Meet Josh Brandon | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josh Brandon and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Josh, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I swear by making lists. I divide tasks into categories of urgency and I chip away at them. Sometimes I will just get a couple of easy / non-urgent tasks off my list as a way of procrastinating, but the list doesn’t lie, and if there are still important and urgent things, I know I’ve got to do them.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think when it comes to the entertainment industry, or life generally, if it’s easy, it probably isn’t all that fulfilling. Breaking into this industry is something you don’t do once; you do it over and over again. So I’d say persistence is a prerequisite. My art has always been about finding ways to get things done through my own wit and ingenuity, because no one was ever going to give them to me. When I was a kid and wanted to make movies, I got my cousins and my friends together, borrowed the family camera, and we went out and did it. After high school, I thought it would be fun to be in a band, but no one was just going to invite me, so I started a band myself. It’s the same in the film industry in LA. My experience in the theatre in Australia meant nothing; I practically had to beg to get my first PA job, after scouring every available resource. I got to write a book with William Shatner by asking (and then proving my credentials, but still, it began with an ask). You have to go out and create; nothing just happens for you.
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?
Oh, that’s fun. If they’re into touristy stuff, I’d take them to see some of the Hollywood Walk of Fame or the theme parks, visit the Planetarium at Griffith Observatory, maybe dinner at Muso & Frank or Smokehouse for that old Hollywood feel. I’m a member of the Magic Castle, so a visit there would be a ‘must’. I love to recommend the Getty Center to people; not only for the art (and I know nothing about art, I just like what I like) but the architecture and gardens are so impressive and futuristic. A drive through the Malibu canyons is a great way to see some of Southern California, too.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It’s absolutely my parents; I have so much gratitude for them. They were very supportive of my wanting to be a filmmaker; they just insisted I go to university and have a back-up, so I did that while producing and directing plays. My parents even funded my first attempt at a film when I was 15. They gave me $200 to pay for batteries and tapes for the camcorder; everything else was me and my friends asking favors. I told my parents, “Since you donated the money, you can name your production company and I’ll put it at the front of the credits.” My Dad chose “Down the Drain Productions.” A lot of people really believed in me. The flip side of that, of course, is that while so many people move to Hollywood to “prove everyone wrong,” I had to prove people right, which comes with a lot more pressure!
Website: https://www.joshuabrandon.com
Instagram: thejoshbrandon