Meet Brian Lipko | Film/Video Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brian Lipko and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brian, what inspires you?
I’m inspired by bold and immersive worlds. I love when colors, texture, and design build unique environments that exist beyond the frame. When all creative departments of the craft are firing on all cylinders and peaking at the same time, that’s the sweet spot I find exciting.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a highly visual person and I’m very passionate about the craft of filmmaking and storytelling, so that flows into everything that I do. I’m very attentive to details so I love collaborating with all departments to focus on the ultimate goal of the creative. I love finding the perfect reference image or gif that ensures a visual idea is executed as best as it can. I love finding visual symmetry within a story. I love drawing a storyboard by hand and then animating the storyboards into an animatic to see the timing of all the shots. I will be forever inspired by how filmmaking combines all art forms into one.

I think what I’m the most excited about is that it feels like I haven’t even gotten started yet. I’ve been directing, editing, animating, graphic designing for years and I’ve made thousands of pitch decks, but it still feels like I haven’t even begun to show people what I’m capable of.

I got to where I am today professionally by not giving up, and always staying hungry. It’s a gift and a curse, but I’m never satisfied. I’m always hungry for more, and my creative spirit is this beast I have to constantly feed. But with that said, it’s far from easy. Most days can be tough. Being a passionate, creative person who puts their all into their work is a risk, because any rejection can feel like a personal attack since it’s so close to your heart. And I’ve lost countless hours to projects that never manifested. I can’t say I’ve overcome these challenges completely since I deal with them every day, but I try to always keep it moving forward. I feel compelled to contribute and that will never stop.

Over the years, I’ve learned that most people’s advice is just their personal experience talking, but most importantly I’ve learned that everyone is doing their best. Every single person/crewmember I come in contact with is doing the best with what they’re given.

I’ve wanted to tell stories my whole life. This isn’t a hobby I picked up later in life, it’s who I’ve been for decades. I’ve always dreamt about worlds that were more vivid and exciting than the one we live in. Some of my oldest memories are playing with my father’s VHS camcorder with my action figures, creating my own little stories. When I was very young, my mother showed me JURASSIC PARK and I was never the same. I found it exhilarating that scientists had brought back dinosaurs just to make this movie, pretty neat! But then my mother had to explain to me that the dinosaurs were either robots or made in the computer – and that’s when everything changed. I wanted THAT job. Ever since that day I made it my life’s mission to be a robot dinosaur made in the computer.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Musso & Frank’s is essential, I love the spirit of Hollywood encased within its walls. I love the westside – I enjoy the people-watching on Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice, I’d grab Blue Bottle Coffee, Abbot’s Pizza or Felix Trattoria depending on the time of day. Fairfax for Jon & Vinny’s. Universal CityWalk’s IMAX screen. Vinyl record shopping at Amoeba Hollywood or Freakbeat Sherman Oaks.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Temple University and their LA Study Away program helped me transition from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, and without that program’s support I don’t know if I would’ve been able to move to LA as fast as I intended. Allan Barber and Amy Olk introduced us to the culture and nature of the business, and through the program I met my mentor Dan Trachtenberg.

Website: https://brianlipko.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianlipko/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-lipko-73657032/

Twitter: https://x.com/brianlipko