MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Poull Brien, Event Planner
Poull Brien, a top NYC event planner and emerging filmmaker, graduated from the Radio/TV/Film Program at Northwestern University in 1996 and, after traveling across the country and abroad, moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn to pursue a career in film. Poull interned for several production companies before working for two and a half years as the assistant to actor/ director/ producer Griffin Dunne. When Griffin closed his Tribeca office, Poull threw a going away party for himself. The event was a success and inadvertently brought Poull offers for work both as an event planner and a party promoter. Unsatisfied with the film industry job openings and seeking the freedom of self-employment, Poull began promoting parties and planning music, film and fashion events at some of the best clubs in New York City. Poull hosted celebrities such as Mandy Moore, David Schwimmer and Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows as well as models and top creatives in film, fashion and music. At the same time Poull continued pursuing his creative interests, co-writing several feature film scripts and completing and selling two short films, For Caroline and Prom Date, to the Independent Film Channel and Al Gore’s Current TV respectively.
Then, in 2006, in an effort to pull his film and event work together Poull formed Way Over Budget Productions. Filling a wide-open niche in Manhattan nightlife, Way Over Budget Productions quickly picked up a barrage of forward thinking media-oriented companies and celebrities by offering budget conscious solutions to pricey traditional event planning services. Way Over Budget Productions quickly found itself catering to clients such as Angelina Jolie, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Sarah Silverman, The Beastie Boys, Fallout Boy, Kanye West, John Legend, The Shins, Finger Eleven, My Morning Jacket, Grammy winning producer Devo Springsteen, A&E, A&E Indie Films, Think Films, Sidetrack Films, IFP, US Weekly, Radar Magazine, directors Amir Bar-Lev(My Kid Could Paint That), Jasmine Dellal(Gypsy Caravan), Lance Hammer(Ballast) and Steve Barron(Choking Man) and cutting edge fashion designers Twinkle by Wenlan, Tracy Reese, Abaete and Duckie Brown. During this time Poull also continued his work as a director and finished two reality television pilots; Undatable and Sundance Celebrity Swag Hunt-which featured Gary Coleman and Dustin Diamond competing to get the most swag at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
In 2009, as a response to the rising unemployment rate Poull expanded the Way Over Budget Productions business model to include a new, original series of industry-based networking events for film, television and advertising executives, producers and talent. These events often have an eco-friendly theme, feature gift bags and complimentary cocktails from exciting new companies and draw celebrities such as Adrian Grenier along with many reality television notables.
Poull has also continued working on his creative projects. He is currently penning his first solo script, a comedy based on the making of For Caroline, and is gearing up to launch Lifestyles of the Broke and Fabulous, his web log about low budget living in NYC.
Moving forward, Poull seeks to continue improving the quality of his events and productions by building on his belief that great things don’t have to be expensive.
Peachy Deegan recently chatted with Poull Brien...
Peachy Deegan: What is your favorite place to be in NYC?
Poull Brien: I love my apartment. I bought it a little over a year ago and it was a disaster, in desperate need of a gut renovation. I smashed down walls and lugged large bags of rubble and basically lived in a dirty, dusty construction site until January. Most people would consider this a nightmare but for me it was nothing short of amazing. You see, this apartment is actually above ground which is a totally new experience for me. Prior to moving here I lived in a "garden level" apartment which was a nice way of saying a basement. I planned events in clubs and bars which were often also below ground. And my office was also in a basement. And for consistency's sake my transportation between home and work was also underground via the subway(which I could feel rumbling beneath me as I worked, set up my parties and cried myself to sleep). Now I have sunlight, the rumbling is gone and my skin is no longer so pale it glows in the dark. And I throw fabulous little one man parties everyday to celebrate these facts. Sometimes I even play The Jefferson's theme song at full blast. Life is good.
What is your favorite shop?
I'm tempted to say the adult video store on 14th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue but that would be a lie. There's a much better one right around the corner on 6th Ave. I actually don't spend any money right now. I've personally banned myself from shops and restaurants and even from the adult video stores I frequented in my youth. That was my New Year's resolution. The money train only drives one way this year. Straight into my pocket.
What is your favorite drink?
You know, it's funny but my favorite drink is water. I found myself actually becoming addicted to it and thought it was because of water's replenishing qualities. But then I read a great article on how none of the water treatment centers are actually able to get rid of the prescription drugs that come out of people when they go to the bathroom. We actually drink a wonderful cocktail of drugs everyday with every tasty glass and it's free. My kind of bargain.
What is your favorite restaurant?
As I've banned myself from spending money this year my favorite restaurant is actually the grocery store. It's kind of like one of those Korean BBQ places where they bring you the food and then you cook it yourself. Except cheaper.
What is your favorite NYC book?
I used to go to Barnes and Nobles all the time. There were many books on NYC there but I generally bypassed those and went straight to the magazine racks. I'd grab like ten or fifteen publications and take them to a table in the cafe where I'd read them, drink the high inducing free water (see above) and then leave without buying anything. I called it the library.
What is your favorite thing to do in NYC that you can do nowhere else?
I used to follow the naked cowboy around in Times Square. I'd wear my little American theme shorts and play my accordian(I don't play guitar) and try to steal his business. We got into an altercation one day and I had to move to Union Square. The reception wasn't so good there.
What do you think is most underrated and overrated here?
For me personally the nightlife is overrated here. I suppose it's because I've thrown a billion parties in every venue in the city and I'm no longer 23 years old (shocking right?). And also a part of it is that I know everyone pulling the strings. It's like watching a movie that you worked on. It may be entertaining but you already know the story. I don't know of anything in NYC that's underrated. There are over 6500 blogs in NYC and if a thing has any value you can bet someone's discovering it and writing about it.
What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
The best way to overcome tragedy or hard times is via comedy. So when I meet someone with no sense of humor, which happens all the time, I generally think that either they've haven't been challenged in life or they've been challenged way too much. And neither of these variations is a recipe for an entertaining conversation.
