Whether he’s producing captivating videos or playing soulful riffs, Brandon Hart is here to share his artistic flair with the world. Keep reading to learn more about what sparked his interest in filmmaking, his favorite projects to date, and why he utilizes Musicbed to find the right music for his work.
Musicbed: What sparked your passion for filmmaking/storytelling?
Brandon Hart: I started my journey as a filmmaker and storyteller in the wedding film world. When you’re dealing with a vast amount of individuals, especially a couple on their wedding day, you learn to emphasize storytelling to the fullest extent. Piecing together shots that impact an audience; whether it be through an emotional vow or breathtaking drone shots. Following my success in the wedding world, I stumbled across Peter McKinnon, who inspired me to emphasize storytelling through every facet of filmmaking; complemented with sound effects, impactful music editing, and making every second count. Which, in turn, allowed me to complement my own musical journey through the eye of a lens.
What keeps you motivated and creatively inspired?
As cliché as it may sound, the number one thing that keeps me motivated and inspired is surrounding myself with other creators who are clearly better than me at my craft; Clayton King, Zach Munowitz, Peter McKinnon, and Mark Bone, to name a few. Aside from that, continually pushing the boundaries of my craft with new techniques, dreams, and ambitions has always kept me going. “Dream big or go home”, as they say.
What makes a story visually appealing? What role does music play in storytelling?
My inner colorist wants to say “color contrast” is a definite way of setting yourself apart in the film world. If you’re able to portray the mood of the story through the colors you establish, that’s the icing on the cake. But also knowing when to use certain angles for, let’s say a superhero; establishing a shot where you’re looking up at the person automatically ensures the hero is “bigger-than-life”. If you compliment that with a solid piece of music that is either triumphant or heroic, that sets the tone for that scene, moment, or movie.
What elements do you think are essential for crafting a compelling story?
Planning. Lots and lots of planning. Impromptu shoots are incredible, but having an impromptu shoot that has at least a few points of planning in your tool kit will allow the audience to delve deeper into the story. Once your planning period is solidified, it’s so important to ensure you have a compelling environment for you to portray the story.
How important is music in your work?
I could not produce and establish my work without music. Soundtracks and music scores are essential for any kind of film, whether it be a short film, YouTube video, documentary, or full-length motion picture. Music portrays a certain mood and emotional aesthetic that emphasizes moments and feelings throughout your film.
What advice would you give other filmmakers/creators just starting their careers?
Recognize baby steps. Recognize that you have to run at your own pace. Master your craft piece by piece and enjoy the process. Your greatest inspirations and influencers started somewhere, too. They were once in your shoes and it’s up to you to write your story.
How do you balance pushing boundaries creatively and delivering what your client wants or audience wants to see?
Funny enough, I believe every creator struggles with this. I, for one, definitely have a hard time shifting my vision to what another person/group of people wants to see. When I envision something, my automatic response is, as my business partners make fun of me for, “full sending”. The moment the plan is established is the moment I fully send the project without hesitation. When you’re dealing with clients, your “full send” will turn into a “partly send”; because your vision, about nine times out of ten, will not fully align with your client’s. In those cases, you have to learn how to sacrifice your wants for what is needed in the eyes of your client. After all, they are paying you to bring their vision to life.
What is the most challenging aspect of being a filmmaker/creative?
Staying relevant in today’s society. The second you make a sub-par video, song, or film, is the second that your audience may question your work. This is exactly why, as I said above, to keep pushing yourself forward to learn new techniques within your craft. Usually, that will keep you going.
What’s your favorite project that you’ve worked on?
To be completely honest, one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on is a showreel for my film company FRVNT Films; which is the umbrella under which all of my film/photography work is done. While the video is only about a minute and a half long, the execution process for production and post-production took a bit of time because of how extravagant the transitions were.
How do you search for music on Musicbed? What are some tips that you’d give other filmmakers to search on Musicbed?
The purpose of music is to deliver a feeling through sonics and instrumentation. I would greatly encourage anyone to specify what the tone, mood, and feeling is that they get when they watch their rough cut of footage and then go from there. In my experience, when I establish the “tone” or “mood”, I can (very quickly) provide those attributes into Musicbed’s powerful search engine; selecting the “attributes” I would like to hear, the “genre” I know would best suit my film, the “instruments” that help deliver the mood I’m going for… so on and so forth. This makes solidifying your film’s soundtrack incredibly easy and intuitive.
Why do you utilize Musicbed in your work?
To be completely honest, Musicbed’s collection is of the highest quality, so I use it in every single video, film, and reel I create. The database that they’ve integrated into their brand is nothing short of incredible. Musicbed is absolutely the way to go with any film/piece of content; plunging your audience into the world of sonic perfection. If there was such a thing as a 6-star rating, I’m giving it a 6-star rating. It’s that powerful.
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Explore a curated playlist of Brandon’s favorite songs to use in his work—available to license only on Musicbed.
