If you enjoyed Chris Stapleton’s Super Bowl commercial for Ram Trucks, you might like to know the creative force behind it is a company founded by ACU alumnus Randy Brewer (’93). 

Brewer, who began Nashville-based Revolution Pictures in 1997, has created memorable work with dozens of high-profile clients, including Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sony Pictures, Infiniti, Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Chevy, Justin Bieber – and the list goes on.

His music video for Underwood’s Before He Cheats won Music Video of the Year at the 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards, and Swift’s You Belong With Me won Best Female Video of the Year at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

He also has produced a series of TV commercials for his alma mater telling the inspirational stories of ACU students advancing their careers through online degrees.

Now he is undertaking a new challenge as vice president of business development for Vū Studios, bringing an innovative virtual production technology to Nashville. 

Virtual production represents a paradigm shift in the video industry that is quickly becoming the predominant method of creating high end video content, replacing the need for green screen and other antiquated forms of video technology. 

In 2020, Brewer produced a series for Sony Pictures Affirm Films called “Finding Faith in Film.” 

“It was the first time I had ever produced a project via the new state-of-the-art technology used to shoot Disney’s The Mandalorian,” he said. “This project opened my eyes to the opportunity for Revolution to become a leader in this new groundbreaking production method. Vū Studios, where we shot the project, wanted to expand and asked me to help open a location in Nashville.”

The new Vū Nashville is a 16,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art virtual production campus with full support facilities. 

He replaced his role of executive producer at Revolution Pictures with colleague Tameron Hedge and spent all of 2022 introducing Revolution’s past clients to Vū Nashville. 

Carrie Underwood – for whom Brewer produced 15 projects, including Jesus Take the Wheel, Before He Cheats and Cowboy Cassanova – shot three live performance videos at Vū Nashville.  

And after introducing Taylor Swift to the new way to work in production, she tapped Revolution Pictures to co-produce three videos, including Anti-Hero, which won Best Music Video of 2022 at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards. “Taylor was the director of all the videos and Revolution was honored to support the production of her creative vision,” Brewer said. 

Mazda recently worked with Revolution Pictures via their friends at Dallas-based Corporate Magic on another brand film focusing on the production of the first U.S. plant that builds the Mazda CX-50 SUV. Brewer produced the film both on location in Huntsville, Alabama, and with the use of Vū Nashville. 

Though he has stepped away from the day-to-day operations at Revolution, he’s not done creating content. Instead, he’s back to what he says he does best – building relationships and producing projects he believes in. 

“After years of doing what an owner does to build the business and playing lots of roles, I’m finally moving fully into being the founder, and I’m grateful for the success I’m experiencing and enjoying the freedom to spread my wings,” he said. 

Today Brewer’s focus is on continuing to grow opportunities for both Revolution Pictures and Vū. He’s in development on numerous long-form projects that are his “passion projects” focusing on faith, forgiveness and giving back to others. He is also working on a book about his 30-year career as a filmmaker and how God directed his steps to working with some of the biggest artists and brands in the world. 

“It’s time to focus on a new chapter of my life,” he said. “At 52, I’m focused on my purpose in life more than ever – what will be my legacy, what have I done to help others, and what changes do I need to make that move me into doing that full time. I don’t need to win another award or prove anything.”

– Robin Saylor

Feb. 16, 2023