About

Bryan Elsom - Writer / Director

I have been a storyteller through film, video, and print for over 35 years. Listening to and guiding real people to share their journeys has been incredibly satisfying. It‘s still captivating to hear people speak about what’s important to them. Specific details reveal universal truths. We come to recognize a part of ourselves in other people’s experiences. 

Authenticity matters. The genuine resonates an emotional value.

It is important to make participants feel comfortable on camera so they can open up and provide a deeper layer of engagement. My conversations with people are designed to discover the core of their experience and reveal untapped emotions.  

Visual content that immerses the viewer in our subjects’ lives is essential. We need to see their relationship to a service, a product, or an idea. What people say is vital, but what we tend to remember is how their whole story lands emotionally. Incorporating visual poetry creates impact.

BACKGROUND:

My experience includes making documentaries for organizations and broadcast entities such as PBS, BBC, ABC, and Channel 4. My video art pieces have been displayed in numerous museums and galleries. I’ve directed commercials/content with real people and actors and this work has taken me all over the U.S. and extensively throughout Latin America, as well as South Africa, China, and most of the E.U.

I reside in Baltimore, MD with my wife, Angela, where I write screenplays, push oil paint and encaustic around on canvas, and test my culinary skills.

BRANDS:

Coca-Cola, Cristal Beer, St. Martin Tourism, Brugal Rum, Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, Cadillac, Levi’s, Goodyear, Hilton, Auto Zone, Panasonic, Ericsson, AT&T, Verizon, Johns Hopkins, Union Bank, Lockheed Martin, Washington Gas, AES, PSE&G, Planned Parenthood, No Kid Hungry, Alzheimer’s Association, Dept. of the Interior, Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Transportation, National Institutes of Health, and TSA, among many others.

Real Stories

Other Stories

Process

Telling authentic stories is a highly effective way to create immersive content. It’s important to carefully structure the story through what we learn in pre-interviews with potential participants. Getting to the essence of each story is a devotional process of active listening.  

Basic steps we guide along the way: 

• Identify potential participants who have had or want to have the experience that speaks to the message strategy. Include stakeholders.

• Pre-interview potential participants and transcribe their comments.

• Select the final participants and visit with them. Learn about how they live, how they work, and what they believe is important.

• Create a single point of contact with ongoing conversations.  People will feel more comfortable as the conversation continues on camera. 

• Design the content for the various delivery platforms, i.e., 30 sec. TV, 90 sec. online videos, 10-15 sec. social media pieces.  

• Explore the usage of visual metaphors to make the story compelling and focused on an emotional value. 

• Put our participants on film by going to where they are… their home, their community, or their workplace.  

• Capture support imagery that helps illuminate a personal journey.  

• Craft the final story through editorial. 

Contact

Bryan Elsom
bryan@mrbfilms.com
202-997-0972

Representation:
groupcultureltd@gmail.com