Meet Brandon Jones | Writer & Producer

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

Hi Brandon, why did you pursue a creative career?
Everyone I’ve ever met that has found success as an artist is obsessed with creating things, It dominates their thinking, even when they’re trying to relax or pursue other interests. There have been times in my life where I’ve done less than inspiring work because it was simple to produce or it paid well, but my thoughts never strayed from stories I wanted to tell. Whenever I’d be alone with my thoughts, especially when driving in freeway traffic or listening to music, big and small ideas would keep coming back to me, even when I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted them to be. Entertainment is an unforgiving business. For most artists, the lows outweigh the highs, so it’s that obsession that keeps them going. I started out doing theater, then film and video, and now writing, and it’s all been because I can’t stop thinking about making stuff.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always been inspired by celebrating fandom. I’m a child of the 1980s, and my personality was shaped as much by Steven Spielberg as is was by Sesame Street. When I saw Jesus Christ Superstar at a young age, and realized the work being done on the stage in front of me was a viable career option, I jumped from musical to musical until I switched my major at Emerson College to Film and never looked back. In the early days of internet video, I saw companies trying to hype up video games as much as movies had been for decades, and followed that passion to a community that needed a place online to absorb it all. I’m now writing novels for young adults and books for children, and while they’re built for different audiences, they still feel centered on that childlike wonder that’s so easy to lose as we get older. I’ve found I do my best work when I’m creating art that I myself want to enjoy, and I’ve found the most success surrounding myself with people who feel the same way.

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?
When I went to college, and I met a whole batch of new artist friends, they each could identify the sole source of inspiration that led them to becoming an artist. It took me a while before I could narrow it down, but I realized it wasn’t a musical, tv show, movie, or book that triggered it for me. It was Disneyland. A theme park. It was then that I realized, although I already knew it, that theme parks were a collection of almost every type of art you can imagine. Dozens of schools of creative thinking come together to make just a single day of operation possibly at the happiest place on earth, among several other options in Southern California. So visiting the house of mouse would be a must for any visiting friend that had never been taken there before. In & Out later. Maybe a Dodger game. But Disneyland first.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When I got out of college, the first steady job I had in video production was at an animation house run by a family friend, Jon Slusser. I was developing GameTrailers.com with a friend at the time, and Jon took a chance on me and some friends by providing resources for us to not only get the site up and running in 2002, but look really good while doing it. This led to a twenty-year run in games media, working for different companies and producing all sorts of industry coverage. He gave me an opportunity that few get, and I’ll never forget it.

Website: https://www.emetstudios.com

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

Twitter: https://x.com/trailerjones

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/easyallies