We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kyle Geller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kyle below.
Kyle, appreciate you joining us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?
There are always going to be unexpected problems and issues, thats life, but dealing with them is the fun part? Especially as technology advances at such a rapid rate, example, computers… you find one, its the shit, the solution to all your problems, you buy it, its working great, until… The next camera comes out, which is now 8k instead of the 6k you were working on, and now the computer doesn’t seem to be able to handle the footage as well. *End rant.
Other then tech getting in your way, there is always good ol’ life there ready to throw a stick in the spokes. Now there is 2 parts to this, sort of. 1, a professor taught me one of the best lessons i’ve ever learned as a producer and filmmaker: to pick a date and stick to it no matter what, referring to a shooting date. This is because you are working with a team and if and when, because they will, problems arise, such as an actor dropping out, or the grip isn’t showing up, then you just replace them with someone that can show up on said date. Solving the problem before it becomes a bigger one.
Number 2: this is the “Fun,” I was referring to earlier. As a Director, these problems and issues are what makes a good Director a great Director. Being able to think and solve problems on the fly is such a great skill to have in film and can result in some amazing shots and performances. It also is a much better alternative to flying off the handle, and getting mad at an uncontrollable situation, and not to mention now you would be behind in your production.
In conclusion, you can’t avoid them. Just be ready for them and deal with them. Breathe, walk around the building if you need to, but breathing and patience are the name of the game. It’s like Bruce Lee said, “Be like water,” that way you can adapt, move, flow, and slay the day and any unexpected problems or issues that might come your way.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Kyle Waters Geller, I am an Filmmaker from Long Beach, California. Currently I am all in on making my first feature film and just laser focused on writing and staying ready for any opportunity that crosses my path. I just finished writing my 4th feature screenplay as well as my first hour long pilot, and am currently outlining my 5th feature film. But nothing will be sweeter than completing production on my first feature film, which hopefully will be happening much sooner then later. But I am always down to work on a Music Video and or Commercial work, so if you are in need lets work!
What sets me apart at this part of my career is I am focused entirely on my own projects and plan. A lot of times in this industry it’s very easy to get side tracked working jobs under a different skill set, such as art department, or a PA, on down the line. And trust, I am not knocking that, any day on set is a win in any book, all I am saying is, the money is pretty decent, the work is there, and its easy to get comfortable. I put it in a lot of time doing the acting thing, but never lost focus of Directing, Trying to get on every set possible, but with the focus on learning the way it ran and what the Director and Crew was doing. I was attending my own real life Master Class.
The thing I am most proud about my work so far is that I have a style. You can watch something of mine, and if you are familiar with any of my previous work, you will be able to spot that its mine. I think thats the coolest thing is having someone recognize your work through style rather than through my name. A credits easy, but style is earned. I am constantly trying to learn and hone my craft to enhance and really sharpen that style as fine as it can be. Practice makes perfect… I am more than ready to get this feature game going and hungry like the wolf for everything that project entails!
What I would like people to know about my work is that its all in good fun at the end of the day. Even when talking about some serious shit, I like to do it in a comical way. Like a good standup crafts their jokes, I like to leave the audience with something to think about. I am a real guy, who writes what he knows. Im raw and like to bring that to life with my work.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
Ohhhhhhhh mannnnn. What a loaded question. LOL. Where do I start. For one, it almost feels like politics when talking about them which is interesting, and weird. I love them, I hate them, I don’t even know if they are real. At the core, I think they are a genius tool when executed correctly.
A lot, and I mean a lot of scams came out of the NFT world which sucks for everyone involved and for all the onlooker wondering about the NFT space, but everyone has to understand that like in just about every other space in the business world there are scams being ran, this was just a new space that was naked and there for the taking, the wild west…
Okay, back to the genius tool part. So it’s all about the “Utility,” of the NFT that is the amazing thing that should entice people. Gary V had the best example when the whole thing started gaining traction. Something along the lines of,… for instance Chipotle launches a GOLDEN BURRITO NFT. They only make 10,000 available and they go for lets say $200. Now the Utility attached to this NFT is 1 free burrito every week for life. Invites to exclusive NFT HOLDER events, exclusive offers and coupons, maybe even a t shirt. The possibilities really are endless. Its like being in a private club, and you know how many members there are, because its written in internet “Stone” aka the blockchain. There is a whole other aspect to it, like a stock for digital art basically where the holders really deem what the value is a community. But my main interest and love for it lies in the Utility part and look forward when my company EL PRIMO BRAND grows to a place where I can make a line of NFTs that offer some cool Utility. At heart I love throwing big music and art parties, and I can definitely see something related to that in the not too distant future.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Not gonna lie, I love me some Self Help books. I was in a pretty dark place for a while and when i crawled my way out I really had to focus on myself to grow, I had to rewire my brain and get to work. Self help books were a huge part of my growth process in becoming a grown man.
But the one book that kind of tied it all together was not an intended Self Help book, but it definitely changed my life for the better so I’ll tie it in that category for the moment. “Rebel Without a Crew,” written by Robert Rodriguez. The cult tale of how the filmmaker made a feature film with 10k way back in the day and on his next film he would be introducing the world to Antonio Banderas. It was a book about how he just put his head down and did the damn thing, period. No excuses. Just a story and a will to bring it to the big screen. It completely changed my life. It is the way I approach everything in my filmmaking journey and most of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elprimobrand.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kgthedirector/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kgthedirector
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/elprimobrand