Meet Brandon Demchak | Writer | Director | Veteran

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

Hi Brandon, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most essential factor in my success has been the act of helping others. 99% of the good things in my life had stemmed from saying yes to people when they asked for help. Early on, I worked on many films for fun and for free. I’m not suggesting you work for free; please, know your worth. But if you help people along the way, more people will answer your phone call when the time comes to be helped. When I finally garnered the courage to produce and direct my own projects, getting a crew together took less than a day. These people didn’t owe me anything; they were just happy to return the favor. Colleges will call this networking; I call it being available to be of service. If you’re interested in a particular company or filmmaker, offer to help them for free. My first real job on a film set came from a person I helped a year prior. You never know when your act of service will pay off. Service helps build relationships, not business cards.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Before entering into the film industry, I was a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army. Being a veteran has influenced my work throughout my career. When I first separated from the military, I suffered from the ailments that many other veterans face. I couldn’t find my footing. Writing scripts was an outlet that allowed me to step out of myself, even if it was only briefly. I wrote about my own experiences and developed those experiences into two short films. Although I don’t only specifically write about my experiences in the military, it adds a layer to all my writing. My hope is to work on projects that amplify the veteran voice and speak to their experiences in a way that’s never been shown. I hope that veterans who are suffering from the same problems I did find my work and see that there is a way to a better life.

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?
This is my perfect best friend itinerary for the day.

Breakfast at Wendy’s Place in El Segundo
Walk along The Strand in Manhattan Beach
Lunch at any taco truck
A Dodger game
Dinner at Perch downtown
And a late-night show at The Comedy Store

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are hundreds of people who’ve helped me out in my career. In fact, it’s a huge reason I try to give back as much as I possibly can. But one group of people would undoubtedly have to be my former students at The Ghetto Film School. I had the opportunity in 2019 to teach Film 101 to a group of high schoolers for the summer. It was one of my proudest accomplishments. Watching those young students pour their soul into their short films that summer reminded me why I loved film in the first place. The industry has an uncanny ability to tire even the most talented creatives. But, while teaching those students, I remembered how lucky I was to be in Los Angeles doing something I loved so much. It inspired me to write more, produce more, and work even harder than before.

Website: www.brandondemchak.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandondemchak/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brandondemchak

Other: Amazon Prime Link to Firecracker (Short Film) https://www.amazon.com/Firecracker-Farai-Kofi-Marimbe/dp/B08W7ZD543/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=firecracker&qid=1622769006&s=instant-video&sr=1-1 Vimeo Link to Saving Private Ryan (Short Film): https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/321534755