ACTOR / DIRECTOR
BRIAN STEPHENS
I started my career as an Extra with a Casting company going to Auditions just like most actors in Hollywood. My first job was to be an Extra on a film called, "When the Bough Breaks" with Martin Sheen. It was quite the experience and from the moment I was on set I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
At this point in my career I really didn't know how to market myself or what to do. I hired the first manager that offered to help me. I was introduced to a little old lady from Inglewood, CA who truly believed in me and told me she would help me out. I went on my gut instinct and I hired her. She didn't really do much, but she hooked me up with the casting director who I would really enjoy working with called, Anna Miller Casting.
Soon after that, I landed another interesting job as a High School Basketball Player in a TV Series called, "Angel Falls", with James Brolin, Chelsea Field Kim Catrall and Jeremy London. I also became SAG that year in 1993.
By now I was really focusing on becoming a full time actor and started taking acting classes and continued to audition for roles. I really hated the way the industry handled auditions in L.A.
Within the next year I was in movie after movie with small little day playing roles. Either as an Extra or Roles with a couple lines of Dialog, I did whatever I could just to be around set. Here are just a few of the movies I worked on from 1993-1994.
I honestly can't remember all of them.
During this time I was also working behind the scenes doing studio work for places like Continental Cablevision in South Central Los Angeles and CVI Studios in Chatsworth. I was really getting into the grove of things. Then on January 17th, 1994 at 4:31am, the Northridge Earthquake happened. The stations were shut down and I lost my jobs. Five months later I was forced to leave Hollywood, promising myself to return when the time was right.
I moved back up to Northern, CA to the San Francisco Bay Area where I had family. I went back to school at a City College in San Mateo, CSM, where I studied Broadcasting and Technical Operations.
Los Angeles was such a different lifestyle then the Bay Area, some would say I might have had a little chip on my shoulder after working there.
I honestly didn't, I just wanted to be taken serious. I didn't want anything or anyone getting in my way of getting back to Hollywood.
Some of my best friends to this day were in those classes with me and it just proves that sometimes you end up where you're suppose to be.
This is where I feel my journey as a filmmaker really begins, in the year 1995. I got a taste of Hollywood and it bit me good. I really didn't think I was going to stick around the Bay Area long. I was hell bent on getting back to L.A. and continuing my Acting Career. Yet year after year I kept finding some independent films to work on and started making a good name for myself in the production world. My area of expertise became Lighting working as a Grip / Electric.
The first Independent Film I worked on was called, "The Distraction".
Directed by Greg Tennant, Released in 1999 starring Evan Jones and Jennifer Pruitt.
We worked out of a 3 ton truck and probably had about 3 of us working as grips, probably 15 people in total on the crew. Was a fun experience. I'll post the crew photo once I find it. I remember Greg,s sister made a really nice tomato soup.
Shortly after that, I worked on a few more films including a feature film Directed by Philip Kan Gotanda called, "Life Taste Good".
There was a lot of really great actors in this project. I remember us filming in a warehouse in San Francisco where we had to walk up 5 flights of stairs ( 99 steps to be exact ). I had a good time on the shoot, but got my leg workout on that gig.
I also think sometimes life throws you a curve ball to help you get on track. So after a few years working in TV Production and freelancing on some independent films as a Grip / Electric, a couple relationships, I decided to make a change and move to Chicago and be closer to my mother. This is where I really discovered who I was as a Filmmaker and met some of the greatest people in the business. I really admired the filmmaking culture of the midwest. So many nice people and really knew their stuff. Chicago will always hold a very special place in my heart. GO BEARS!!!
While in Chicago I would also work on a 36 episode PBS series for renown Chef, Charlie Trotters. It was the first time I personally got to experience an eleven course meal. Such an amazing experience.
It opened my eyes to how I would live my life from that
point on.
With Style.
Getting back to my roots...
Can't tell you enough how fun it was to work on a Live Performance Stunt Show with these guys. Sometimes you work with a group of people who will always be apart of your life one way or another.
Doing the Wild West Stunt Show outside of Chicago in a little town called, Union, IL playing cowboys and performing 3 shows a day was some of the funnest moments I had in my life. I miss them dearly.
Can't express it enough.
Some Many Years Later..... where do I begin?
A little older, a little wiser and still focusing on the dream.
