If you're ever in need of inspiration, just watch a few of Brandon Li's films. His talent and nomadic filmmaker lifestyle will blow you away.
Brandon Li - image via Google.
Famous for his minimal filmmaking techniques, his latest work is Nomads of Mongolia, currently featured as one of the Vimeo Staff Picks.
Brandon's run & gun shooting style is one of my things I love most about his work. "I shoot everything handheld with no tripods, sliders, or jibs," stated Brandon.
He travels the world documenting life mainly with a few small cameras (currently a Canon 5D Mark III and a Sony A7R II), a few favorite lenses (such as Sony 24-240mm, Nikon AIS 50mm f/1.4, and Sony 10-18mm), and a laptop. No dolly, no gimbal, no fancy lighting. Yet his work is stunningly cinematic, full of colors, life and movement.
Filmmaker Brandon Li shooting on location in Guam (a project with Jessica Peterson) - image via Global Girl Travels.
As to sound design, Brandon mostly uses stock sounds mixed in with some of the original audio when necessary. "Most of the sounds come from sources like Pond5.com and other sound effects libraries," said the filmmaker. "I combine those sound effects with a little in-camera audio. Basically, if it’s a common or generic sound (wind, water, etc) I will use a sound effect. If it is a very specific sound (voices in a market in north India) I will record on-location."
For a strong dose of filmmaking inspiration, check out Brandon's short films on Vimeo. Hours well spent, I promise.