Conversations with Farrah Bryant

Today we’d like to introduce you to Farrah Bryant.

Hi Farrah , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve had an exaggerated imagination and felt that film was the perfect outlet for it. Growing up I just enjoyed any form of self expression, whether it was dancing, drawing, or writing. Being a military kid I moved a lot and had to get used to making new friends everywhere I went, but in turn that made me more shy. I got tired of having to constantly introduce myself to people again and again, eventually spending most of my time on my own. That time spent alone was filled with either creating or consuming any form of art. My family is an interesting mix, my Dad is from Georgia in the US but my Mom is from Turkey and somehow I spent most of my life in Germany. I think this mix of cultures made me very keen to different experiences of life and is a big reason why I love telling stories so much. With a combination like that, there are just so many stories to tell. As I got older I realized I needed to leave Germany if I really wanted to pursue my love of film. Luckily a lot of people in my life were very supportive, my parents at the forefront of it all, but my high school film teacher helped motivate me to really try my best in filmmaking. I entered the annual film festivals back home and took home a few trophies each year! One winter I went to an art camp where I met so many other likeminded artists and we spent our time there creating a spine chilling horror film. These experiences gave me the confidence to apply to film school in the US and here I am. Now I am a senior at Chapman university majoring in Screenwriting and minoring in Production Design. Looking back, I’m realizing that anything you put time and effort into will likely work out. It really is all about having the right support system and belief in yourself.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Nothing is ever easy! The list could go on and on. But I’ll start with the biggest block in the road. In the middle of my freshman year of college I experienced a nearly fatal car accident while visiting back home. It was right at the end of my winter break and a few days later I was expected to return to college and begin my second semester. I was severely in shock and felt horrible having to leave home. That was a time I needed to be with my family, but I had to make the choice to continue my education. That semester was incredibly isolating. Not only was it difficult to be away from home, but I was constantly just reliving the moment of when I almost died. It’s a feeling I wouldn’t wish on my enemy, but during that time I just needed someone around me that could relate to my situation. It felt like my world had ended, but my math homework was still due every Friday at 5pm. This of course made me reconsider filmmaking and if this was a grander sign from the universe telling me to go home. I just constantly felt like I was making more sacrifices than my peers to pursue this silly dream. Being out here I go 8 months at a time without seeing my family, while others around me go home every few weeks. I feel lucky enough to have a family I miss so much, but it definitely makes the day to day so much harder. This is all excluding the constant rejection of internship applications, complicated social circles, the competitive nature of film school and the financial burdens of being in California on my own.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Overall I am an artist, but my focus is in filmmaking. I am a a screenwriter, production designer and costume designer. This past year I wrote and directed a shortfilm called TaxiCat. The story follows a young girl who suffers from a head trauma after she attempts to save her cat from climbing a tree. This story has been in my mind for a while. Just like the protagonist I suffered from a concussion that momentarily changed my perception of reality. After hitting my head I spoke fluent Turkish, which I only spoke elementary levels of before my head injury. This was a phenomena I wanted to explore, so in TaxiCat the protagonist Clarice is changed into a cat serial killer after her head injury. I just love telling odd and whimsical stories that exemplify basic human emotions. When it comes to my costume and production design, the same rule follows. I love being able to create worlds that only exist once my collaborators and I have created them. The human experience is at times very intense, and I love being able to create a space for people to point at something I have created and say that they feel seen. After moving so much as a kid, I’ve really learned that most people are going through the same things, grief, love, confusion, fear, and excitement. But we rarely admit to those feelings for whatever odd reason it may be. My goal is to inspire people to admit to those feelings and have someone to talk to about those things.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think of it less as luck and more as good karma! I really try my best to be the best person I can be and I feel like that has been rewarded in some way. People recognize authenticity and are attracted to that so much more. If you’re a little weird, be weird, the world has enough cool people. I also have learned to be content with things not working out sometimes. I really feel like if you are meant to experience something you will, and if not, you won’t. As gushy as it sounds, if I didn’t have this mindset I wouldn’t be moving forward at all and would be stuck in a negative circle of doubt and self loathing. As of now, I’d say luck got me my summer internship at FilmNation and such an incredible crew for my directorial debut with TaxiCat, but that doesn’t take away from the work put into both of those experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://farrahbryant05.wixsite.com/farrah-bryant
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farrahbryant_25/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farrah-bryant-652427392

Image Credits
Photographers: Jack Bonura, Shaumik Prabhu, Sam Lyons, Arianna Covarrubias
Directors: Farrah Bryant