Brian Mead

Brian Mead is Senior Editor at Cooke Pictures in Santa Monica CA. He has successfully worked his way up through the “ranks” as an editor and director of photography. His most recent project, was working on “Thou Shalt Laugh,” a Warner Brothers Comedy Production which is being released in November. It was produced by Blue Collar Comedy producer Hunt Lowery, and hosted by Patricia Heaton of Everybody Loves Raymond’s fame.

Kathleen Cooke: Tell us about yourself?

Brian Mead: I am presently senior editor and DP for Cooke Pictures working on commercials and documentaries. I loved working on Thou Shalt Laugh. It was my first opportunity to work on a HD (high definition) project. It was something for a major studio, and I got to create the “open” for it and work with some really great people.

Now, I am starting to work on a very special project we are talking to PBS about airing. It is a documentary on William Wilberforce to compliment the movie Walden Media will be putting out later this year on his life called “Amazing Grace.” We were in London this summer shooting at some incredible locations and interviewing some amazing people. It was a lot of fun! I am in the beginnings of trying to put it all together. I was the DP for that project as well. I have learned to be a “jack of all trades!”

KC: How did you get started?

BM: I would say it goes back to high school. I used to be a music major and in my senior year of high school they started a class for television. It was really small, nothing professional, but putting visuals with audio totally “blew my mind.” I immersed myself into it. It was in my second year of college that I changed from a music major to a TV/Film major. I went to a secular community college in upstate New York for two years, before transferring to Oral Roberts University. I got a BS in TV/Film there.

From there, I have learned from “the school of hard knocks.” After college, I moved back to NY where I had internships at various TV stations. I started working for a secular company doing documentaries, and history programs, and on weekends working in clubs directing 3 camera shoots of bands. I would edit them switching them live making music videos.

I was offered a job back in Oklahoma and went to work for Willie George Productions. I worked on their international children’s program called “The Gospel Bill Show” and another show for teens called “Fire By Night.” I then, went back to Oral Roberts University for a few years where I got to traveled shooting different promotional videos and filming doctors, medical teams, and missionaries all over the world. I actually spent a month in Indonesia shooting the 12 basic doctrines that are found in the book of Hebrews. They were broadcast on Indonesian television, which is a miracle because it’s 70% Muslim. It was pretty cool!

I then went on to work in Houston for “The Tube,” as an editor, and director, creating their launch and doing their weekly and daily episodic promo’s.

KC: Did you have mentors along the way?

BM: Yes, I desired to get around the best people I could possibly associate with. That’s why I went to work for Wille George Ministries in Tulsa. I wanted to work with Stephen Yake. I worked with his production company as well. I took it upon myself to really grow. I think you have to really want it and desire it. I worked 18 hours a day, for two years. I was serious about learning. Having the right person to mentor you is very important. It’s hard to find people who have great experience. It’s like finding a doctor. That person may not know they are mentoring you, but you just take it all in.

KC: What do you think is the greatest obstacle a person has to overcome in your line of work?

BM: I would say constant rejection. You have to turn it around and use it as energy. It helps you do better next time. It pushes you and challenges you to grow. I think it is easier to take when it comes from those who have more experience because they know something about it. Sort of like working with great painters. I am not going to criticize your painting, if I’m not a painter.

It is harder when you are working with a client who has no experience and they are “going off the handle” about certain things you believe you are right about. It’s hard to take that kind of criticism. I feel very confident with my work, and it makes me sad when I see changes to project that I know would work for the client and I see them compromising and the project “going down the toilet.” So, sometimes you have to “settle” and be flexible. You have to deal with change well. Editing is all about making changes.

I personally feel that good work is completed when the job is done and that the job is not done till it’s good. Monet, the painter, said it best when he said “ A true painter can never be happy with himself. One day I am satisfied, the next day I find it all bad; still I hope to find some of them good…”

There is such a process to putting out a good project. There are standards for doing things technically right. Do you have the right light, the right filter? Lots of little things that add up. You have to have the desire. That’s the most important thing. Passion and desire are the fuel that will keep you going and keep you striving to go to do better art and work. This “desire” taps me on the shoulder every time to do my best.

KC: What do you want to be doing in 5 years and how do you think technology will impact you and your work?

BM: Wow! Technology is changing things so rapidly. We’re in a HD world right now. It will still be changing in 10 years! What I see happening is that more and more footage will be acquired on a hard drive rather than tapes. That will be nice. It will allow us to digitize footage faster because it’s already there.

I want to be doing “features.” Producing them, directing them, editing them, or whatever. I want to work on some “features.” That’s what I hope I am doing in 5 years.

KC: Can you recommend a book other than the Bible that inspired you?

BM: I would recommend two books, one by Bill Parcell coach of the Dallas Cowboys, called “You Don’t Have to be Blind to See, Finding a Way to Win.” And, the second by Derek Jeters called “The Life You Imagine, Life Lessons for Achieving Your Dreams.”

I also keep up with the industry on the internet and with magazines. Some of the sites I keep up on are: creativecow.net, animationartist.com, digitalanimators.com, digitalproducer.com, toolfarm.com, creationengine.com, 2-pop.com, and videography.com.

I also keep up on the latest equipment and latest things by reading Post, Millimeter, and DV Magazine. Millimeter is probably the best for art stuff. But you know where I get a lot of my ideas from is from fashion magazines. Fashion is transcendent. It is where you will see the latest graphics, and design. It transcends television.

I would also recommend you watch TV “religiously!” You have to keep up with things that are on the tube. You have to watch it for the “eye candy” value. There are times I will stick a VHS tape in and record six hours of a certain channel a day and go home and go through the commercials and make notes in my head. Some people keep notebook ideas. Whatever helps you. You have to always be sharpening your skills. That is one of most the important things you can ever learn.