An interview with Ty Tuin: DP / Filmmaker
article by E.R. Womelsduff
- The chances of becoming a director or producer on a $100 million feature are about as slim as winning the lottery.
- Hollywood isn’t the only place to make films, it’s not the best place to make films, it’s not the most creative or well-resourced place to make films; it’s just the American place to make films.
- You can be Indiana Jones.
I met Ty Tuin four years ago when we were placed in the same crew for a 48-hour film festival. He had wild hedgehog hair, perfect teeth, and a creepily good “Joker” voice. I soon learned that he’d lived overseas with his family as a child and could speak some German, Japanese, and Hebrew. He was an incredible actor, but preferred to be behind the camera fiddling with lenses and aperture and framing. Every girl that met him was instantly besotted, and he was charmingly oblivious to it all.
Six months out of college, Ty was asked to move to Australia to work as a filmmaker at the Australia Studies Centre in Sydney. He had committed to being the DP on the film of yours truly, and it would mean leaving the film in the lurch a month before it was set to film. When we learned he wanted to abandon us for Australia, however, we gave him a shove out the door and told him to send us postcards.
Because the interview was conducted via e-mail, this article will take the form of a Q&A.
What is the future of international filmmaking?
The chances of becoming a director or producer on a $100 million dollar feature film are about as slim as winning the lottery. Most people assume that to be a filmmaker they have to move to Los Angeles, get into the culture, become “Hollywood,” suck up to everyone with money and fame and then, one day they might have the chance to make the film they want to make. They will finally get their shot at those elusive 15 minutes.
In fact, the world is becoming burned out on the same films told in different packages. We are a generation that has grown up with motion picture in many forms from such a young age. We are experts in movies, stories told through moving images. There is nothing new for us. We are bombarded by images all day, everyday. We spend more hours looking at screens than we do engaging with actual human faces.
What do we do about this? As those attempting to become creators of that visual content, how do we stand out? How do we tell stories that people will engage with? How do we rise above the clutter?
To assume that our only hope for making a living is in Los Angeles, California is simply not true.
With the changing trends in production and distribution of films, the possibilities are endless. Instead of being a consumer, become a producer. Even as filmmakers we can easily become blind consumers. We simply follow in the footsteps of other filmmakers that have created a pathway to the “dream.” Now more than ever we have the ability to create our own path. There may even be positions and industries waiting to be invented.
Most importantly, there will always be a market for stories that move us. Whether they are 30-second vignettes designed to attract us to a product or if they are feature length films we watch in our home theaters, people will always be taking in stories that hit us where we feel it and ask the tough questions we ask.
The parameters of how those stories are told and how they get distributed are completely up to the imagination of anyone willing to explore the possibilities.
What is your favorite job or memory from a work experience?
I worked as a camera assistant on a shoot in the Redwoods near Monterey, CA. The crew all got in a van and drove up from LA, swapping stories, complaining about the politics of the industry, the usual. We bunked in these cabins in the forest and got up each morning with that campfire smell on our clothes and this magnificent fresh air in our lungs. The shoot involved us romping around one of the most beautiful forests I’ve been to. Not a bad job to get paid for.
What is your worst job or memory from a work experience?
I worked as a photographer/videographer for the father of my girlfriend (at the time). He had this non-profit that he ran and I was brought on to work and get to know the family. Not a good mix. If you ever get an offer like this, don’t do it.
What was your first industry job?
I worked for a few years in high school with a production company in Chicago. The work involved lots of traveling and learning. I was like a sponge at every shoot we went to. Every piece of equipment was new, every story we were telling was new and every director/client relationship was new. It was fantastic; long hours, hard work, and I usually felt like I was always doing something wrong. I gradually learned how to become more assertive and more useful as a part of a crew.
What’s one of the worst mistakes you ever made, professionally?
I got a job as a 2nd AC working on a music video that was supposed to be a “big deal.” There were lots of names involved and so, naturally, I was excited to be a part of it. I soon found out that this was a badly-produced project. There was a lack of order on set and the odd scheduling caused us to rush through half of the day. These are things you can’t control if you aren’t in charge. My mistake was letting the stress of production get into what I was doing. I started feeling rushed and stressed out and at one point I picked up a $9,000 tripod head by the pan handle. Of course it was loose and it fell on the concrete and snapped like a Dorito. I just wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing. Not only that, I wasn’t thinking of the people I was working with, I didn’t have a good attitude on set, I was just adding to the annoyance of everyone else. I didn’t realize that sometimes the presence of even one level-headed, respectful person can turn things around.
What kind of hours do you normally work while you’re on a project?
There is a strange phenomenon that happens when you are passionate about a project. Obviously I can work a 16-hour day and not feel that tired by the end of it. As humans we’re made to do work of various kinds. Our bodies like it. But when I’m not passionate about a project, a 5-hour shoot feels like eternity and I’m drained by the end of it.
I think it comes down to knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing. I’m always asking myself, “Why is this important?” Sometimes I don’t know the answer and I’m just counting down the hours to go home. Sometimes the answer is clear and I’m right where I want to be.
At the end of the day, what makes it all worth it?
The ability to create new worlds, tell stories, engage with characters and work together as a team is incredibly rewarding. The jobs that stand out to me are the ones that involve those elements.
Have you reached a place of financial stability, or is it always up in the air where the next paycheck is coming from? Is there any financial security?
This question could warrant someone much smarter than me writing a book or giving a TED talk. For my specific type of work, paychecks are like those little mushrooms in Super Mario; you just jump on them when they come and then you try not to get eaten before you find the next one. Financial security can be a bit of a misleading concept. In the US, at least, image is everything so we tend to spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need. You can’t live a life of creativity and passion and a life of lavish luxury. You can, however, be smart with your money, save, invest, and simply buy what you need. The focus is on what you’re doing, not the money you’re making. So be smart with what you have, that’s all you can do.
How do you balance your personal and professional life? Is there time for family?
Currently, I’m working in a job that has set hours. Personal life easily fits around a steady schedule. However, when I was freelancing, time outside of work was spent sleeping and doing laundry. This is a predicament that is still frustrating.
Is it a good idea or a bad idea to date or have friends that have nothing to do with the industry?
It is important to have a diversity of friends. Obviously there are your film buddies; you sit around and talk movies and then you make movies together and then you e-mail each other late at night about film ideas. These are important, but you also need friends who you can be real with and talk about real life. The industry can be a tough place to have deep relationships. A connection is not a friend, they are just friendly business. You need people you can be real with, it doesn’t matter what they do for a living. As for dating, I suppose they have to respect what you do, but they also have to have the opportunity to know you well.
Was any of your family in the industry before you?
I come from a long line of educators. My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are almost entirely in education. My uncle on my dad’s side is an illustrator. He’s very talented and has worked many years in that industry. I’ve learned a lot from him in terms of how to navigate an industry while still being an inspired artist. But overall I feel that I have blazed my own trail, often taking on projects without knowing exactly what I was doing. I just have this hunger to learn and tell great stories.
If not, were they supportive of you going into it?
My entire family has been very supportive. I mean, they’re teachers, they love seeing people reach their potential. They challenge and inspire people for a living. That was just the kind of encouraging environment I lived in.
When you were a kid, what did you want to grow up to be?
Indiana Jones.
What is one piece of advice you received when you started out that ended up being totally wrong?
Someone, at some point, tried to convince me that Hollywood was a dark, evil place. First of all, “Hollywood” isn’t a group of people who sit around a table and think up ways to destroy the fabric of society. It is a group of creative people trying to make a living doing what they love, as well as an industry constructed to bring in dollars.
What is one piece of advice you received that ended up being really helpful?
Someone told me that the industry is first and foremost an industry; its sole meaning for existence is to make money. So you have to coax it into thinking that’s what you’re after, too, then you can tell the cool stories you want to tell.
What are some of the stereotypes about Hollywood that ended up being true?
Hollywood is a fast-paced place for people with fast-paced lifestyles. I don’t think I realized it until I was working here in Sydney, Australia. My whole time in Hollywood seems like a crazed blur.
What upsets / angers/ depresses you about life in Hollywood?
The frustration ranges from big to small. Parking is unreal, so is traffic. But more than that, this is an industry that runs solely on making money. It’s tough when that industry also happens to be the “arts and cultural” center of the US, and in many ways, the world. Sometimes it’s really depressing that so much money goes into mediocre art, all for the purpose of making more money to make more mediocre art to make more money and so on. It can be draining to think about.
What makes you hopeful about living in LA?
Getting to know certain communities within LA that had really inspiring motivations made me very hopeful. There are groups of artists who are genuinely talented and inspired and they are trying to support each other and get work while still remaining true to their calling of telling stories that matter. Every once in a while you meet people like that and they just make the world seem a bit better.
Can you tell me about some of your recent projects?
Currently I’m working in Australia on a documentary series that is in pre-production. I’m so interested in exploring how being globally minded/educated can help someone be more effectively involved in a local community. Travel can easily become yet another commodity to be consumed. What if we saw travel as a way of preparing ourselves for what we were really designed for: community? The stories in each documentary would be of locals who are engaging in community in an educated, globally minded way.
What are some hobbies? How do you unwind or “get away”?
Getting out into the mountains, hiking, climbing, running. I find that the city can be an inspiring place as well as a draining place. Its so great to get a change of scenery. I also try to read as much as I can get my hands on; fiction, non-fiction, anything interesting to me. I also find great satisfaction in building with my hands. Currently I’m attempting to build a camera rig from the ground up. I just thought it was a good idea.
What would you tell people who are waiting for their big break, or waiting to be discovered?
If you’re planning on waiting, you might want to make yourself a cup of tea, you’re going to be there for a while. Your life is now. Create.
What would you say is a “good” reason to come to Hollywood? And what reasons would you say are “bad”?
I can honestly say that I’ve been to the far side of the world and back and the problems are always the same with minor differences. You can’t actually run away from yourself, and that’s where the problems usually come from.
What should independent filmmakers NOT do?
I suppose it would be a very tragic thing to get lazy. When I feel that I am falling into an unhelpful routine sometimes I’ll literally rearrange my bedroom, or take a different route to work. Sometimes you just need a change of scenery, or a change of routine. You just can’t get stuck.
In your personal experience filming internationally, what you have been able to do that you could not do in the US?
I guess the obvious things are the people and places you meet while working overseas. I think Americans generally have a view of the world where it’s the US and then everyone else. When you work with people elsewhere you find that there are all these different locations, vantage points, ways of life, and they are different from each other. Hollywood isn’t the only place to make films, it’s not the best place to make films, it’s not the most creative or well-resourced place to make films; it’s just the American place to make films.
Do you think making a film internationally is an experience every filmmaker should have?
I can’t say that I woke up one day and said, “Gee, you know what, I’m going to get a plane ticket and make a movie somewhere else in the world.” For me, travel was important. Not tourism, but travel. Having contacts in many countries was helpful, I would meet people who had non-profits or companies in other countries and I would ask if I could come work for them and shoot video for their operation. I was also just open to opportunities when they came. I just wanted to make movies, tell stories, and see cool places. I think it is especially important for people born and raised in the United States to travel outside of their country. Most people don’t realize how much cultural impact the US has on the rest of the world. This is especially true of cinema.
How do international filmmakers view American filmmakers and/or films?
It’s hard not to speak in generalizations, and it’s hard to speak for millions of people all over the world. Because larger-budget, blockbuster films are the ones most exported, they drive perceptions of American cinema. Films from the US are known for being large-budget, mindless commercials. The better films usually don’t make international distribution. There are some exceptions, but overall this is the sad truth.
I think there is a huge opportunity for development of film industries, even small ones, in many places of the world. There are plenty of stories, ways of telling stories, and creative storytellers in the world to sustain some great films. The possibilities of building something new, a studio, a production company, even a small one, are endless. There is a great Australian film called Ten Canoes (2006). This film was shot in Arnhem Land by a community of the Yolngu people. Most of the people aren’t actors and all of the props and set were constructed by the people of the village. It is such an inspiring story of a community coming together to tell their stories in their style, in their language and on their ancestral land. I’ve never seen a film like it, but I hope to see more. The possibilities are endless.
Is it harder to make films internationally, or has the digital age made it possible to make a film virtually anywhere?
With cheap production and instant distribution, there has never been an easier time to create motion picture content. Whether or not people see your film is entirely up to how well it is made and how well it is marketed, but production is easy.
Ty Tuin currently resides in Sydney, Australia. His IMDb page can be viewed here. His Linked In profile can be viewed here. His blog can be viewed here. His stock footage can be viewed here.
Examples of his work can be viewed here:
Portfolio 1
Portfolio 2
