Getting To Know Brian Varney, An Imaginative, Masterful and Dedicated Individual in the Film Industry
In this highlight we turn our attention to Brian Varney, a Hardworking, talented and respected individual in the film industry. I asked Brian a series of questions, here is what we discussed:
Tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, grew up, what H.S./College you attended, etc.
My name is Brian Varney, I am an aspiring artist in many mediums. I grew up on Long Island, N.Y.- mostly in Patchogue, about 1.5 hrs from NYC. I am currently based out of Erie County- outside of Buffalo, N.Y.
What inspired you to get into film? Early experiences worth sharing?
Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Crime films fascinated me so much as a kid that I knew (once I was conscious enough to percieve the concept of a career) that I would find myself working in SFX for film. I saw so many movies on USA: Up All Night or Monstervision besides whatever else I was renting from BlockBuster that was a stone throw behind my house. The first film I ever chose to rent on my own was Roger Corman’s Carnosaur. I have been hooked on Dinosaur violence for nearly 25 years now! I happen to have been a kid in a great time for broadcast networks playing a lot of classic stuff, like all the zombie films, The Fly, The Blob remake, all of the “Golden Age Of Slashers” etc. so, I always wanted to see more of the action & gore that was cut out for TV because it made the films feel incomplete in storytelling. I knew there was more because I saw the home versions. I think this really made me interested in how the SFX worked. Now that i’m older and trying to pursue SFX as a career, I see how many more layers there are to it than just some fake blood & chunky stuff to make someone look like a bystander to someone giving themselves a gunshot wound to the head (inside joke right there, Tune in to Dark Justice: Season 3 to become Privy. and there’s a plug!)
Talk about a time where you have faced adversity/conflict and have triumphed.
There are a lot of bad things out there and I’ve had my share of far too many of them to call upon anything in particular- if we are talking in a personal sense. In a professional sense, it’s always a conflict to pursue creative work that is mostly going to be freelance or working for yourself where you can’t just clock in and get your check at the end of every week. I have been very blessed to have gotten all the chances I have to work on the things I have. Through having limited resources for basic survival at times in order to pay for tools/materials or working for little to nothing to get the next chance based on reccomendation or selling things to get through dryspells, you always wind up where you need to be to be tested again when you’re chasing a creative career (or most entertainment careers.) I have been getting more opportunities now than ever before so I consider it a triumph that I even get to attempt to make my skills into a career.
What do you believe sets you apart from others in the film industry?
I don’t think i’m different than a lot of Art Department oriented people in film. I think many of us just kind of find our way to film eventually because it’s a medium that calls for so many different facets from Traditional & Digital art as a whole. You could use either to accomplish nearly any visiual you need so, there can be a lot more jobs within the field than you may think. I come from Finish Carpentry work with my father when I was kid, I’ve always been into drawing, I worked silkscreen printing for 10 years before getting into Licensing & Merchandising, sprinkle in a bunch of Warehousing & some retail and that’s much of my work background. My involvement with some friends record labels & doing bands had me in the music industry working with a lot of Metal/Punk material so I segued from that into event production which led to me becoming the head of the staging department for a major NYC event company before I moved to pursue film work again. I did not attend film school (or much of any school) so everything has been happening for me out of good ole networking & social proof. Maybe some people have had other chances than me because they went to school or through nepotism perhaps but, I think most people (atleast all of the ones I have worked with) working in film really want to be there, regardless of how they got there so, I can atleast say how I’m similar to the working professionals I have called peers;)
Do you have any other interests or hobbies?
I was a skateboarder giving about 6–8 hrs a day worth of punishment to my body & the ground beneath it but since I hit 30, I’ve been thinking a lot more about breaking something so I chilled out on that quite a bit haha. I enjoy cooking, watching movies, playing video games that everyone grew out of like 5 years ago but mostly I am always for new information or inspiration so I study whatever comes across my path to try to find how or if I can implement it into my crafts or everyday life.
Any projects you have out or are currently working on?
I just accepted a position as a traveling Laser Tag Arena Installment Technician so a new adventure is on my doorstep with that work. I am excited to see what more I will learn about wiring/lighting/constructing Sci-Fi themed scenic “sets”. Unfortunately I will not have as much time to pursue film work right now but, this experience will make me a better builder so I can take on smaller direct projects in the future where I’m making props & sets (hopefully some creature/monsters too!)
Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?
Whenever I picture myself 5 years ahead, I get a crazy visual of me belting out a maniacal laugh while something is blowing up in the background so I think I see myself using Pyrotechnics to blow up Miniatures?!?!?! I hope…
What advice can you give to individuals aspiring to work in the film industry?
Pay your dues! Ask what you can do and then do it! Offer yourself everywhere, show up and bust your ass! Money has to be your last priority when you are starting out because you won’t be making much of it until you are proven. Always be kind to everyone and do what your superiors are telling you to do- you accepted a job so be a professional, even if you have problems with authority. Learn how to be good at cold calling for work. Always pass along your contacts and build your network. Most importantly: chase down any lead you think you have because it may not be what you thought it was but it turns into something else that will teach you or give you work.
How can we follow along in your journey? Social media?
I am Brian Varney on Facebook and @varneybrian on Instagram. I will put up a website again when I have the resources to collect everything into one place as best I can haha.
Give us a quote that means a lot to you personally in your journey.
“Do or do not, there is no try.” — Master Yoda
