BRENT KIRKLAND | PRODUCTIONS

Storytelling began for me as a kid, reliving my favorite sports moments in my parent's backyard. Though they were concerned at the times when I came inside disgruntled from losing a game. "How do you lose to yourself?" they'd ask. For me, it has always been about feeling the story and revealing the rollercoaster of highs and lows we all experience in our lives, and examining the meaning through storytelling. Sports are simply the vehicle I choose to drive my passion for telling stories.

I earned my MFA from the Wake Forest University Documentary Film Program in 2021. There, I directed and produced my thesis film, Keghead's Last Ride (see below), and developed skills in film production and storytelling. I also studied pedagogy and led documentary film course lectures, while developing teaching methods and philosophy.

After working as the Director for Creative & Digital for Nevada Athletics, where I directed and managed social media content and live broadcasts for all sports, I followed my passion to cover the SEC in Columbia, S.C., where I am currently a Senior Producer for Gamecocks Plus, producing various sports documentary works and docuseries for the University of South Carolina.

Documentary works I've directed and produced include:

- My Time: Small Town, Big Dreams: Darius Rush's Life Calling (2023) | 2024 Southeast Emmy Award Winner: A story of the Gamecock Football cornerback’s journey from Kingstree, SC – a town of only 3,000 – to the University of South Carolina and onto fulfilling his dream of making it to the NFL, after persevering through a family tragedy.

- Gamecocks+ The Follow (2022-25): A weekly and bi-weekly docuseries that follows Gamecocks football, basketball, and baseball teams behind-the-scenes, throughout their seasons.

- Keghead's Last Ride (2021): A short documentary about my dad who I ride with on the last days of his 40-year beer truck route in Reno after he’s told he’s being moved to a sales position. I felt the need to preserve my father’s legacy as Reno’s beloved Keghead beer delivery man. But, I also question the cost of modernization happening in my hometown.

- Mackay Magic (2019): The story about the greatest comeback in college football history, when the University of Nevada, Reno erased a 34-point deficit in the second half. I grew up listening to my dad talk about the game. By the time I started production, most of my friends and others in the community had become unaware of the game. Saturdays at Mackay Stadium saw little attendance. I question why such a historically great moment for a college town like Reno had decayed.

- The Hunt (2016): A 2-part documentary that chronicles Nevada basketball coach, Eric Musselman, and his first season as a head coach in college basketball.