The CUrator
Branden J. Stanley is a five-time Emmy Award-winning cinematographer and Executive Vice President at Spirit Juice Studios, where he leads a growing, innovative team tasked with developing the creative vision and cinematic power behind every project. Since joining the studio in 2014, Branden has guided the creation of hundreds of films, documentaries, and narrative pieces—combining his technical mastery with a deeply personal approach to storytelling.
Though he no longer directs as frequently as he once did, Branden channels his creativity into how he builds, guides, and maneuvers the team itself. Running a constantly evolving team presents its own creative challenges—knowing when to push for more and when to call it done, when to uphold structure and when to allow flexibility. It's a process he approaches with intention, patience, and the same artistry he once brought behind the camera.
A lifelong camera nerd with a deep love for analogue culture, Branden blends vintage sensibilities with state-of-the-art technology. Whether it’s choosing the right lens or designing the right workflow, he sees every decision as a chance to ask: should we slow down here—or speed up? This mindset carries beyond work too. As an avid adventurer, he regularly heads out on camping trips, hiking excursions, and spontaneous road trips with his wife Alea and their four energetic children—living the kind of analog, memory-rich life he’s always admired.
At the heart of everything Branden does—whether in the studio, on a trail, or around the dinner table—is a desire to create something of lasting beauty. Sometimes that’s a stunning film. Sometimes it’s a breakthrough in team culture. Sometimes it’s instilling timeless values in his children. In every role he plays—leader, maker, husband, father—he’s constantly chasing the elusive balance between intensity and ease, excellence and empathy. He doesn’t claim to have found it, but in striving for it, he continues to grow.
Branden is a graduate of Ball State University and currently resides in Chicago, where he can often be found fixing something, filming something, or laughing at the joyful chaos of everyday life.
