Luke Patton '03 Excels as Writer & Director

Luke Patton ’03
Brimmer and May Class of 2003
Vanderbilt University, B.A. in Film Studies, 2007
University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Master of
Fine Arts in Film & Television Production 2013
 
What are you doing currently for a profession?
I work as a freelance filmmaker in Los Angeles. I split my time working as a cinematographer for hire and a director. The thesis film I directed is currently in film festivals, and I also have two more short films in the making. One is in post-production and should be completed this fall, and the second short I'm directing starts filming shortly.
 
Editor’s Note:
Luke co-wrote and directed the short film Theme Song Rebel, which won Best Short Film at the 2014 London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film. The write-up for the award praised Luke, saying the film was, “Well written, well made and uplifting, this is a fantastic film. . . . we hope Patton gets his first feature going soon – he has great vision and we love his short film.” 
 
How did Brimmer and May prepare you for your career?
Having the confidence to believe in oneself and possessing an individual voice are two of the most valuable tools a filmmaker can have. Brimmer and May helped me build self-assurance as a teenager and provided an environment in which self-expression was celebrated. There's so much pressure to conform in life. It was amazing to go to a School that encouraged individuality. Brimmer and May is an open-minded community that motivates students to play sports, participate in theater, and broaden skills across many different fields. This helped me immeasurably, and the confidence I found there has carried into my adult life.  
 
I also had amazing teachers that guided me while I was at Brimmer and May. Landon Rose taught the first film class I ever took. I learned a lot of filmmaking basics and thoroughly enjoyed the class. This directly impacted my decision to pursue filmmaking as an undergraduate. Ted Barker-Hook's history class prepared me for writing research papers in college, and Nancy Bradley single-handedly made math fun. Math has never been a passion of mine, so that says a lot about Nancy's teaching. I look back at Brimmer and May as a place that pushed me academically and as a community that supported me. This was the foundation I needed to pursue my dreams later in life.
 
What led you to attend Brimmer and May?
My older brother Joe Patton started attending Brimmer and May when he was in the 5th grade. He was having a good experience, and my parents really liked the School so they enrolled me not long after he started.
 
What are your stand-out memories of your time at Brimmer and May?
I have so many stand-out memories, it's difficult to choose just one. However, I think my favorite memory has to be my class’s 10-year reunion. Even though a decade had passed since our graduation it was easy (and fun) to hang out as a group again.
 
School never really ended at 3 p.m. Everyone, at some point, stayed after school for sports or theater, long after classes had been dismissed. During that time I really got to know my peers. I was lucky to go to Brimmer and May when I did, and I thank my classmates for being a truly awesome group of people to grow up with. 
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