Meet Bria O’Brien of Beverly Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bria O’Brien.

Hi Bria, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hi my name is Bria O’Brien,
I grew up in New Jersey, and went to Rowan University, where I double majored in RTF (Radio, Television and Film) and Journalism. My plan was to become the next Giuliana Rancic. I was going to be on the red carpet, interviewing celebrities, holding a microphone, living my very specific dream.

After graduation, I applied for hundreds of jobs and heard back from no one. 5 years after graduating I was working three jobs. bartending, doing bottle service, and working in marketing for a medical transportation company while trying to figure out how to actually use these two degrees.

Eventually, a small news station in South Jersey hired me to do entertainment reporting, and I thought, “Okay! It’s happening!”
A month later, the station shut down.
Then COVID happened. So that was a really strong start to my career.

My actual break came when COVID restrictions were starting to lift and we were being allowed back out into the world, but there was still a curfew. You could go have a drink, but then everybody had to go home around eight. My roommate and I went out one night, met some random people, and got invited to keep hanging out at someone’s place. We had that little debate: “Should we go? Is this a bad idea? What about COVID?” And eventually we were like, “Fuck it. Let’s just go.”

At this little shin dig, I met a girl who was hammered! We got to talking, and she asked what I wanted to do with my life. I told her about school, the jobs I’d applied for, and how badly I wanted to get into the industry but couldn’t seem to get a chance.

She said, “Oh my God, I’m M. Night Shyamalan’s executive assistant. Send me your résumé. Maybe we can get you on Servant.”
Now, I had heard versions of this before. “I know someone.” “I’ll get you in.” “Send me your résumé.” You get excited, you follow up, and then absolutely nothing happens. And this girl was so drunk that I was thinking, “There is no way she’s remembering my name tomorrow, let alone helping me start a career.”
But a few days later, she reached out and asked for my résumé.
She remembered. She followed through. And that conversation changed the trajectory of my entire life.

I would love to tell you my big break came from one of the hundreds of résumés I sent out, that someone saw my two degrees and thought, “We need this girl.” Apparently, I could’ve saved myself the tuition and just told my life story to a very drunk girl at a party. Even several drinks in, she had better follow through than anyone I’d ever emailed.

At the time, Servant was operating in a COVID production bubble, so there were a few possibilities for what position I could work, health and safety, or set dec pa. I was grateful for any opportunity, but I was secretly rooting very hard for set dec pa. I wanted to help make the show.

I ended up getting hired as a set decoration production assistant, and I loved it. Because of the way production was operating during COVID, I got to help with shopping, decorating sets, and adding little touches that actually ended up on screen. Which technically wasn’t allowed because I wasn’t in the union, but my boss sneakily let me do some fun things. Suddenly, I was watching something and thinking, “Wait, I helped put that there.” Seeing little details I’d helped choose appear on screen was incredibly exciting. I had imagined myself interviewing the people who made movies, and suddenly I was helping create the worlds those stories lived in.

The relationships I built became just as important as the work. During that time, I organized game nights and opportunities for people to connect within our production circle. I’ve always loved bringing people together, and some of the assistant directors I worked with began recommending me for other projects. I ended up doing 3 and a half season of Servant, as well as Knock at the Cabin, and built a network of people across Philadelphia and New York and started to work in both cities.

Eventually, one of those assistant directors brought me to Savannah for a television series “The Girl From Plainville, and I lived there for six months. It was my first time living that far from home and family, and I was scared. I wanted the adventure, but I also wanted everyone I loved conveniently located down the street.

Once I settled in, though, I realized, “Oh, I can do this.” I could move somewhere new, meet people, work, and build a life. That opened up the possibility of going somewhere even farther.
I was originally considering going to head to New Orleans to work on a movie called “The Iron Claw” shooting out in Baton Rouge, but then a friend offered me a place to stay for free in Los Angeles. Free housing in LA is a pretty persuasive argument. And my prop master homie Robbie Duncan I’d worked with on M. Night’s projects also offered to connect me with people he knew there, so I decided to go.

Before arriving, I reached out to the connections I’d made in Philly and New York and let everyone know I was heading west. Literally the day I landed, I started working. After all those unanswered applications at the beginning, I suddenly had people passing my name along and was getting work left and right.

One of my early jobs in LA was Mayans M.C. Later, I worked on a movie called Hurry Up Tomorrow, with Jenna Ortega and The Weeknd. It was a challenging job, but I made some lasting connections there, including meeting Adam Van Dyke, who is now my best friend and business partner at Skullglobe Productions.

Adam and I worked together again on This Tempting Madness, and he started sharing his scripts with me. I loved his writing and wanted to help him get a short film made. I began talking to producers, actors, and crew members about the project and looking for ways to raise money. Eventually, he asked if I wanted to produce it. Producing hadn’t been part of my original plan, but I realized I was already doing it naturally: connecting people, finding resources, and helping move an idea toward something real.

From there, we kept making shorts together and building Skullglobe Productions. Horror is at the heart of our company, although we’re open to other genres, too. We love distinctive stories and collaborating with writers, directors, cinematographers, and crew members who bring their own perspectives.

We’re scrappy. We don’t have endless resources, but we have experience, relationships, and a willingness to figure things out. If we need a prop, a location, an effect, or a way to stretch a budget, we get creative. There’s something incredibly satisfying about a group of people coming together and making something that initially seemed impossible.

Right now, we’re finding ways to fund projects beyond our immediate circle, grow our audience, and keep creating. We’re developing a series of mini horror shorts with other filmmakers, along with behind the scenes videos showing how we make our props, practical effects, and other elements of an independent production.

I want those videos to make filmmaking feel more approachable. So many people have ideas but don’t know where to start, or they’re afraid they don’t have enough money or experience. I understand that feeling. I spent years waiting for someone to give me a chance.

My path has been unpredictable, but each experience helped me find what I love: bringing people together and helping stories come to life. I still love a red carpet, but now I want to be there celebrating something I made 🙂

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?
Smooth? No. There have been moments where I’ve thought, “Could we have one character-building experience that comes with health insurance?”

After spending five years in college, I graduated wanting this so badly and couldn’t get anyone to give me a chance. I wasn’t expecting to walk straight into my dream job. I just wanted an opportunity to get my foot in the door and prove that I could do the work. After enough unanswered applications, you start wondering whether the thing you’ve built your whole future around is ever going to happen.

When I finally got that opportunity, I worked my ass off. I wanted to learn, build relationships, and become someone people could count on. But getting into the industry didn’t mean the hard part was over.

Being a production assistant can be physically and emotionally exhausting. The hours are long, you’re dealing with a lot of different personalities, and sometimes people talk to you like being at the bottom of the call sheet means you’re also at the bottom of the food chain. I’ve worked in environments where people were dismissive or belittling, and when you’re new and trying so hard to prove yourself, that can really get into your head. You start questioning your intelligence, your worth, and whether you’re even built for the business.

One of the hardest things I’ve had to learn is how to stand up for myself. Early on, I was so grateful to be there that I felt like I had to accept whatever came with it. Over time, I learned that I could appreciate an opportunity and still expect to be treated with respect. Someone else having a bad day or a terrible management style doesn’t get to decide whether I belong here.

And then there’s the uncertainty. Even now, I have moments where I wonder whether I should find something more predictable, with steadier money and fewer conversations with myself about my entire future. I love making independent films, but loving something doesn’t magically pay your bills. That tension is real.

What keeps me going is how I feel when we’re actually making something. When a scene comes together, when we figure out an effect we thought we couldn’t afford, or when I’m surrounded by people who care as much as I do, I remember why I wanted this in the first place.

I’m still figuring out how to build a sustainable life doing what I love. I’d prefer the artist part without quite so much of the starving, but I’m proud of how hard I’ve worked to get here. I want to keep giving myself and the stories we’re making a chance.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work as a production assistant, assistant director, and producer, so my role changes depending on the project. The common thread is bringing people together and figuring out how to make things happen. I love the creative side of filmmaking, but I also love the logistics. Give me an idea, a deadline, and a group of talented people, and my brain immediately starts going, “Okay, how are we doing this?”

On union productions, I typically work as a Key PA or First Team PA within the assistant directing department. I’ve earned the days I need to apply to the Directors Guild of America; now I need to finish assembling my book. Apparently, I can help organize an entire film set, but organizing my own paperwork is where things get complicated.

One of the highlights of my career was working on Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Spencer Taylor, my 1st AD, gave me my first opportunity to work as a Key PA. I was nervous, but he encouraged me and believed I could handle it before I fully believed it myself.

On the last couple of projects I’d worked with him, I’d noticed him choosing women as Key PAs. In my experience, I’d more often seen men in that position and women working First Team, so it was really cool to see him challenge that pattern. It felt like he had our backs….like, “You’re a badass. You can lead.” And he backed that encouragement up by actually giving us the opportunity.

Before I started, some coworkers warned me against taking the job. They talked about the overnight shoots, the demanding hours, and the big egos I might encounter. I understood their concerns, but I also thought, “I haven’t even gotten there yet. Let me at least have my own experience.” I reminded myself that I could leave if the environment wasn’t right for me. I didn’t have to stay somewhere that made me feel bad about myself, but I also didn’t want to let other people’s warnings make the decision for me.

I’m so glad I took it. It was challenging, completely new territory, and I ended up absolutely killing it. I worked hard, the producers noticed, and they began asking me to accompany Ryan Murphy when he directed episodes of other shows.
I worked as his AD PA, sitting in his tent and communicating his direction to the first AD on set. It was a big responsibility, especially because I was still questioning myself. Even talking on the walkie could send me into a little spiral: “Did that make sense? Was I clear? Did I just say twelve words when three would have worked?”
So when they asked me to work directly with Ryan, my first thought was, “Oh my God. What if he hates me? What if I get fired immediately?”

It didn’t help that people sometimes reacted to his arrival like Darth Vader had entered the building. Everyone would get quiet and move out of the way, and I’d be standing there thinking, “Okay, apparently this is a situation.”
Then I actually got to know him, and he was really cool. He was easy to communicate with, asked my opinions, and wanted me to keep working with him. I’d built up so much anxiety before we’d even had a conversation. Once I slowed down, listened, and focused on doing the job, I realized I could handle it.

That experience changed how I saw myself. People whose work I respected were trusting me with more responsibility, and it gave me confidence I hadn’t quite been able to give myself yet.

Something else I really respect about Ryan Murphy’s production team is that I’ve seen people grow there. Friends who started as PAs or assistants have moved into bigger roles. In an industry where you can work incredibly hard and still feel stuck, seeing people get opportunities to move forward means a lot. I experienced that support myself, and it’s something I want to give other people as I grow.

Another experience I’m really proud of was working on One Attempt Remaining. Before that job, I’d heard so much about assistant directors Liz Tan, Christina Fong, and Jesse Carmona from my PA friends. Everyone was like, “They work on huge projects. They’re amazing at what they do. If you get the opportunity to work with them, take it.”
So I put it out into the universe: “One day, I’m going to work with them.” Then I actually got the call to be their Key PA, and I was like, “Wait, what the hell? That worked?” Obviously, I took the job. They were every bit as badass as I’d heard, and I learned so much from working with them.

Manifestation is a big thing for me. I still show up and work my ass off, but I also believe in saying what I want out loud! Even when I have absolutely no idea how it’s going to happen. When I found out the second half of the movie would shoot in the Dominican Republic, I was told they wouldn’t be bringing the PAs because they already had a crew there. In my head, I was like, “Okay. Well, watch this.”

Every day on my drive to work, I said the same thing: “The producers are going to like me so much, they’re going to want to take me to the DR.” Every single day. My car had become a very specific vision board.

Then, during the last 2 weeks before everyone was leaving, one of the producers pulled me aside and said they really liked working with me and wanted me to come, but as the Producers assistants.

I ended up assisting five producers. Five. Apparently, the universe heard me clearly and decided I could handle a group project.
I’d imagined going as part of the AD team and continuing to help coordinate between that department and the producers. But what I’d actually been saying was, “The producers are going to want to take me.” And that’s exactly what happened. I hadn’t included a job description in my daily announcement.
It turned out to be an incredible opportunity. I already produce independently, and suddenly I got to work closely with producers on a much bigger movie, learn from them, and experience a whole different side of production. We had an amazing cast and crew, stayed in beautiful places, and had so much fun. I went there excited that I’d gotten to go, and left realizing how much that experience had helped me grow.

When we wrapped, I had to tell the producers the story. I was like, “You need to understand that every morning on my way to work, I was announcing that you were taking me to the Dominican Republic. You just hadn’t been informed yet.”

One of the producers, Nicole King, also pulled me aside and told me how much she appreciated the way I worked on set, and that she could see me going far in the industry. Hearing that from someone I respected meant so much. I spend plenty of time questioning myself, so having someone recognize my work and see that potential in me made me stop and think, “Okay. I’m doing the damn thing.”

Outside of those productions, I work as a second AD on nonunion commercials and music videos, and I produce through Skullglobe Productions, the company I’m building with my best friend and business partner, Adam Van Dyke, and his brother whom I consider a brother Sam Van Dyke. We make our own films and help other filmmakers bring their projects to life, including shorts, music videos, and features. Again Horror is at the heart of our company, but we’re excited by all kinds of stories.

One project I’m especially proud of is In the Valley, a queer horror alien-abduction short. It’s wild, weird, and exactly the kind of thing I get excited about. With less than two months of prep, I helped find a location, bring together a crew, and build a budget. We had so much fun making it, and we couldn’t have done it without that crew. Everyone brought something that made the film better.

I specialize in assistant directing and creative producing, but what I hope people know me for is being someone who cares about their vision and follows through. When someone tells me about a project they love, I immediately want to help figure out how to make it real. I want them to believe in it, and in themselves as much as I do.

I think what sets me apart is how much I enjoy both leading and supporting people. I can take charge, keep things moving, and make decisions, but I also want the people around me to feel heard and confident in what they bring. Seeing someone watch their idea come to life is one of my favorite parts of producing.

And when I’m not making films, I’m usually crocheting, sewing, or doing pottery. Apparently, my idea of taking a break from making things is making a different thing. Creating is what makes me happy, especially when I get to share it with other people.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
For me, it’s resilience, a positive attitude, and kindness. And the ability to have a small existential crisis on the drive to work and still arrive ready to do your job.

Having thick skin is important in this industry. People will test you, and you’re not going to be everybody’s cup of tea. That used to make me question myself a lot. I’ve had to learn that someone not connecting with my personality doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with it. I can listen to feedback and grow without letting every opinion become a verdict on whether I belong here. I worked hard to get where I am, and I have to give myself credit for that.

You also have to find your people! The ones who appreciate what you bring, encourage you, and want to see you succeed. Not everyone will, and that’s okay. I don’t need universal approval. I need to do good work and stay true to myself.

Something people consistently tell me on set is, “You always come in smiling. Even when the day is hard, you have such a positive attitude.” That means a lot to me because I’m definitely not floating through life without a problem.

Sometimes I’m having a terrible day. I just try to be intentional about the energy I bring into work. My coworkers don’t need to inherit my bad mood. My boyfriend and my mom, however, may be receiving a very detailed phone call later in the day lol.

For me, staying positive means being someone people can count on when things get stressful. I want to help find a solution, keep people moving, and make a long day feel a little lighter. That doesn’t mean I never speak up when something is wrong. You can have a good attitude and still have boundaries.

Kindness is huge, too. Sets are stressful. The hours are long, schedules change, and everyone has a lot coming at them. It’s easy to get short with someone and forget there’s a whole person on the other end of that interaction. You don’t know what they’re dealing with outside of work. A little patience, a thank you, or simply speaking to someone respectfully can make a real difference. Just because I’m having a bad day doesn’t mean I need to give someone else one.

And finally, you have to keep creating. There will always be reasons to doubt yourself or wait until you feel more ready. I’m learning to keep going anyway, to ask questions, collaborate, and make things with the resources I have.

Contact Info:

• Website: Working on one now
• Instagram: @briamariexox or my production account @skullglobeprodcutions