Alumni Profile: Brandon Trost, The Los Angeles Film School

Brandon Trost, a film graduate from The Los Angeles Film School, has garnered acclaim for his involvement as a cinematographer on 83 projects over the years, including This is the End, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and The Night Before. Inspired by a broad swathe of genre films, Trost’s work as a cinematographer takes aim at transforming the mundane into the sublime.

As a student, Trost took advantage of his academic career and aided fellow students on dozens of film projects. This was his training ground. With each new undertaking, Trost learned each position in the film production process. On-set experience, coupled with an unbridled passion for storytelling exposed Trost to a plethora of genres and techniques.

After graduating, Trost got to work building a stellar reputation as a director of photography. His first major project was working as the cinematographer on the feature film, Crank 2: High Voltage, co-directed by fellow grad Brian Taylor and starring Jason Statham. Fueled by the thrill of feature film production, Trost’s career took flight. Trost gained experience working in comedy while shooting the film, Macgruber, directed by Jorma Taccone and co-written by Will Forte. Trost worked on Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, partnering again with director Brian Taylor to take the Nicolas Cage-starrer to the next level.

Inspired by working in multiple genres, Trost continued to explore a new visual aesthetic for each film. In 2013, he joined Seth Rogen and James Franco as the cinematographer on 2013’s This is the End. Taking cues from classic horror and suspense films, Trost created a signature visual identity for the movie, transcending genre norms.

Following the success of This is the End, Trost shot That Awkward Moment, Neighbors and The Interview, all in 2014. Each of his films share one similarity. They are meticulously shot and have a unique look. From That Awkward Moment’s Manhattan-cool blues and grays, Neighbors with its punchy vibrance and saturated colors, and The Interview, a genuine tour de force of action comedy cinematography, each film stands apart.

Since 2014, Brandon Trost has worked on The Night Before, Scouts Guide to the Apocalypse and the Sundance Award-Winning film, The Diary of a Teenage Girl. In 2016, he shot Neighbors 2 and Popstar: Never Stop Stopping. As a cinematographer, Trost is unequaled in the comedy field and has earned a place on Collider’s list of the top 50 cinematographers working today.