Cassandra Brooksbank: A Few of My Favourite Things
The Great Guns director and Vegas-born renegades talks us through a self-portrait that highlights the essentials, some OCD sorting that would have Marie Kondo in awe and a powerful PC that will get the nerds salivating.
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In her own words, Cassandra Brooksbank sees shooting as "going into battle [as] the captain of a very expensive ship".
As can be seen from a look at her home studio, the Great Guns director's vessel is well-stocked, perfectly organised and full of (creative) ammunition.
Started her film career by attending the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Brooksbank's commercial career has seen work for Porsche, Sony, Microsoft, Eckstein Biokosmetik, Chevrolet and USC among others, with further filmic work encompassing music videos, including Todrick Hall's music video feature film, Forbidden, several feature films and a television pilot.
In this run-down of her wares, Brooksbank showcases some of her self-made artwork, a penchant for sensible storage and a worthy throne.
Cassandra Brooksbank - director, Great Guns
Welcome to Cassie’s Clubhouse, the place where I create, meditate and occasionally blow things up.
To me, style is everything, and if there’s one spot that absolutely has to get me in the mood, it would be my studio.
This is the space I’m able to fill with my fictional friends, adventures on the high seas and secret weapons.
A place where I can take risks and explore the great beyond. Also, the rent aint half bad.
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The Bar And Poison Inc Poster
At the end of a long day, I love to sidle up to my bar and have a sip of Highland Park scotch. It tastes like victory.
I won this bottle after betting a friend I could keep up a 10-page-a-day writing streak longer than she could. For show, I went on to hit 77 days before throwing in the towel.
Some of my best work really, but I digress.
This corner of my studio is a spot to reflect on the ways I can better tweak my craft and acts as a reminder of my goals and why I create.
The movie poster you see in the background is the short film I made while attending USC film school.
While the process almost got me expelled, shooting it was one of my favorite memories and I’ve been chasing that high ever since.
The Self Portrait
One of my favorite pastimes when I’m not racing through Los Angeles traffic on my road bike, is painting. But I’m not your Bob Ross type of perfectionist.
I see perfection in an Andy Warhol sort of way.
The canvas you see here is a self portrait of yours truly. As reflected by my favorite coffee cup and stash of red bull, at my core I am a passionate workaholic who gets by with a little help from her pal caffeine and will keep doing what I love until I’m nothing but good hair, red lipstick and bones.
You know, the essentials.
The Red Toolboxes
Creativity is a battlefield, and when you go to war, you need to know where your hot glue gun is.
Ok, ok, I fully admit I stole this organizational technique from Casey Neistat, but hey, great artists steal.
Having a specific spot to put my flashlight, knowing where my velcro tape is, and being able to find the damn stapler gives me a sort of 'namaste'.
The Cord Wall
As every editor knows, OCD is key.
When I’m on a deadline, I can’t waste time walking across the room to grab a USB cable.
This is my wall of essentials, right where I need them. When a hard drive catches fire from overheating, don’t despair, I have the fire extinguisher ready to go!
Great organization is my secret sauce. It’s also calming to look at, no?
The Computer
This bad boy pictured here is the money maker.
This sexy piece of hardware is the high powered computer I built from scratch.
I used to be an Apple freak, but I needed more power and more storage.
The bigger the better, ladies am I right?
Here are the specs for all you nerds:
CPU: i7-6700k @4.5Ghz
RAM: 32GB DDR4
GPU: GTX 1080 Ti 11G
Mobo: Gigabyte Z170X-UD5 TH
RAID: Adaptech 51645 w/ batt: 15TB RAID 10
SSD: Samsung 950 pro, M.2
PSU: Corsair AX860
The Magic Candle
When cursed with a bout of writer’s block, there’s nothing more powerful than saging the house, setting your intention and lighting a magic candle.
Results may vary, but I’ve found my candles can really focus your energy in a calming, collective sort of way to pause, reflect and charge on towards victory.
Also, they smell nice.
The playing cards you see in this photo are my favorite deck. I’m told the poker games I host are legendary.
What the players don’t realize is they’ve lost the second they walked into the room, but that's another story.
The Director Chair
Ah, the throne.
As a director, we all know how important it is to set the stage. Nothing says #boss quite like a chair with your name on it.
As the eldest in a family of six kids, I’ve always been a director of some sort. Perhaps my voice wouldn’t be so raspy if I had a mega phone for all the years I spent keeping the siblings in line.
When I’m on set, it’s like going into battle and I am the captain of a very expensive ship. I like to keep a tight crew and I know how to throw a mean punch when needed. Hitting a few punching bags around the ring during my lunch break helps to keep my cool.
The flag featured in this photograph, The Skulls And Stripes Forever, is a piece I painted as a reflection of my distrust of authority and craving for the rebellious freedom embodied by pirates.
Those who break the rules, but get the gold.
