Meet Brandon Don” Donohoo | Director & Dreamer”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon “Don” Donohoo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon “Don”, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think life is all about risk. We can’t sit down and wait for things to happen. At some point, you have to jump and take that leap of faith. If you fail and miss the landing then you get up. You figure out what went wrong and prepare yourself for the next big jump. To me that’s risk, the knowledge and underlying fear that it could possibly fail but the hope and drive that everything will work out. Every day we are matched up against adversities and challenges. Those challenges help us grow and become better versions of ourselves, but without the risk of taking them head-on, we can never grow. I am a filmmaker and business owner, I run a production house in Denver, Colorado called “Be My Dream”. As a child, I had an obsession with cameras and movies, but mainly visual storytelling. The emotion behind the words is still what gravitates me towards the craft. My passion for visual storytelling increased towards the end of high school and that’s around the time my peers and I were being pressured into what our careers would be and who we wanted to be in this world. In my mind I wanted to be a filmmaker, a Director, my happiness lied behind a script and a camera, but my counselor had other ideas. They said. “Why not try engineering?” or “You know how to work a computer, why not be a coder? It’ll pay well!” Although that was true, I did not feel the same drive for coding or engineering as I did filmmkaing. At that moment I felt a grip around my heart and a small tug of war beginning in my head. Do I follow what I love or follow what is lucrative? Leaving the office I knew I would have to make a big decision and in my heart I knew I had to take that risk. Ever since I was born I’ve been blessed with two supportive parents, that night I came home and we spoke about my career and future. They pushed me and told me to follow what makes you happy and that if it fails it fails, but we get up and keep fighting. They finished the conversation saying, follow your heart and listen to the fire in your soul that drives the passion for what you love. To this day, those words are forever engraved in my mind. I take every risk head on and with the guidance of my heart and the fire in my soul. If I would have never taken that risk then I wouldnt be here today with short films, a company, and projects with artists like Jack Harlow, the Migos, and Doja Cat on my belt. So take that risk and achieve or dont take that risk and don’t achieve, because a life without risk isnt a life at all, its solely an existence.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a visual storyteller, a filmmaker, and a business owner. As a child, I’ve always been attracted to films and cinema. At around 8 or 9, I remember watching The Godfather with my dad. At that time I had no idea what composition, editing, blocking, or lighting was but that day I discovered something important. I developed the sense of emotion and how a film can change your mood and take control of how and when you feel. At that young age, you don’t dissect or compare you observe, and with a film like that, you strap in and enjoy the ride. A rollercoaster of emotion. Since that day my passion was born. My passion for visual storytelling with a strong emphasis in emotion. The type of films where you are forced into the drama and glued to the point where you think it’s real. The films where you forget about this world and are teleported into another. Towards the end of high school my passion for cinema began to blossom and I couldn’t help but follow my heart and drive for the craft and so I applied for film school in 2016. Unfortunately they didn’t accept me. It felt like a punch in the gut, how can I become a better filmmaker without the “proper” schooling? but everything happens for a reason. I wasn’t going to let them blow out the flame to my drive to become a filmmaker. I bought books and began to study cinema on my own, that was the first battle. From that I developed an understanding on directing, writing and the true art of visual storytelling. My next battle was cinematography, I watched youtube video after video and was a sponge. I was taught proper composition, different lighting techniques, and equipment. My final battle was writing, producing, and editing my very own project. May 2017, I asked a friend if he’d help me with a film idea. He said yes and we scheduled a day. At the time all i had was a Canon 80D with the good ole 18-35 4F kit lens, but I had one thing that in my eyes is an unstoppable force. I had the drive and determination to create. To me that is every artists most valuable asset. So I picked him up and we shot the film. It turned out the way any first time creatives very first project would turn out…It wasn’t the best. Especially looking back on it today, but to 18 year old me it was gold and it was the first idea i had put together from scratch. I immediately went home and put it together. That night I learnt the value of hard work and the satisfaction of seeing something you thought of come to life. To this day I chase that feeling, the feeling of a finished product and sitting back and knowing you created that. I wanted to pursue it further and so I applied to a Media School where I wouldn’t progress my knowledge on filmmaking but enhance my ability to lead. Within those 6 months I met friends that helped me believe in myself, created another short film but this time with a cast and crew and as director myself and found a job that would help further my ability to create. I was hired on to Audacy Denver aa company that runs 4 local radio stations; Alice 105.9. KS 107.5, 99.5 the mountain, and Comedy 103.1. I would speak to the GM and tell him how I am capable of videography and editing. He took a chance and let me shoot an upcoming event “Live @ 5”. I shot the event and edited the recap video that night. I turned it in first thing in the morning and stunned him. That day I left with a new title, Creative Content Director for Audacy Denver. Those three years taught me how to be hustler and what type of business can be acquired through visual storytelling. Within those three years i built a Youtube channel for KS 107.5 that gained 11 thousand subscribers and over a million views with the help of Troy Schieman and on air personality Rosa Jad. Those three years I had grown the most like i would’ve never imagined. 2020 comes around and you know the story. Unfortunately they let me go, no concerts and events equals no me. Months go by and nothings coming back but I received an influx of requests for social promos and digital edits and that is when my business was born Be My Dream LLC. Since then I’ve been running my production company and have been fortunate enough to shoot with well known individuals such as the migos, jack harlow, and doja cat. So to answer your question, I’ve learned alot of lessons. Never back down even when things become hard. Follow your passion because that is where your happiness lies. Take a chance because you’ll never know the outcome until you do it. As the world grows larger with creatives such as myself I have a few words to give them. Your art is solely yours, do not create for others but create for yourself. Make things that will bring that satisfaction to your mind, heart and soul. I’ve been blessed with a supportive family and in all honesty I work hard everyday for them. I am a first generation American. My mother is peruvian and came to the U.S. at the age i am today, 23. To me family is everything and the backbone to all that i do and love, so whatever i can do to help them I will. I feel as though my story has just begun, but I’m excited for the journey and places this road will take me. Everything happens for reason sometimes you just have to let go and let this crazy world take you in the right direction.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Music, sports, and views. The top places for food and drinks are Dio Mio in RINO. Dio Mio is a small Italian restaurant with the best Italian dishes. To me they are undefeated, try the chicken parm. Then for a late-night drink, I would go to El Five in the Highlands. If you want a place for views and a great cocktail this is it. Placed at the top of a skyscraper overlooking the city. Now if you’re in Longmont and want traditional Peruvian cuisine then you will love Rosarios. As a first-generation Peruvian American, it doesn’t get better than this.

For Activities, I would take them to the newly built Meow Wolf. This museum takes you to a parallel universe with interactive exhibits. Then I would catch a show at red rocks and then an avs or nuggets game at the Pepsi Center.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The support from my family for encouraging me to be my best self and for helping build me into the person I am today; Carola, Tim, Miguel, and Brianna

The mentors that help me discover my potential, sculpt me into being a mogul, and always remind me every day to be present with the world and people around us; are Troy Schieman and Rosa Jad.

The support and push from my two best friends, Matt Lutito and Isaias Huizar.

The support from each person that watches my films and feels the emotion put into the piece and everyone that has had my back since the beginning.

I am a product of the greatness around me, thank you.

Website: bemydream.org

Instagram: http://instagram.com/greatestbrandon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeMyDreamLLC

Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user135731462