If you’ve been in the film or video industry for any length of time, you’ve likely read the excellent work of Bryant Frazer.
Bryant was the longtime editor of Studio Daily and, most recently, a Senior Writer here at Frame.io. His sudden passing on October 22, 2021 is not only a huge loss for us, his friends and coworkers, but for the industry as a whole.
It takes a rare combination of skills to write about filmmaking, post-production, and creative technology. You need to understand both the art and science of the process and then translate it into prose that’s accessible for experts and aspirants alike. But even more than that, you need to understand how to speak with creatives—how to appreciate their artistry and draw out their insights and wisdom—and then how to honor their intentions.
For nearly 30 years Bryant did all that, and so much more. Beginning with his film studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder where the great experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage let him “play with his hand-drawn celluloid,” Bryant’s passion for the art and craft of filmmaking always came through in his work.
Part scholar, part enthusiast, Bryant could write incisive, cogent film criticism. But also, his visionary side led him to spot technology that would enable artistry, sharply distinguishing between fads and trends. His contributions at Studio Daily were instrumental in the careers of countless professionals, including mine. I first collaborated with Bryant in 2005 when he did an article about HDV workflows. He was not only ahead of the curve, he always featured stories from small entrepreneurial businesses, as well as large companies. It’s why Bryant was able to connect with so many within the community, and it’s thanks to him that these stories were shared across the globe.
His body of work covered nearly every aspect of our industry, and was regarded as a go-to resource with something for everyone. Thought-provoking, entertaining, and educational, he had the rare ability to make even the most complex technology accessible to an uninitiated reader so that you came away actually learning something without feeling as though you’d struggled to learn it.
Most of all, anyone who encountered Bryant was treated to his delightful combination of humility, professionalism, kindness, intelligence, and his keen sense of humor. He took the work seriously without taking himself seriously. He was the consummate partner for brainstorming and collaborating. One of our core values at Frame.io is to lead with ideas and not ego. Another is to be a great person. Bryant was the fullest embodiment of both.
His tenure at Frame.io was brief but impactful, both in terms of what he created and the imprint he left on us. The articles he wrote for our blog were some of the best received and most shared. And from the moment he joined the team, it was as if he’d always been a part of it.
There are truly no words to describe the loss we feel at his passing. All we can do is celebrate the fact that we were lucky to know him, and that his work lives on.
