Today we’d like to introduce you to Bo Barrett.
Hi Bo, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Echo Park in the ’90s, skating, playing music, and making videos.
My dad’s a production designer. He was working a lot in music videos when I was growing up, which no doubt heavily influenced my creative energy going in that direction.
I used to think I wasn’t the kid shooting films in my backyard, but the thousands of hours of hi8 and mini dv tapes in my basement tell a different story. I wasn’t necessarily crafting films. But I was shooting EVERYTHING!
I started playing in bands, and music took over in my teens and early 20s. Then, I pursued an acting career for a bit too long.
Eventually, it became clear that all I wanted to do was make films. That’s where you find me today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. At least not on the financial end. But that’s the great thing about creative endeavors. The financial end doesn’t necessarily matter. It shouldn’t matter. It can’t stop me from expressing myself. I say so confidently, but that’s something I’m constantly reminding myself. I try not to let the end result affect my creative output. That’s the real struggle.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a writer/director. Primarily working in film and commercials. I like to think of myself as an emotion-first director. I like to make things that move an audience. Whether that’s through laughter, pain, inspiration… I’m heavily inspired by music, which I think runs deep through my work. I’m also deeply interested in human beings. What makes them tick, what makes them who they are. Where does their pain come from? Where does their joy come from? Everything I make I think is in some way about the human experience and how f*ck*ng complicated it is.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think being able to understand people. To have empathy and understanding that we’re all the same has been hugely beneficial in my career. Whether it’s connecting with creatives on a commercial pitch, working with actors, or writing relatable characters, being able to actually see people is so important.
And as much as I have complicated feelings about my time as an actor, the immense rejection that one experiences in that pursuit will set you up to face anything. The ability to bounce back from rejection over and over again has been pretty important in my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bobarrett.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobarrett/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobarrett4/
