles, but use these challenges as opportunities to get creative and figure out how to overcome them. This way, when you face similar obstacles in the future with more resources, you will know exactly how to handle them.
2. Hire people better than you. When you want to improve your skills in a particular field, it’s always recommended to work with someone who is better than you. For instance, if you want to be a better DP, you can hire a DP who has more skills and experience than you. You can learn some tips and tricks from them. Similarly, if you want to learn lighting better, you can hire a gaffer. This not only helps you learn but also helps you build a team of reliable and skilled professionals. Remember, you can’t do everything alone, and it’s better to have a team of trusted professionals to work with.
3. Don’t treat people like sh*t, and don’t take no sh*t. Please excuse the informal language and double negative, but the message is clear: treat people with kindness and respect, just as you would like to be treated. Stand with honor and integrity, and earn respect through your actions. Don’t tolerate mistreatment from others, but assert yourself in a respectful manner.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Well everyone seems to be on the lookout for investors these days so there’s that 😂. But I am serious about taking Imagination Upgraded to be something on the same level achieved by the talented individuals at A24. My aim is not only to produce my own films but also to provide a platform for young filmmakers of color to express themselves. To accomplish this, we will be creating a lot of content. If you are a skilled crew member, actor, actress, writer, producer, or anyone else, please don’t hesitate to contact us on our social media platforms – @directedbychamp_ or @imagination_upgraded on Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.imaginationupgraded.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/directedbychamp_
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/directedbychamp
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/directedbychamp
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/directedbychamp
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/imaginationupgraded
Image Credits
Steve White of Steve White Films Samantha Lopez
