From Dazed and Confused to the Oscars: Brian Lee's Hollywood Story

From the Studio · Inside RCS · Brian Lee, founder

Every video we make at Relevant Content Studio starts with a lesson I learned on a Hollywood set. Here's how a Nebraska kid ended up there.

An extra in Austin

I grew up in Papillion, went to Papillion-La Vista High School and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After college I moved to Austin, right as its movie scene was taking off. Richard Linklater was filming Dazed and Confused, and my buddy and I landed spots as extras. That was all it took. I was hooked.

Following the film to Hollywood

I went to work as a production assistant on Hallettsville, an independent film starring Gary Busey. When it wrapped, the producers moved to Hollywood to market it, and I went with them to learn.

Nickelodeon, E! and the Paramount lot

In LA I worked behind the scenes at Nickelodeon on iCarly and Unfabulous. At E! I worked Live from the Red Carpet with Ryan Seacrest, covering the Grammys, the Oscars and the Golden Globes. On the Paramount lot I worked on truTV's Speeders, where our crew rode along with police officers and turned traffic stops into funny clips.

Every job taught me a different part of the craft: directing, producing and editing.

My directorial debut

While I was working in Hollywood, I directed my first short film, SP Untitled. It's a mockumentary about Paige and Johnny Sweet, two kids who move to LA chasing fame while a camera crew follows their every move. When the show starts to tank, the producer brings in a skateboarding new roommate to boost the ratings. The cast came straight from Nickelodeon's Unfabulous: Malese Jow (Geena Fabiano), Tadhg Kelly (Ben Singer) and Markus Flanagan, who played Jeff Singer, Addie's dad. Looking back, it's no accident it was shot like a reality show. That style has stuck with me ever since.

What it means for your business

Reality TV shaped my style more than anything else. It's why our flagship product is the mini reality show: real people, real stories and the pacing of TV, made for local businesses. You get Hollywood storytelling without the Hollywood budget.

See what that looks like today in Why Reality-Style Video Is the Ultimate Sales Tool.

Want your story told like this? Let's find the story that makes your customers lean in. Book a discovery call with Relevant Content Studio.