Occupation: I am a freelance director of photography (camerawoman) and gaffer (head of lighting department) in the film industry, as well as a freelance photographer. My most recent works that are available to stream include A Nightmare Wakes, which I gaffed (available on AMC’s streaming service Shudder), Love Fraud, a Showtime docu-series which I was a camera operator on, and This is Paris, the Paris Hilton documentary available on YouTube, which I was a camera operator on. In addition, The Remixes will be out later this year, which is a short film that I wrote and directed. Updates on my work can be found at my website, brianaman.com. On the side, I recently started my own small business, named Moon Rut (brianaman.com/moonrut), to create organic, small batch, handmade products that eliminate the use of harmful preservatives and ingredients you can’t pronounce.

How long have you lived in Newtown? I grew up in Newtown, moving from the south side of town to Main Street just before high school. I’ve loved getting to live in a house that is part of Newtown’s Historical Society. After high school, I lived in NYC for four years while attending NYU Tisch Film School. Now I am temporarily back in Newtown, and I commute to NYC and other places for film jobs.

What do you like to do in your free time? In my free time, I mostly enjoy spending time connecting with the natural world, whether it be wild foraging, gardening, hiking, yoga, meditation, or simply exploring places I’ve never been. In addition, I partake in many different art forms such as singing, painting, acting, and cooking/baking.

What is your favorite book? I don’t think I could pick a favorite book at the moment, but you’ll most likely spot me reading a book on plant identification/medicine, manifestation, or self-healing.

What is your favorite travel destination? I love getting to travel for my job because I take advantage of the flight to stay longer and explore! My favorite travel destination as of current would have to be Spain — where I have an exchange family — or France. What I love about Europe in general is the cultural norm to take it easy, and to not get so caught up in an unbalanced life that is top-heavy with work and centered around the obsession of making money.

What is the best part about Newtown? The best part about Newtown is all of the hidden trails that speckle the town. I’ve always said I could drive anywhere here and come across a new forest to explore that I never even knew existed. The mystery of this place makes it so special and like no other. The historical spirit of Newtown is also a precious trait of our town. I have recently been working on a photo series that highlights some abandoned buildings in Newtown, and what people leave behind. All of this combines to leave behind wonderful mysteries, hidden stories, and photographs that, when viewed, the audience can imagine a plethora of different narratives that may have existed in the space and time when these buildings were filled with life. This series can also be viewed at my website.

Who is your favorite musical artist? Amy Winehouse.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? The greatest piece of advice I have ever been given is to enjoy the stressful parts of my life. Although that might sound crazy, the second I started accepting rather than resisting, the stress just faded away. I hold so much value in the way that I frame, or perceive, the inherently objective situations that I am in. With a small shift in perspective, your life can go from stressful to exciting, simply by the way you are deciding to look at the situations you are in.

What is your proudest accomplishment? An accomplishment I am most proud of is the success I have created for myself in the film industry as a woman! I feel very accomplished of overcoming the intimidation of the male-dominant film industry and pushing through to create powerful imagery.