Meet Brennan Full | Cinematographer

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

Hi Brennan, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I came into cinematography and filmmaking by way of my first love, music. To this day, it remains my primary source of inspiration.

I was really lucky, growing up my house was full of music. My folks prided themselves in having really diverse tastes and at any time you could expect to hear my Mom listening to anything from Sade to the Dixie Chicks, while my Dad dabbled in everything from Miles Davis to The Beatles. At a young age I saw how music could imbue emotion and mood into everyday life, family dinners or Sunday chores felt different given what record was on.

My formative years coincided with the golden age of music videos, the 90s and early 2000s. I was 9 when I saw Michel Gondry’s “Everlong” music video and remember having my mind blown. I didn’t know what it was but I wanted to make images like those.

To this day, when I’m having creative discussions with directors about scripts or treatments I’m always curious if they’ve got a soundtrack in mind, or a playlist for reference. I feel like it’s a great entrance into the world and mood of a film that can’t necessarily be communicated through images or words alone.

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.
I genuinely love being a cinematographer. I feel like there are endless things to learn and be excited about, new collaborators, different kinds of stories to tell, endless skills and techniques to hone, it’s legitimately never boring. This year I wrapped photography on a feature documentary about death care and two days later was shooting a Pepsi commercial. I kind of got whiplash from the tonal shift but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

But of course, with the amazing comes the difficult and I’d be lying if I didn’t say this work comes with a lot of heartbreak. I think all filmmakers have to learn to cope with rejection, financial stress, self doubt and somehow come out on the other end with their passion and heart still in tact. It’s very hard. I try to keep it very real with folks who are aspiring DPs, the work is hard, the not-working is hard, it’s just tough.

When I was coming up the advice I’d often hear was “go shoot!” For me, that didn’t really feel actionable. Being able to shoot required equipment I didn’t have, collaborators I didn’t know, COIs, actors, scripts, it seemed impossible. The truth is, it is impossible for a lot people. I think the honest advice I’d give to folks is make your intentions known, take care of yourself and your community, and know that this is a very long game.

My ultimate goal has always been to shoot feature films, however, that first feature is a really tough job to land. Finally, last year I got the opportunity to shoot Herd, a feature length horror film set in rural Missouri. It was the actualization of everything I ever wanted, big set pieces, incredible collaborators, just a perfect indie-film experience. I feel like this opportunity came to me exactly at the right time, any sooner and I don’t think it would have gone as smoothly as it did.

Herd is set to premier at Frightfest London this month and I can’t wait for the world to see it. If you had told me even 2 years ago I’d be going to London to see a film I shot I’d freak out. I’m super excited.

My hope is I continue to get the opportunity to work alongside incredible directors, actors, camera folks, and craftspeople, as long as the industry will have me. It would be incredible to get to a point where I could provide financial support to up and coming filmmakers so that they could actualize the advice of “go shoot!” I think programs and opportunities like this are imperative if we’re going to address the lack of diversity in our industry.

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?
I prefer to take the metro so any excursion starts with a trip at Union Station where I’d hop on the Gold Line up to Highland Park. Grab some dumplings and wood ear mushrooms to-go from Mason’s Dumpling Shop on N Figueroa and head to the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. There’s a park bench near the entrance to sit and eat while taking in the view. Visit the museum before heading back to the train to the arts district where I’d check out Hennessey + Ingalls, my favorite bookshop in LA with a large collection of artist monographs. Then I’d head to the Kibitz Room for a drink before heading to see whatever is screening at the New Beverly Cinema. Once the movie was out I’d want to head back to Highland Park for a night cap at Gold Line bar where they play incredible records from their massive record collection.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m originally from New York and moved to Los Angeles in 2018, in my early 30s. Having never really lived anywhere “new” I learned so much in those first years that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

The first is how kind many of the revered craftspeople in this town are. It’s super easy to be intimidated but for the most part I’ve found folks here to be really welcoming and excited to share their knowledge. For example, the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) has done incredible work to build a community here in Los Angeles with their events and annual open house. Additionally, their Vision Mentorship program, which I am honored to have been a part of, introduced me to my mentor Jaron Presant who has been such an awesome resource and champion of my career.

Lastly, I think we’re living in a time where it’s easy to become isolated or feel cynical. I have been fortunate enough to have friends who are actively working against this by building communities and sharing knowledge. I’d love to shout out my dear friend and 1st Assistant Camera, Melissa Baltierra. Melissa has been building a community called “AC Friends” for both established and up and coming camera folks. AC Friends runs workshops, has a really active Discord, and also does fun, purely social things like photo walks in DTLA. What she’s doing is really beautiful and supportive and I just can’t say enough about how rad it is.

Website: https://www.brennanfull.com/

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