Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Cole.
Hi Tyler, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been an actor since I was wee little lad of five, being in plays and Christmas programs, no one ever thought much of it, but I loved being on stage. When I saw Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura, I knew that was the kind of thing I wanted to do. He was a big inspiration for me getting more heavily into thespians.
So, I got into more local theatre as well as school stuff. My biggest moment was in eighth grade when I was in a community theatre play called ‘On Golden Pond’. At first, I thought I was too short to play the role (a few directors avoided casting me because of my short height, but this director (Glenn Fisher) said he hired me because I was short, so that taught me a lesson about looking beyond my own insecurities and just going forward with being the best performer I could be. As High School came about, I started to understand directing and writing because I found out an actor couldn’t really come up with a story or character, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. From there, I made a short film that my peers and superiors seemed to like, so I pursued it further. At 18, I moved to LA, where the film was heaviest (back in 2003), and for 17 years I worked in and out of studios, theme parks, and my own indie features and shorts. It was a long time of learning and sculpting my craft, but eventually I started to really understand the technical side of things and to apply them creatively.
In 2021 I decided to move to Atlanta because I saw a great opportunity to start fresh, and so far I’ve managed to be on some amazing teams and create three feature films with those fellow artists. The best part is, I have no notion of stopping any time soon, because when you surround yourself with like-minded folks, you feel well at home, and that’s what Atlanta has become.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Struggles constantly. I’ve never had luck with film festivals, it always seemed like my films were never good enough, and that became very frustrating, almost invalidating. But, like with looking past my height as an issue, I didn’t let it stop me. As well, a lot of people I’ve worked with have just flat-out disappeared on me mid-productions if not right before. For example, on two features, ‘Liquor Day Saints’ and ‘Deacon’, both directors of photography quit within a week of production start. I’ve had actors leave mid-shoot because they weren’t ‘feeling it anymore’ and loads of crew members decide film just wasn’t for them.
It taught me to learn every aspect of the film possible (sound, editing, camera, etc.) in order to be able not only to run the set if I needed to but also to teach others should they want to learn.
Lately, I’ve had struggles even with self-distribution, there are a lot of little things to know when it comes to submission, and it gets very frustrating when I have to go back through and alter something just for the sake of one little technical nonsense, but I understand it must be done and see that the ends justify that means.
I’ve also been the only real provider of funding, which when you’re a broke actor doing side gigs can weigh very heavily. I tried the crowdfunding route, but it never seemed to gain any real traction. But that’s all right because it is my passion, therefore I must be the one to fuel it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I call myself a filmmaker without any specific title. That is because I love making the film, bringing the story to life, be it photographically, directorially, actorially (are either of those words? They are now.), all the way up to just being on set as a medic. I’m very proud of all of my work and feel with each new undertaking I am given new challenges to overcome. I can’t say any of them is something I am more gratified over than the other because they are all important to me, including ht films I’ve simply acted in (which sometimes is a lot easier). I suppose I am most gratified when something I’ve done can connect or affect another in some kind of way. That’s the old saying ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. It isn’t up to me what people like or connect to; I just try to tell the story as best as I can and hope for the best.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Easily it’s perseverance. Not just through a project but through the negative comments you’ll receive, as well as this lovely thing I call silent indifference, where no one seems to pay attention or care about what you’ve done, simply dismissing its existence. I create for the audience, but I had to balance that with creating for myself to be content with that purpose in life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cole.tylercole/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/litpics
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-cole-6365506/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiIDdK0_kPSbTr3GLkdFAcw
