CHARLESTON'S OWN
Neistat Brother W
hen he's not navigating his C-17 through the dangerous Middle Eastern war zone, United States Air Force pilot Dean Neistat (pronounced "Nice-Tat") makes his home here in the Holy City. In June of 2010, HBO launched a brand new series starring his brothers—Casey and Van—called The Neistat Brothers. In episode two last summer, HBO viewers watched Dean (and our beloved city!) take center stage when his brother Van paid a visit to Dean's downtown home across from Colonial Lake. We zoned in on the high-flying sibling for the scoop on his famous brothers, his courageous career choice, and his favorite part of coming home to Charleston.
CH+D: Let’s start if you don’t mind with just a brief description of the Neistat brothers series on HBO. DEAN: I think my brothers describe it best using the phrase “a handmade, homemade TV show.” It's a show chronicling their lives basically; they have adventures and stories they want to tell, and they tell those stories through movies... through short films—sometimes very short films—and longer films. CH+D: It seems like the arts community really picked up on the Neistat brothers originally. DEAN: They did; my brothers' big breakouts were internet videos, viral videos, and projects of that nature where they made small films for different artists and companies. CH+D: What has it been like for you with your brothers having a series on HBO? DEAN: You know it hasn’t been too big a player. When the series premiered, I—as
well as my entire squadron—was deployed to the Middle East and we were gone for the entire series. By the time we got back, the original airing was already over, so my whole peer group missed the airing of the show. CH+D: Your brothers seem to reveal intimate details of their lives on the show. Does that bother you or has it affected you in any way? DEAN: No, not in the least. I think some of the most important aspects of the show are honesty and truthfulness. So I have no issue with that. I always try to live an honest and truthful life and not hide anything or hide my past. CH+D: Okay, tell me what it was like growing up in the Neistat family. You’ve got your oldest brother Van, your older sister Jordan, next oldest brother Casey, Casey’s son Owen, your mother Amy, your father Barry Neistat, and you’re the youngest? DEAN: Correct...I am the youngest. It was
an interesting dynamic. We had a pretty prototypical childhood up until I was about 10 or 12, and then my eldest brother Van moved off to college. A few years later, my sister moved off to college, Casey moved out of the house, my parents got divorced, and it was no longer the prototypical family. CH+D: Are you close with your siblings today? DEAN: Very much so. CH+D: At what age did you realize that your life was being chronicled on video? DEAN: It was never a conscious thing for us since from the time we were born until the present, everything was on video. There is always a camera out or available, so it’s more natural than anything. It was important for my parents and my siblings to have everything documented. CH+D: In The Neistat Brothers series, you see that wall of tapes that they’ve collected over the years. There must CHARLESTON HOME + DESIGN • Spring 2011
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