Brandon Trost

Brandon Scott Trost (born August 29, 1981) is an American cinematographer, screenwriter, and film director whose credits include writing and directing The FP (2011) with his brother Jason, as well as being the cinematographer of several films, including Crank: High Voltage, Halloween II, MacGruber, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and That's My Boy. Trost is also a frequent collaborator with Seth Rogen, including the films This Is the End, Neighbors, The Interview, The Night Before and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. Trost's first film as a solo director, An American Pickle, was released in 2020.

Trost was also the cinematographer of the films Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and its 2024 sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the sequels to the 2020 film adaptation of the video game, Sonic the Hedgehog.

Early life
Trost was born in 1981 in Los Angeles, California, to Karen (née French) and Ron Trost, a special effects coordinator. His grandfather, Scott Maitland, was an assistant director, and his great-grandfather was a stuntman. His uncle was actor Victor French. He attended Frazier Mountain High School and later graduated from Los Angeles Film School. He grew up in Frazier Park, California with his brother Jason and sister Sarah.

Influences
Trost has cited Andrew Laszlo as one of his favorite cinematographers, calling Streets of Fire "one of the most amazing-looking movies from the 1980s."

Director
Short film
 * The FP (2007)
 * The Day the Dead Weren't Dead (Also producer) (2007)

Feature film
 * The FP (2011)
 * An American Pickle (2020)

Television