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making your own work + using new tech to your advantage, and surviving the pivot with Brendan Bradley - One Broke Actress | Wave AI Podcast Notes

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making your own work + using new tech to your advantage, and surviving the pivot with Brendan Bradley

One Broke Actress

Thu Apr 10 2025

Summary

One Broke Actress Podcast: “Making Your Own Work + Using New Tech to Your Advantage, and Surviving the Pivot with Brendan Bradley”

Release Date: April 10, 2025
Host: Sam Valentine
Guest: Brendan Bradley

Introduction and Podcast Updates

In this episode of the One Broke Actress Podcast, host Sam Valentine welcomes back Brendan Bradley, a familiar voice from episode 208 where they discussed post-strike insights with strike captains. Sam begins by sharing personal updates, including her upcoming play in Los Angeles and her pivot towards diversifying her content platforms. With over 302 episodes already available, Sam hints at revisiting archival episodes while also expanding her presence on YouTube to cater to broader actor needs.

Notable Quote:
Sam Valentine (00:00): “I am pivoting where I'm putting my money, time, energy, et cetera. There is not going to be as many consistent public podcasts for a bit of time.”

Embracing Vertical Shorts and New Media Formats

Brendan Bradley dives into the burgeoning trend of vertical shorts, emphasizing their strategic advantage in today’s digital landscape. He advocates for actors to leverage vertical formats using high-resolution DSLR cameras, allowing content to be versatile for both horizontal and vertical viewing.

Notable Quote:
Brendan Bradley (05:12): “If you're already inclined this way, I would shoot a bunch of content super wide in 6k, then format it at 4k bumped in so you could sell it horizontal like a typical web series, typical movie, and then slice out that 6K in that vertical format a little bit wide and just see what happens.”

From Spec Commercials to Feature Films

Brendan recounts his journey from creating spec commercials during a challenging period in Hollywood to producing his first feature film under a new media agreement. He highlights the importance of retaining creative control and the financial viability of self-produced projects, which allowed him to recoup his investment by selling the film in 14 countries.

Notable Quote:
Brendan Bradley (07:17): “My first feature was under the new media agreement and we released it primarily digitally before we then sold it in 14 countries and made the budget back. What? What? It can be done.”

Navigating Personal and Professional Challenges

The conversation takes a poignant turn as Brendan shares his personal ordeal during the Eaton fires in Altadena, detailing how his home was destroyed while he was temporarily housed with friends. Despite the devastation, Brendan reflects on the silver linings, such as gratitude for not owning property and the strength drawn from community support.

Notable Quotes:
Brendan Bradley (10:49): “February 27th, my partner and I are safely in temporary housing in Hollywood. ... it's all open. But a bedroom is sealed. ... we have a bathroom and a kitchen sealed.”

Sam Valentine (13:18): “Only you could make this so nice. That is incredible. You literally. Your whole home burned down.”

Overcoming Fear in Creating Original Content

Sam expresses her fears about transitioning from acting to producing her own projects, specifically citing the challenges of budgeting, securing funding, and managing the overwhelming logistics. Brendan offers practical advice, encouraging her to assess her commitment level based on the response her project receives and to embrace the collaborative nature of filmmaking.

Notable Quote:
Brendan Bradley (14:12): “Filmmaking, capital F, is not the end commercial product of a film. ... Filmmaking is a collaborative art form. It's one of the most collaborative art forms because of all the different departments and all the different stages.”

Strategic Financial Planning for Creative Projects

Brendan emphasizes the importance of financial discipline when investing in creative endeavors. He advises setting up separate bank accounts to manage savings and project funds effectively, ensuring that investments are made strategically without jeopardizing personal finances.

Notable Quote:
Brendan Bradley (28:08): “The greatest gift is I cannot be more of an advocate for giving yourself different bank accounts. ... You have to save. ... You have to choose how to most strategically spend that money.”

The Power of Community and Collaboration

The episode culminates with a heartfelt discussion on the significance of community support in the acting and filmmaking industries. Brendan underscores the value of mutual assistance among peers, whether it's through sharing resources, offering feedback, or collaborating on projects. This collective effort not only fosters creativity but also builds a resilient network capable of overcoming industry challenges.

Notable Quote:
Brendan Bradley (32:17): “Being in that community with each other means it just takes one person to say, I need help, and the community descends and helps. ... The audience is tired. They want relationship, they want connection, they want quirk, they want something new.”

Conclusion

Sam and Brendan wrap up their insightful conversation by reiterating the importance of adaptability, financial savvy, and community in navigating the often tumultuous waters of the acting industry. Brendan’s experiences serve as a testament to the power of taking initiative and leveraging new technologies to create meaningful, sustainable work. Listeners are encouraged to embrace their creative impulses, seek out collaborative opportunities, and remain resilient in the face of unexpected challenges.

If you’re inspired by Brendan’s journey and eager to create your own projects, consider exploring the various strategies discussed in this episode. For more behind-the-scenes content and updates, follow Sam Valentine on Instagram and subscribe to her bonus podcasts and YouTube channel.

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Transcript

Sam Valentine (0:00)

Fast Forward Productions. The women are speaking. What's up guys? Welcome back to another episode of the One Broke Actress podcast. An honest account of actor life plus a few lessons I learned in the process. I am your host, Sam Valentine and today we have a return guest, Brendan Bradley, who was originally here for episode 208, which was when we checked in with all of the strike captains post strike. So if you want a first taste of Brendan and the pineapple hat, go, go ahead and go back to that episode because it's going to lay the groundwork for what we are talking about today and it's also linked below in the show notes. Before we get into the topics we cover with Brenden, I want to do a little paperwork to start us off, guys. I'm about to do a play in Los Angeles and by about I mean in June, which means everything's a little chaos around here and I'm excited and nervous and keep an eye on my Instagram. If you want more information about what's going on but. Or if you want the real behind the scenes stuff, go ahead and subscribe to the bonus podcast wherever you get your podcast. That means that I am pivoting where I'm putting my money, time, energy, et cetera. There is not going to be as many consistent public podcasts for a bit of time. I am however, going to mix it up inside of here a little bit. At the time of this recording, we have 302 episodes sitting inside of the podcast feed. That's. That's insane, yo. I can't even, I can't think that hard about that. And a lot of them I think hold up really well. Regardless of the changes that have happened in the industry, I want to go back into the archives and dig up some old episodes and repost them here for you so you can enjoy them in between the stints and sparks where I'm going to be able to do more consistent episodes. Also, I am doing a lot of YouTube content in the coming months. There is a big ask inside of the messages I get in YouTube of do more content for newer actors. And most of you guys who listen to this are not newer actors. So while you might not need that content, if you want a new version of some thoughts, ideas, maybe you're the choir who wants to be preached to. I don't know, go to the YouTube because I'm gonna be putting out some more stuff there that's not necessarily going to be on the podC feed. It has been quite a ride getting the next couple of episodes together and we've had tons of audio snafus, which we will get to in this episode. We've had ups and downs. My business Fast Forward has had a lot of changes go on in the last couple of months and like I said, if you really want the details on that, check out the bonus podcasts. But at the same time I want to make sure you're getting good content and to me that is worth not showing up every single week in your feed in order to have better episodes. I know some of you are really vibing with what I'm saying, but that's your caveat. I'm pivoting the energy a little bit and if you've been around long enough on these podcasts, you've probably heard me say, I don't think that a balanced life is truly possible. I think you have to take energy from something and give it to another thing in order to do your best work in any capacity. In the meantime, I hope you stick around and or come hang out at the YouTube. Speaking of audio snafus, Brendan and I recorded a great conversation. We started off right from the top talking about vertical shorts, which have big piece of context that we're talking about a lot in all of the groups I'm in, online, in the membership with my agents and managers. And then we delved into a great conversation talking about performance and production and how he made money making his own commercials and how he got projects funded and a little bit about why I'm so scared to do my own project. We talk about what it is like to get work done in this current climate because right before our podcast I watched one of his most recent movies and we talk about the pivot when plans don't go as you saw them and not getting creative burnout in the process. And then we talked about a whole bunch of other shit and my microphone came unplugged. This is a podcaster's worst nightmare. This episode is still really good. It was so good, in fact, I sent it to Brendan and I said, do you think we should still try and put this out there? And he sent me back an edit of the episode. That is the type of person that he is. He is so about taking shit into his own hands, getting it done and getting it delivered. And we decided there's enough in this to give you a solid episode and we'll just have to meet again. And if you are listening on Spotify and you want us to talk about something specific next time, drop it in that fancy new comment section. I would Love to hear it. So all business paperwork aside, if there's a weird ending of this podcast we feel like comes out of nowhere, it probably does because that's when my microphone came apart. Just living the dream, you guys. So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy Brendan Bradley.

Brendan Bradley (10:49)

February 27th, my partner and I are safely in temporary housing in Hollywood. Smack dab in the middle of Hollywood, lovely friends of ours are renovating a condo. It's been under renovations for several months and so they're letting us essentially squat legally in their condo. There's whole, like, walls are missing. Like, there's whole sections of this thing that don't exist. If you see any of my content right now, I'm opening up like donations that people are very generously giving us to kind of say thank you. And you can see the staircase when you first walk into the place. There's. There's no walls, there's no insulation, there's wires. It is all open. But a bedroom is sealed. This little, what was a former nursery is sealed. And it's where I'm doing, have my self tape set up and then we have a bathroom and a kitchen sealed. And so we're good. We were in Altadena in the Eaton fires. I was actually volunteering for SAG AFTRA at the labor summit in Las Vegas when the fire started. So it took me three days to get back. So it means that I did not get to evacuate or take anything. And it's been a. It's been a journey ever since. We consider ourselves so lucky in the sense that we have family, we have friends, we have community. We both had decent years last year, so we had some savings to like fall back on. We had those emergency funds to like, not Immediately panic. We had friends that would let us crash the first couple of weeks. So we've been navigating the mess of this that is impacting everybody. And everybody's story is so different. But what I will say is I have never owned real estate in my life. I've just never been in that position financially. And all of my friends that have taken that, that big swing to put that money, that investment in property in Altadena especially, they still have to pay their mortgages even though they lost everything. And it is this moment of me checking in as an adult that some of the things that I thought were deficits of mine or negative self talk of me going, like, oh, I'm not a real boy. I'm not a real adult because I don't have a house or whatever. I could not be more grateful that I don't have to pay a mortgage on a place that is no longer there, that I can no longer live and have to navigate that. And so I am, for one of the first times in my adult life, so grateful to be a renter. And it's just one of those perspective shifts of you going, everything that you think is a hardship of yours today might actually be your opportunity and just always kind of keep that optimism and keep that gratitude.

Brendan Bradley (15:49)

You've made a wonderful Christmas movie that you're in love with. That's fantastic. And. And that can go all the way through. Think about someone wrote the script for Batgirl. They produced it, they made it as a huge Warner Brothers tentpole movie. And then at the last minute, they didn't release it in the canvas. So once you engage in that process, I think you've got to make peace with the fact that the making of it is no longer your responsibility or your journey. Not that there is an integrity in doing that. I have sold some scripts and that has been a great thing to do for those scripts. One script I have sold got made, but the other scripts that I have sold never got made. But even the script that I sold that got made, it was a very difficult process because they then made that movie in a way that I would have not made that movie. And I had to really let go of my. There are whole scenes. Some of my favorite scenes that I ever wrote are completely lifted and cut because of production demands or where they shot it or how they shot it and decisions they made in post. And as a writer, I had to accept that, like some of my best material didn't even make it to the screen. If you choose to make it though, that decision is somewhat made for you. Then when it comes to. So then how do I make it? You know, if there's a lot of dogs in it or we need these types of locations, I think one of the greatest limiting factors that I get caught up in all the time. I like to say, if you'd like someone to micromanage, I'll do it. I am the world's worst. I will take on everything person. But that isn't the craft of filmmaking. And this is my beef with AI Bros as well. Filmmaking, capital F is not the end commercial product of a film. That is not the craft of filmmaking. That's a commercial product in the marketplace of film and cinema. But that isn't filmmaking. Filmmaking is a collaborative art form. It's one of the most collaborative art forms because of all the different departments and all the different stages. Which means that making this movie, if you and your husband decide to do this, that involves finding the experts that you want to play with, the creators that you want them to bring their craft. Whenever I direct, I don't have monitor on set. First of all, I can't afford it. So there's no video village. I work with my DP beforehand and we build our visual vocabulary and I stage the scene. We've talked out every single shot, every single moment, and then I trust them. I don't know how to operate camera. I'm garbage at that. So why would I want to oversee or disrupt or second guess this person whose very craft, their very art form is the cinematography. That's. That's what they're bringing to the soup.

Brendan Bradley (19:41)

No, I love it. It's. It's the. It's an easier way for me to approach all these different weird. Because my projects haven't been some sort of formula or some sort of strategy. It's the needs of each project have I've learned. I feel like every project I've done has been grad school. I've like, taken out this long chunk of time and unhealthy amount of money and made this thing with. With my friends, with my peers. I like to say that money isn't the thing. Money is the thing that buys the thing. And so very often you don't need to raise the full budget. You need to figure out the access points for the things that you would have bought with the money. Okay, so if that's equipment, if that's locations, if that's dogs, you know, what is it that you're actually trying to achieve? And then sometimes that can actually be gained without money exchanging hands. There are other things that can happen. We are in Los Angeles. We are in the Olympics of entertainment. We are surrounded by musicians and actors and dancers and directors and writers, and they all want their shot. How many composers right now want or have been, you know, not even listed on the credits because they're making temp music that is part of the editing session for a TV show that they don't get the credit on because they're working under the composer. Yada, yada, yada. You're giving them a chance to be the composer of a feature film and put that on their resume. An editor, you're giving them the shot. They're sitting there, an assistant editor, putting together dailies for producers every day. And this is their chance to show what their style is, how they cut, what they would do if they were in charge of the edit. And so I think there's a lot of ways that by finding good collaborators and good collaboration, you can actually secure even better partnerships that would stretch that dollar far than you would ever take it. Now when it comes to just the manufact of what those assets are that you need. If you use like Final Cut Pro, there's software that will just take your screenplay and kind of guesstimate what all the like, number of days, locations, characters.

Brendan Bradley (32:17)

Well, first, Pixar is notorious for saying writing is the cheapest part of the process. So they spend the most amount of time in development before they ever commit to 3D animation. And they are known for transforming 3D animation. But really what they transformed was the workflow to get to animation. What we're really getting around here is the essence of, I didn't wait until the Staples job to start making things, and I made a lot of things. The way the Duplass brothers talk about where they take like a hundred dollars in a weekend and make a very bad thing, and then they take 500 hours in another weekend and make another very bad thing. And slowly over time it gets a little bit less bad and you start proving the ability to access more Capital and more resources. But again, money isn't the thing. Money is the thing that buys the thing. And you might be able to trade the thing. And if you don't consider yourself a writer, I think we shame actors about this, and I don't like it. We go, you should just write your own thing. You should just make your own thing. Not everybody's a writer. Not everybody's a director. Not everybody's a dp. So. But there are in your community, in your backyard, there are writers, there are directors, there are cinematographers, there are editors who are equally hungry and who equally haven't gotten their fair shot. They've been equally disadvantaged and equally undermined. And they are waiting for their moment. And you could all give each other that moment. But I think that every time one of your friends says, hey, I wrote this thing, I want to hear it out loud, or, hey, I'm about to do stand up, or, hey, my film is in a short film festival that's in Burbank. Go. Just show up and help. The amount of people that I've held a boom for or that I've let borrow equipment or that I've just gone to their screenings and helped vote for the audience award, or even just watched an early cut of something or read an early draft of something. Being in that community with each other means it just takes one person to say, I need help, and the community descends and helps. And then someone else says, I need help, and the community descends. And then it's your turn to go, I need help, and the people are there for you. But there will ultimately need to be somebody who is leading that charge, because they are the ones who have a vision in that moment or have a need in that moment that then that community can serve. And over time, you're gonna understand who are the helpers who keep showing up. If we've learned anything in this moment, $200 million movies, big superhero action, Marvel stuff that we've seen a million times. The audience is tired. They want relationship, they want connection, they want quirk, they want something new. They want dogs, thousands of dolls, Ra.