Conversations with Bron Theron

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bron Theron.

Hi Bron, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It all started in Santa Cruz California. I was born on the beach and always had a connection to the coast. I grew up skateboarding and doing graffiti. I became an artist at an early age and always wanted to make movies. I moved to Seattle Washington shortly after I got out of High school. It wasn’t a plan but became one when my girlfriend left me for my constant troubles with the law. In the great northwest, I went to college and became a better artist with a spray can, I think it was called tagger back then but nowadays it’s referred to as urban artist. Capitalism changes conception. In Seattle, I also worked with large companies to produce marketing material and murals. I also worked on the street team for record labels and learned the promotion business. After college in Seattle, I moved to Portland Oregon for a short stint. I did college radio there and saved a bunch of money by enjoying cheap rent and low living costs. After the northwest adventures got too cold for me, I decided to come back to California. This time I was going to Southern California. Luckily for me, I had a good friend in Long Beach California.

After a few months in the LBC, I decided that I wanted to live here rather than Hollywood or Venice which were my first ideas when it came to moving. I began doing extra work and auditioning for films. It is insanely hard to meet the right people in this business but I did it anyway, I worked at a movie theater and did extra work for a while to make rent, then one day I answered an ad in the backstage west, which is now called “Back Stage”. It was for a touring artist that would do live painting for bands on the road. I went to an audition, they liked me, I painted a test canvas for them and boom… I got the gig. I was on tours for three years doing whatever art stuff they wanted me to do. Bands like The Roots, LL COOL J, DeLa Soul, Tribe Called Quest and many more. While I was on tour, I took footage of all the graffiti in different cities. I made these underground graffiti documentaries called “Graff Life”. That was my intro to being a director. I met so many rappers in the industry that making a film about them came easy. In 2008 I made a film called “Primal Rap”. After touring, I decided that narrative filmmaking is my future. I started acting classes again and set out to make more films. I wanted to act but I found out that making the story is even more rewarding. I started writing and shooting stuff with my friends. During all this time I kept painting as well and I enjoy making art and large-scale murals. Sometimes the murals have to pay for my filmmaking addiction.

In 2017, I started working in marketing and it helped push the filmmaking hobby that turned career. It is a very “who you know” business but that should not stop anyone. The sheer determination of making films will make a person successful at that craft. It took me a while, I just completed my second narrative feature called “Half Dead Fred”. It has been doing the festival circuit and will be released next year. I am beyond grateful for this project and the response has been insane. Because I was able to complete this film, I am directing my third feature narrative next year Called “Pancake Man”. I guess my story is about a skater kid that grew up to be a filmmaker. In reality, I don’t think I grew up, I grew out. If you want to know more about these films please check them out online they are easily found. I got groups on Facebook, and Instagram, I got showings and I got tons of other content out there. I do lots of comedy stuff but at the moment I am focusing on thriller and horror genres. I love making films and plan to do so for many years to come.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would say the road to success is never smooth. Making films is costly and the main problem is finding money to make things happen. Then when you do succeed in making a project, you have to get people to see it. The biggest obstacles for me have been getting financing and finding the right people for the right job. It takes a lot of vetting for a good team. One of the biggest struggles was the covid thing. It made me become a day trader for a short while so I can keep making rent and making films. On the last film, I had to replace an actress in less than 24 hours because she couldn’t provide a negative test result. Talk about stress! The challenges that lie ahead are a mystery but that makes the filmmaking adventure more exciting.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in large murals. I have been doing murals, graffiti letters, graphic design and a ton of other art-related activities for 30 years. I am most proud of the body of work I have accumulated and the amount of business I get from word of mouth. I am now transitioning my career into full-time filmmaking and my last movie was a great success for my life. I am proud I got to work with great actors like Corin Nemic and Tiffany Shepis and so many more that I have seen grace the theater and television screen for a long time. I have been known for artwork most of my life but now I am starting to build the filmmaker persona.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I see very big things for the next five years. I see more movies that I have scripts for being made on much bigger budgets. I also see more traveling for me and my lady. I see the industry changing as well. I think most people will make films on the phone and I think most people will watch films on their phones.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.infamyart.com
• Instagram: whiteninjaproductions
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442828019400518
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDVTkZ0W2Qg

Image Credits
Photo credits include – Lisa Hirata, Jehad Choate, Zachery Malloy