Steve Brunton BIO

I spent my youth in (and have temporarily and moved back to), a small fishing town in East Yorkshire – Small in size and small in mind. But don’t let that fool you, I’ve been around a bit!

After studying Media Production at University, and getting nowhere career-wise, I decided to go directly to the source of movie making. I enrolled on a filmmaker’s workshop in Los Angeles (NYFA, Universal Studios). I learned more in the three months there, than the whole three years at Uni. I think it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Everyone over there is so positive with their can-do attitudes. It was such an amazing breath of fresh air.
I guess, subconsciously I have always been interesting in filmmaking. There wasn’t much to do as a kid, besides going off with my friends on a BMX adventure into the wilderness. Back in the day, our local theatre used to only play one movie a night, and it would be months before we got a new film. If I was lucky my dad would sneak me in to see a film I was way too young to see.

I remember watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, more specifically; the truck chase scene where Indy is thrown out onto the hood of the truck and the driver tries to crush in against the lead car. I remember grinding my teeth and thinking “That’s what I want to do!” I was quite young, so maybe I wanted to be Indiana Jones, but whatever it was I defiantly wanted to be part of the ‘magic’ that was taking place on the screen.

I didn’t even know I wanted to direct until the end of the 2nd year of Uni. I was always too shy to sick my neck out and lead a group. After volunteering for camera, I witness the ‘director’ pissing about and wasting time trying to achieve an impossible shot. She wanted to reframe in a pitch black studio, with 30mins to go before the deadline. I tried to speak up, but she didn’t have ‘time’, to hear me help her save time? Bitch!

My bottled-up frustration gave me the courage and eagerness to go on to direct ever project in my 3rd year. I receive a 1st across the board (for my practical assignments, I can’t do written assignments for toffee).

After Uni, I got stuck working as an editor for what seems like the best years of my twenties, burning the candle at both ends working for someone else. I had no time to do my own projects. I grew tired of editing other people’s projects, most of them far for a professional standard. The longer I worked there, there worse I felt.  I was as if I let myself down. I broke a promised I made to myself (the 10 year old me). I needed to make a short and get the ball rolling on my filmmaking career.  As luck would have it, I secured a commission for a one minute short, funded by NFM (Northern Film and Media). “5 Bricks High”. The 1st and last commission I ever received.

After it was made, NFM showed it on their website. That was the end of that, and the film was put in the bottom of a draw.

About 6 months later, my dad called me up and told me about the BAFTA 60 Seconds of Fame Awards. I thought, “What the heck, I’ve got nothing to lose”.  Before I knew it, my film was:

?Propeller TV ComedyFest (2009): Runner Up?
?Canadian Film Centre (CFC) ShortsNonStops (2009): Runner Up?
?Virgin Media Shorts (2008): Finalist?
?BAFTA 60 seconds of fame (2007) nominee?

I made this short film more or less on my own with the help of a only few good friends to support me. I still have little experience in a large crew, which makes me feel like a bit of a glorified armchair critic.  I’m still desperately trying to carve a name out as a filmmaker, and I have a bunch of new ideas for shorts. But it’s hard to do on your own.

I think, this time next year, I’m going to try and move back to London and get my career back on track. London has always been the big elephant in the room. Hopefully by time I get there, I’ll be armed to the teeth with more films and much needed experience…

So stay Tuned!