Today we’d like to introduce you to Bron Theron.
Hi Bron, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story starts in Santa Cruz, California. My hometown where I was born and became a custom to the beach life. I grew up skateboarding and surfing in all the best spots California has to offer. In High school, I became infatuated with Graffiti art culture and by the time I graduated, I was a full-time graffiti artist. That came with some trouble with the law which resulted in even more trouble in romantic relationships. I graduated at 17 and was not really ready for the real world. I tried college but I just wanted to paint so I did poorly. After a year of being out of high school, I realized I need to be in a bigger city so I moved to the great Northwest with a buddy. Seattle Washington is amazing and I am glad I went there. I ended up going back to school to get a degree and of course kept painting. I always took drama classes where ever I went to school, I enjoy making people laugh acting the fool. Unfortunately not all my teachers enjoyed my style of performing arts so I kind of just kept to painting for my creative outlet. In the NorthWest I had many hobbies. I did a radio show and Portland State, I did a Public Access show in Seattle. I even had a job working with at-risk youth at a nonprofit while living in Seattle.
At some point, I guess I just missed the weather because in the early 2000’s I moved back to California. This time I moved it was for a purpose. I wanted to make films. The cost of living was super high for me at that point I had to work at a movie theater and do extra work for films when I first got to LA. I was broke, had no connections in the industry and I was living on my buddies couch for a good six months. It was doing extra work that changed my life forever. I met my lady on the set of Boston Public and we have been together for 18 years now. Not bad for Hollywood life. Another life-altering event happened shortly after I met my love. I auditioned for a live artist role for US tours through backstage west. I booked the job. They wanted a graffiti artist to do live painting during musical acts like the Roots, LL Cool J, Common and many others. I traveled all over for a good three and a half years. I then took footage of everywhere I went and made little graffiti documentaries. This taught me how to edit and be more computer savvy. I kind of forgot why I came to LA in the first place when all this happened but when things slowed down I started taking classes for acting again. I did so many different classes that it became kind of comical in a way.
I am really not sure what I learned from doing all this but I made some good connections and ended up producing a show about acting classes. It is called Real Acting and I hope you get a chance to see it. That pretty much catches a reader up to speed with my life. I run a streetwear clothing Company called 2 Ninjas with my lady and I run a production company called White Ninja Productions. We just wrapped on a feature film called Half Dead Fred. This film was mainly shot in Michigan and it was the biggest project that I have managed to date. Since Covid happened, I became a day trader in the morning and a filmmaker in the evening with bursts of painting sessions here and there. I am producing several films at the moment and you can see all those wonderful projects on my IMDb account. I would say the painting hobby in my life opened many doors for me but the runner-up is simply networking. Like an acting class or a party or even a film set. I try to talk to as many folks as I can to see if there is an opportunity for a future project.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This journey comes with ups and downs. I think in the beginning, it was my lack of money that was the big problem. The worlds of entertainment and art both rely on networking since the art form is so subjective. Another struggle I deal with is time. Time is so precious and I often don’t know where to put my energy. I want to do so many creative things but often time cuts my options short. A large struggle I believe all humans have is finding the right teammate. I had some relationships that were not good just like anyone. I think the faster you learn about yourself and who you want to be around the faster you will reach your goals and ultimately be happy on the journey to those goals. A struggle that hits people hard is self-doubt. I rarely have this issue but when I do, I normally find a beautiful place and just look at it for a while. The ocean is normally what I look at. I try to believe that if I am able to look at such beauty there is no reason to be depressed or have doubts about the future. Attitude is everything.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am most known for my graffiti art history. I have traveled all over the world doing my hobby. This hobby turned into a career without me noticing. What sets me apart is mostly determination. I have gone through many styles of the letter form and am lucky to be noticed for my work. I am currently trying to focus on film directing, producing and acting. I think what sets me apart from most filmmakers is I can do every department. I believe I have a voice as a writer. I have a vision as a director and when it comes to acting I have no clue if I am a good actor, but I just love to do it and it puts me in a position where I can be present. I think of the future too often and when you act you have to be in the moment and that is very grounding. The main thing that sets me apart is I get things done. I am still learning on many levels of the filmmaking game but I know enough about each department to have a finished product. I also work in marketing so that helps any film I am a part of.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
If I had to start over in my career I would network more. I would be kind to people and be memorable. The world is a crazy place and your job is to not lose your shit! If I had to go back in time, I would just go to more social events, compliment folks on their work, be a person that makes other people feel good about themselves without being too fake….. if that is possible
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theheatofthebeat.com
- Instagram: @halfdeadfred
- Facebook: @halfdeadfredthemovie
- Youtube: whiteninjaproductions
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3234028/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Image Credits
Jehad Choate Lisa Hirata Bron Theron Nathan Nordstrom
