Fast Five: Multimedia magic with Shane Tyler
Meet Shane Tyler, digital marketing manager by day, college student by night. When he's am not focused on those two main aspects of his life, you will likely find him brainstorming a new media project such as a short film, a post on his blog or developing a new business idea. And if he's somehow not preoccupied with any of those things, you can likely find him hanging with friends, practicing guitar or gaming!
Generation: I had to Google this, but it looks like I barely make the cut as a millennial!
Career and community involvement: Currently, I am working full time with the Coeur d'Alene affiliate marketing agency JEBCommerce, helping facilitate different brands programs in the digital space. Beyond that, I'm very active pursuing my degree with Lewis-Clark State College, part of which entails me working with a nonprofit. There, with the organization known as CEDA, I'm assisting in community outreach, which has been a fun and unique experience.
Parental status: I don't have any children at the moment, though that's certainly something I'm open to down the road once I wrap up my degree at LCSC!
1. How is the amateur film industry treating you right now?
With the pandemic happening, it was difficult to get any projects off the ground for a few months. I had several in development that were put on an indefinite pause because those specific projects required cast members to work. And with the quarantine that was in effect, cast members were not something I could easily rely on for those immediate projects. As a result, I've made two major changes to my role with the amateur film industry. The first was I became more of a spectator: I watched way more movies than I ever have this year (after all, I now had the time!), and really took it upon myself to study every aspect of the films, such as sound design and cinematography. These learnings have really helped me understand things about filmography that will be impactful for when I get the cameras rolling on future projects. The second was I became more involved with solo projects; that is, I found ways to do video-oriented projects without needing other people given present events. Filmography is like a muscle. Without working it out, it atrophies and I lose the proficiency of the different skills I've developed. By continuing to shoot these solo projects, I'm able to stay active in the hobby until times lend themselves to working with larger teams.
2. What are a few projects you have going at this time?
One project I've been toying around with is a series that is both entertaining and educational, called "Down the Rabbit Hole." Basically, the idea is that I find a topic that interests me, one I know very little about, and take a deep dive into the deep recesses of the internet to find out more. All this, while I record my reaction. Currently, I have only one video up pertaining to mac and cheese, but I want to continue doing these as an ongoing series. I also have a few short films that are in various stages of development. While I've shelved the massive projects for now, I'm still able to very actively write scripts for shorter three-to-five-minute projects that are both cinematic and considerably quicker to turn around. I'm currently working with my sister and photographer buddy Travis on an epic short film that will hopefully see the light of day in the next month or two! The last major project I have going on, weirdly enough, is posting regularly on TikTok. I never thought I'd enjoy short-form video content, but it's a great way to quickly post a quirky idea, with a relatively high chance of going viral. I myself recently had a video reach 400K views!
3. What do you enjoy most about the film industry, and do you see yourself ever going to Hollywood or somewhere big for the biz?
Ironically enough, the biggest draw for me is the level of challenge associated with film. What people may not realize is the many different aspects that go into making a movie. Script writing, directing, acting, set design, editing, sound design: these are but a few of many things that feed into making a quality film. Each aspect is just as integral as the next, and for me, the excitement is seeing all of these disparate parts come together to form a cohesive film. As far as going to Hollywood, that remains to be seen! With the internet forming a major part of the technological world we live in, it's easier now more than ever for amateur filmographers to get their content in front of more eyeballs. If I ever hit it big with a project and have the chance to travel, that would be awesome. But for now, I'm content to keep things more localized and building on my skill sets.
4. What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
From a creative perspective? Probably the fact that at any given time, I probably have 15 different projects going on of various categories and development stages. One of which is poetry! From a personal point of view, I'm a huge video game nerd, and obsessively collect hard copies of games. I think I sit at around 2,000 games across approximately 25 gaming consoles spanning several decades.
5. If you could make a movie with any actors, who would you pick and why?
For me, it isn't really about the star status of an actor, but if the individual can perform the role reliably. Some of the best portrayals I've ever watched came from relative unknowns being cast. That being said, I'd 100% love to work with Brad Pitt.
