Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Oldenburg.
Hi Brandon, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 1977, I saw Star Wars at the age of five. The film inspired me to want to draw. If you were going to attempt to draw a Star Destroyer or Darth Vader, all you had was your memory of the film to go by. Then, the toys came out. The packaging was just as valuable, if not more than the toy because you needed good reference for what you wanted to draw. A few years later, a family friend got a Betamax player. It came with a demo tape, The behind-the-scenes of The Empire Strikes Back. It blew my mind to see people making the film.
ILM became this mystical place that spoke to me, saying if you can make it with your hands or shoot it with a camera, you can bring your dreams to life. So, from a very young age, with a Super 8 camera and some art supplies me and my buddies would make 3-minute long epic backyard versions of Godzilla, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Tron and G.I.-Joe. We loved the entire process of dreaming, making, editing, and showing our films to our fourth-grade classes. Thank God we had teachers who encouraged this extracurricular activity for bonus points. This was the only way I could pass most courses, except for art which was the only subject I excelled at. Fast forward to undergrad choices in 1991. I couldn’t decide if I was gonna go to film school or art school? A scholarship to Ringling College of Art helped make the decision. There, I continued to sharpen my art skills but often spent time on the animation side of campus. Here is where drawing and filmmaking merged. The path became a tad clearer.
Literally the day I returned home from college in 1995, I reconnected with some old friends from high school who had started a small post house doing commercials for local ad agencies they called it Reel FX. They had just purchased two silicon graphics machines capable of making animated characters, not unlike the jumping lamps we’d seen on PBS. I said, “You know those guys are now trying to make a movie about toys.” I then said aloud one of my most naive and audacious thoughts I’ve ever had, “Why don’t WE try to make a CGI movie?” By that afternoon, we all were in business together with that “Mt. Everest” of a goal. We’d spend the next ten years working on commercials, sharpening our skills that got us closer to making an animated movie. For example, a local mexican food restaurant needed an ad. We’d pitch back an idea that included a CGI character, in this case, a dancing jalapeno. Every gig was a baby step towards that goal. Now in 2021, Reel FX Animation is still around with over 400 people on staff with offices in Montreal, Hollywood, and Dallas with eight animated features under their belt. Over the years, I’ve since founded two other studios in the process. First, Moonbot Studios, where I received an Academy Award and a few Emmy Awards. Most recently, my main focus is a company made up of the Moonbot’s creative leadership and Reel FX’s tech innovators. We call it Flight School Studio. Here, sharpen our storytelling skills by leveraging new technologies. So, you may see our work in the form of an animated series or video games or experiential physical locations.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the early days of Reel FX, being in Texas, far away from the studios of Hollywood, was almost an overwhelming challenge. We were out there hustling hard and looking for signs. Glimmers of opportunity that might get us a small window into the Hollywood universe. Our crew spent a long time making animated sequences for advertising or really anything. For over a decade, our patience was tested as we cut our teeth competing for work. For every pitch that wins, there are ten more we’ve lost. However, we found that certain jobs could get us closer to our larger goal: to make entertainment content. Some projects needed technological innovation or just good storytelling. Either way, these projects sharpened our skills which we would need down the road. While working on an animated Texas Lottery commercial, we got the chance to introduce ourselves and our company to filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. That was the moment we saw a glimmer of light. This was a chance at something that could possibly point us in the direction of Hollywood. We knew we would have to sell him on our creativity, eagerness, and, most importantly, our maverick spirit.
So, I designed an elaborate chrome “spy case” with a portable DVD player, headphones, and a cell phone. Inside was our demo reel and a cryptic letter that read “press play.” The reel ended with a message to pick up the phone and hit send. The intention was for the phone to dial us. It was an insane Hail Mary pass to impress him and land a gig! When the time came to clandestinely deliver this package, we pull up in Austin and accidentally find ourselves parked awkwardly parked next to Robert, who asked, “hey, what you got there?” I then fumbled to explain how the case was for him, he was not supposed to see us, there’s a video thing and a phone… He said, can you just stick around and I’ll check it out after my meeting. So, he ended up opening the case in his office with us sitting there, awkwardly silent. After the video ended, he picked up the phone and hit send. Our phone rang. We had a good laugh, chatted a bit and that was that. A few months go by and then, out of the blue, one morning, Robert calls and asks us to meet him at Six Flags in Arlington, which turned out to be the set of Spy Kids 2. A few months later, we were delivering 15-minutes of finished shots to Robert. The lesson in all of this for me is you must work hard and be audacious enough to see beyond the pain that comes from the same hard work. If you don’t find time to slowly move toward your goal, you’re just treading water. You have to consider that every project, every personal interaction, and every opportunity is a goal post along your journey. Fast forward to 2021 and in recent memory, Reel FX Animation and sister companies ATK PLN and Flight School Studio will have completed two animated feature films, SCOOB! and Rumble, an animated series for Funny or Die, No Activity, and this summer, we will publish our fourth original video game, Stonefly. And, it all came from those scrappy beginnings.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an Academy Award-winning film director, designer and immersive storyteller. Beside the Oscar for the film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, I have been know to direct animated short films in partnership with brands like Chipotle, Dolby and Radio Flyer. In total, those films brought in 4 Emmys and a multitude of Gold Lions at Cannes, including the Grand Prix, plus a host of other industry accolades. As Chief Creative Officer of Flight School Studio, I lead a team of creative directors and artists who produce innovative stories with new technologies. Prior to Flight School, I co-founded Reel FX and Moonbot Studios, both leaders in animation and emerging technology. At the end of the day, I am most proud of my marriage of 25 years to my high school sweetheart and our two brilliant daughters. There are also a few giant robots and a gaggle of chrome-plated birds in and around town that I may have designed with a friend who happens to have the same initials as me. 😉
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The best advice for eager ears works like a ghost: it haunts those who hear it. The haunting never ceases, but, hopefully, one day, the fear of confrontation is overcome and the advice is applied. The ghost is vanquished. The challenge is overcome. A confident hero created. There are three things that come to mind that I wish I knew when I was starting out. One, being a scrappy maverick, is nothing to be ashamed of. Two, perseverance comes to those who balance patience with persistence. Three, the goal always takes longer to get to than you think, don’t give up.
Contact Info:
- Email: brandon@flightschoolstudio.com
- Website: flightschoolstudio.com
- Instagram: @flightschoolbrandon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.oldenburg.5
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brandonbot
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_UoBAtgwYzty_Cam5fbaQQ
- Other: https://www.reelfx.com/
Image Credits
Taylor Williams, Kevin Althans & Rickey Crum
