Life & Work with Brett Nicoletti of Pasadena

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brett Nicoletti

Hi Brett, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My first job after graduating college was as a Runner at a small commercial post-production boutique in Hollywood. While working there I was encouraged to spend my down time learning Avid Media Composer – the VERY expensive flagship non-linear editing machine that, at that time, had a monopoly on offline film editing. About a year later I got a job as an Assistant Editor at another commercial shop and quickly began editing Director’s Cuts for several commercial directors who were represented by our parent company. That was my beginning, and over the next 10-15 years I edited commercials for some of the largest brands in the world – Coke, Nike, Facebook, etc.

In the mid-teens I made a conscious effort to pursue work in the world of documentaries because I very much wanted to be a part of telling stories about real-people doing extraordinary things. I slowly began connecting with documentary directors and production companies, and ultimately ended up editing several feature-length films and doc-series for Netflix, NatGeo & Vice, among others. At the same time, I purchased a camera and began making my own documentaries. Over the next decade I would concept, produce, edit and deliver dozens of short-documentaries independently and for non-profit organizations. Producing my own films re-energized my creative juices and I am now laser-focused on making documentary films for the rest of my career.

As a filmmaker, my mission is to shine a light on people and organizations who are making a positive impact on the world, and through this mission I have met and worked with so many amazing people who have unquestionably changed my outlook on life. I have filmed deep-dives with educators, athletes, immigrants, authors, artists, students, end-of-life care professionals, craftsmen and many, many more – and in each instance I can confidently say that I have walked away a more well-rounded human being. It is truly a blessing to speak with someone about their passions and to bear witness to their stories.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve been very lucky in my career. From my 1st opportunity to learn the Avid in an entry-level job, I’ve been encouraged throughout my career to constantly expand my toolkit, which has continuously put me in a position to take on different roles. I will also say that I’ve had to work very hard every step of the way, and if I hadn’t, I do believe that those opportunities would have passed me by.

As a freelancer going on 20 years now, there have of course been many lulls in my workload. These slow times are not easy, and there have been many dark days where I’ve wondered if I would ever get asked to do another job again. I’ve found that the best way for me to manage this stress is to work on passion projects – these projects not only keep my mind occupied on something productive, but they also help me to build my portfolio so that I will be better-equipped to handle a more diverse set of projects once things get busy again.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a film, TV & commercial editor and a documentary filmmaker.

As an editor, I’ve had my hand in projects varying from 6 seconds to 6 hours. I’ve worked on hundreds of commercials & dozens of films and TV shows. I’ve edited documentary, drama, comedy, action, VFX and everything in between. Each project that I’ve worked on has been valuable in that I learn something new every single time, and get the opportunity to meet and work with new people, all of whom have a different approach to reaching a similar goal.

As a director, I make documentaries. Most of my documentaries are somewhere between 2 and 15 minutes and they are always driven by deep, thought-provoking interviews with one or more on-camera contributors.

As a working creative in this business, I am absolutely most proud of consistently delivering successful films to my clients and partners. My goal when I begin each project is always to capture the essence of the story that we are trying to tell. I deeply value the input of my team, and will work tirelessly to ensure that we have delivered the strongest final product that we are all proud of.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up with a strong family who supported me every step of the way. 2 loving parents, an older brother, and close-knit extended family gave me the confidence and support that I needed to succeed in life.

I was always interested in sports as a kid – playing football, basketball, baseball, golf, skiing, etc. and did “just enough” to be a slightly better than average student. I also LOVED movies. I spent hours and hours at the video rental store staring at VHS covers and picking the ones that, for whatever reason, attracted me in the moment. Growing up in suburban Massachusetts, I certainly never thought a career in film and TV would ever be an option.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://smile-films.com/