I fell in love with cameras at a young age. My dad had purchased a VHS-C Palmcorder for a family roadtrip to Nova Scotia. My seven-year-old self was totally immersed in learning how it worked and documenting the landscape.
In tenth grade my grocery store cashier job afforded me a digital handicam. I made comedy skits and music videos with my friends.
I went off to college at SUNY Geneseo where studied Journalism with a minor in Film Studies. I became the web editor for the student newspaper freshman year. How do we drive more traffic to our website? I flipped through the print edition: the weekly man-on-the-street style question posed to students/faculty—there for the taking.
‘The Inquiring Videographer’ web series was born. I asked the hard-hitting questions, like “What’s your guilty pleasure song?” and “What’s the best April Fool’s joke played on you or by you?” As more people made their way into the videos, word spread like wildfire across campus and more eyes landed on our site and in turn online ad sales skyrocketed.
Between college semesters I started on the ground floor as a production assistant on feature films and television shows, learning the entertainment industry’s creative inter-workings. By then I received a DSLR camera for my birthday - I made sure to never leave home without it.
I shot BTS photos for a National Geographic show, served as a second shooter with the Walker Wedding Group (formerly Clark+Walker) and somehow convinced the communications department head to grant me credits for camera operating on an HBO series pilot.
After graduating, I shifted focus to television news. For three years I worked as a videojournalist at News10 ABC/FOX23 (WTEN/WXXA) in New York’s capital of Albany. From state political corruption to drinking water contamination, homicides and standoffs to hometown and national heroes, my work left no subject unturned. It was recognized with an Emmy win and multiple nominations.
I was then given the opportunity to work in New York City where I learned other facets of the media industry—talent management and scriptwriting—as the executive assistant to Mr. Jason Weinberg, co-founder and partner of management firm Untitled Entertainment.
After three years in Manhattan, a personal relationship led me to make a leap of faith move to Pennsylvania, where I worked on commercial sets for Aurora Films, but—as the saying goes—then COVID hit.
Productions shut down - and so I picked up the news camera once again, covering issues from the state’s capital of Harrisburg for WPMT FOX43. My work earned another two Emmy wins, nominations and six Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters awards.
Once pandemic restrictions began to lift, I moved back to my native New York, working as a photojournalist with News 12 Long Island. My work was recognized with another Emmy win and nominations. I was then promoted to the marketing content producer position for News 12 Networks, covering eight television stations across the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut Tri-State area.
I left News 12 Networks in April 2024 to explore new challenges and passion projects as a freelance entrepreneur. I currently work as a camera operator, still photographer and video editor for live events, commercial, internal and narrative productions.
Clients include: Amazon, Google, Paramount+, Captain Morgan/Diageo, Camunda, and RedBird Capital Partners, in partnership with some amazing production houses: Hot Pixel, Aurora Films, SoundHouse, and Alibi Pictures.
Additionally, I work with individuals and small businesses on marketing their products and services.
In my free time, I enjoy speaking at colleges & universities about all of the above!
Interested in working together? Let’s Connect:
brentsingletonphoto@gmail.com
