Meet Brandon Rice

Growing up, we struggled to keep a roof over our heads. My parents always did their best, but between the money troubles and the mental illness that ran in our family, life felt like a constant siege of disappointment..and that was on a good day. On a bad day, living at home was demoralizing. Because of this, all I’ve ever wanted to do was bring joy and warmth into a cold world. I figured the only way to be happy was to create happiness for others.

Throughout my childhood, I was often depressed. Life at home took a toll on me and how I interacted with the outside world. When I turned 15, I realized that my efforts of selling candy and throwing parties were all rooted in the desire to connect with others. After that realization, I switched my focus to comedy. What better way to make people happy than to make them laugh? After five minutes of performing at Jukebox Comedy Club in Peoria, Illinois, I realized how special of a moment it is to see someone let their walls down and experience a personal and intimate moment with you. This moment inspired me to create a comedic news program at my high school that still exists today, ten years later. The older I got, the more my creative forms of expression evolved with me. Instead of comedy shows, I started hosting and promoting concerts. Two years after graduating high school, I hosted the first ever, sold-out hip-hop concert at the Expo Gardens Opera House. Once I graduated college, my passion for creating and capturing stories continued to expand, leading me to my calling, visual storytelling. My expertise over the years expanded from weddings to marketing to television and beyond. I realized I could use media to bring joy to the hearts and mind of more people that I’ve ever imagined. Today, I’m the proud Founder and Head of Storytelling of BREE Visuals, a video & film production company. I’m also a Media Production Specialist on an award-winning team of creatives at Daugherty Business Solutions and a mentor of entrepreneurs at the business accelerator program, E for All.

2019 was the darkest year of my life. I lost my grandmother, 99% of my net worth, and the ambition that made me who I am. I was battling a two front war between depression and complete financial ruin. When I hit rock bottom, I realized the only way to escape the darkness was to create the light I wanted to see in the world.  By diving headfirst into my passion for visual storytelling, I found purpose again, a reason for being. I captured beautiful photos of riveting professionals and architecture from STL to Seattle. I produced captivating videos for corporations and couples alike. Through telling their stories, I took back my own.

Although 2019 was my lowest, growing up wasn’t much easier. My family struggled with mental illness, and this impacted how I interacted with others. My anxiety convinced me that people would be upset with me in the same way my mom would get upset with my brothers and I. My mom struggles with bipolar disorder, and at the time, she was unpredictable in how upset she’d get. It left me with PTSD and some crippling social anxiety.  If not for my unshakable need to understand and connect with others, I would have let my anxiety win. Overcoming my social anxiety eventually just became a matter of expressing myself. Through my art, I engulfed myself in a sea of personalities and ideas that I had no idea existed. I loved learning and understanding what brought joy to others and how they wanted to impact the world.  Although I saw what a nightmare life could be, I wanted people to feel like their world wasn’t so bad, like hope was a currency they could use to buy their American Dream. That level of optimism has become essential in my life and the culture at BREE Visuals.

I live to bring imagination into focus by bringing stories to life. I want to use my passion to create opportunities for creators to create without compromise. Many photographers and cinematographers love what they do but struggling running the business end of things. At BREE Visuals, we handle sales, communications, and administrative work for our creatives, so they can focus on what they love most.  For the past ten years, telling stories through my lens through video production and photo content for weddings, television, and corporate communications. Now, I collaborate with other ambitious, creative minds to bring folks closer together through visual storytelling.

Success to me is a measurement of fulfillment. I think that a successful person feels they have achieved and continue to achieve what matters most to them, whether that be through work, play, family, or friends. For me to feel successful, I must continue creating opportunities for clients and creatives to find fulfillment in their endeavors both professionally and personally.

Pricing information:

• Wedding Photography and Videography Starting at $2500
• Video Production (DP/Lead Camera Operator) Half-day rate starting at $600
• Video Production (DP/Lead Camera Operator) Full-day rate starting at $1200
• Post Production Rate $75/hr
• Drone Pilot Rate (FAA Certified) $150/hr