Editor Note: Hamish has another in his series of Five Questions With…
Hamish came up with this idea because he was accumulating too much material for his Famous News Sushi column and asked if he could do these mini-interviews. Why would we say no?
Thank you Hamish for being such a trooper for us. We really appreciate all fo your hard work.
Let us know what you think of these interviews in the comments below.
TGG: Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed today. Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
BLR: My name is Branden Lee Roth, originally from Worthington Minnesota, but have been residing in Los Angeles for the past 10 years. Growing up in a very small town I was always eager to perform any chance I could get. I was always singing in church, and auditioning for the all the shows in town. I also did everything from magic acts to singing at our local talent shows. After graduating I moved out to LA to attend the American Musical and Dramatics Academy, where is studied Musical Theatre. After my schooling I pursued my career as an actor, going out on auditions, and booking a few roles in some great projects. It wan’t until 2014 that I wrote, produced, and starred in my very own short film ‘Logan(+)’. Since that time I have lingered on both sides of the camera doing everything from acting, writing, directing, producing, to even editing. I’ve had the pleasure of being able to make a few of my short films into a reality over the past few years. I’m constantly working to create work that will be able to speak to the LGBTQ community, while also transcending any barriers we may face. We all have great, relatable stories to tell despite our race, sexual preference, or religion. ‘Hawaiian Snap’ is still one of my favorites to have worked on, and I’m glad I’m finally able to share it with the world.
TGG: Can you tell us more about “Hawaiian Snap”?
BLR: This short film was a bit spur of the moment for me. I was fortunate enough to travel to Hawaii with my partner and I had never been. Being a creator at heart I couldn’t let such a beautiful location slip away from creative grasp. So one night before the trip I came up with an idea for a new kind of short film. I got on the plan in the morning with an idea and by the time we had landed I had a story with a shot list. ‘Hawaiian Snap’ is a found footage based horror film from our lead [character] Justin Biron [played by Branden Lee Roth] recovered Snapchat account. Justin has been missing ever since he took advantage of his honeymoon trip to Hawaii, alone. The footage is believed to be the moments leading up to his disappearance.
Hawaiian Snap (Full Film):
TGG: Now that we’ve watched the film, can you tell us how it was all done?
BLR: As I mentioned before it was a spur of the moment kind of idea. All I had was my camera on my cell phone and an idea. It was really great putting the film together from start to finish essentially on my own. Outside of a few special effects moments, thanks to my good friend Austin Acevedo, it was basically a one man show. I shot, starred in, and edited all the footage myself. It was really a great learning experience for me at the time as well since I didn’t have much experience editing in the past. I like to really push myself and with the help of a few tutorials on youtube I was able to create a film all on my own. If you have a good idea and a can do attitude you can really make anything possible. The film itself was entered into OUTWebfest LA in 2017 and won the category for Experimental Film Making. That was such an honor for me to think my idea turned into an Award Winning short film.
TGG: Can you tell us about your other work?
BLR: I started my career focused solely on acting. I was auditioning frequently and booking roles here and there. It wasn’t until a big opportunity with a major network fell through that I finally decided to take my career into my own hands. I started writing and producing my own short films Logan(+), Different Shades, Hawaiian Snap, and recently Tom Cat (most of which I also directed and edited). Taking control of my career as an actor has allowed me to learn so many wonderful and new talents that I enjoy. To me it’s the equivalent of being a singer/songwriter, the words and stories in my scripts mean so much to me because they come from me. The opportunity to make my projects was not given to me, I created the opportunities. I’m so thankful to my partner, my family, and my friends for supporting and believing in me, because without them I wouldn’t be able to do what I love, create!
TGG: So, what’s next for you? Where can we go to support you?
BLR: Currently I have a few scripts in the works. One is another horror film idea and another is a pilot for a TV series. I’m also working on some more content for my youtube channel. Being a creator, I’m always working on something new, so hopefully you all will be seeing a lot more of my work. Feel free to follow me on my social media to keep updated and subscribe to my youtube channel. Any and all support is helpful!
IG: @brandenleeroth
Twitter: @BrandenLeeRoth
Facebook.com/branden.roth
www.brandenleeroth.com
Youtube Channel: Innovative Squirrel
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