A chance to introduce myself is something I’ve been dreading. Not that I hate talking about myself (which sounds a bit egotistical), but because you only make a good impression once. This could be hard, seeing as this post lays down how the world I seek to be a part of (~the FILM community~) views me in my pursuit of making movies. No pressure, we’ve all been there before –

Anyways… to start off like any other introduction, let’s ask the obvious…

Who Am I?

You might know me from Twitter or Letterboxd, the only social media I really use. Or we’ve connected on a production/set and you’re making sure I’m the real deal. Either way, here are some key things you ought to know:
My name is Tyler (hence the heading on the website). I’m a budding filmmaker from Brooklyn, New York. I write scripts, direct my own short films, and, starting very soon, will be putting out video essays on my YouTube channel, TuxedoGuy.
I’ll get to the YouTube channel in a few. Right now, let me ask y’all something: Is ‘budding’ an over-used term? Is it just a buzzword that filmmakers use to sound ‘hot’ and ‘fresh’?

For me, ‘budding’ means I’m just starting, getting my roots in as I sprout (Is there anything more ~~pretentious~~ than using a flower as a growth analogy?). I don’t act like an amateur, but I don’t hold myself as the next big, independent filmmaker. I know a lot, but my lack of on-set experience sets me apart from most filmmakers of my generation, I believe. I hope to change that as I grow and reach out for opportunities as they come my way, but it all starts from somewhere.

I’m the type of film nerd who just wants to be a part of the filmmaking “machine”. Whether I pick up coffee orders for a production office or assist the assistant editor by just keeping an eye on exporting files, I want to be there. I’ve seen the energy of a great set behind the scenes a handful of times. No one is looked down upon and no position is treated any differently than the above-the-line crew. Being part of a great creative endeavor is a feeling that I crave, one that I’m always chasing.

That’s who I am. I’m a seeker, looking for that productive adventure. Only time will tell whether those projects are part of another creator’s journey, or for my own venture.

What to Expect

The first part of this websites sub-header is ‘Screenwriter‘, the title I prefer over the all-encompassing ‘filmmaker’ role.

It’s the part I know I’m meant to play; my dream role on any film. From my first foray into the screenplay format (a highschool final project that will be discussed eventually) to my most recent scripting of a YouTube video essay, there is nothing more suited to my written voice than a screenplay. What does that mean you should expect from me on here?

Expect pages; select pages from scripts I have written to appear as part of larger displays of projects I’m working on or wish to work on. Depending on the project, I’ll include look books, feedback, or table read-throughs. Currently, I’m working on a refined draft of my Western feature script after receiving quality feedback from professors and fellow screenwriters. There is also a pilot script I’m working on with a friend (who has never had any serious writing aspirations), but that’s still in the development stage.
But there’s many in-progress scripts that I’m working on. Showing them off benefits both myself and the audience/base I want to grow. For me, industry professionals and future collaborators will have a space to check out my work the way I want them to see it. For the audience, I hope they’ll be able to learn from my writing style. Reading writers’ scripts who are on the same level as me helped me tremendously in figuring out my voice and format. All projects will get their own page (as soon as there’s something to show).

Expect posts like this one. Every other week, I’ll put out a post about something I’m working on or a thought about film that I’ve had. An upcoming post will be about my “short film” made for Senior English class in high school. After that, I’ve got some ideas on what to write about. The essay format has always been something I’d like to work in, especially after being made to write them for over 10 years by schools. Critical film essays from theorists like Bazin, Bordwell, and Kael were a huge influence on what I wanted to write video essays about, but sometimes a written essay is more than sufficient for some topics.
Additionally, I’ll be putting up longer versions of my film reviews from Letterboxd. I usually write long-form reviews that take different shape, depending the movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing reviews on Letterboxd, but I feel like my personal website is more the platform for the (admittedly) weird way I write things. My current reviews on the website will stay, but further reviews will be a bit shorter, with links to the longer review going to this website.

And finally, expect videos! As I work on more and more video essays and short film projects, I plan to put out behind-the-scenes content about the process I go through. While I’m not a professional, I feel like its my responsibility as a filmmaker to document what I do for future generations. Who knows who will gain some knowledge from watching me and my friends figure out how to set up a certain light?
I’m all for sharing knowledge, but I’m not there yet to have constant BTS footage put up. But I’m confident that I will, after getting some more projects out there. I kind of have to earn the ability to put out informative BTS content on my filmmaking/writng process by actually making movies and writing more.

What is Coming?

With the New Year approaching, I can confidently say that my first short film Lonely Day will be released before the end of January, along with a reflective video to go along with it. This was a film I had made with some friends back in the summer of 2019, my junior year of college. I was set to put this out in the spring of 2020 until… well, we all know what came about. Numerous reasons, stemming from personal mental state to post-production capabilities, delayed the release of this personal project. But no longer. I’ve gotten the color correction locked in, music is all leveled…just needs the companion piece to tie it all together. A two-year delay isn’t soooo bad, right?

Next up will be my first video essay, titled Hollywood’s Constructed City: Building a Fake New York City. Due to the spike in COVID this winter, filming will take some working around, but it will be done! With this video, I wanted to explore the concept of the idealized, simulated New York used in Golden Age Hollywood films. What brought about the need to recreate a city on the other side of country? What challenges were faced by the studios and how did they resolve them? And what effect did this ‘dream city’ have on the world’s perception of the real thing?

Besides that, other video essays and posts will come out, in due time. My whole career and persona as a filmmaker has been something I’ve worked hard on since the lockdown started. I’m ready to take the leap into this next part of my life (and finally become active on my own website).