Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tyler Duplechin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tyler , appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

I believe in the past, to be a “cinematographer” It meant that you had to make feature films or at the very least be a DP on a big set for a big client with a big budget. Nowadays, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

With the access of amazing cameras (even iPhones), and the emergence of social media, the barrier to entry is a lot lower. With that being said, we are seeing an increase in content creators, influencers, YouTubers, etc all finding their path in photography or cinema in their own ways.

I think the greatest example of this is a YouTube figure by the name of “Danny Gervirtz”. He built an online community through YouTube doing tutorials, short passion projects, and breakdowns. With that community he built from scratch, he ended up raising over $100,000 to shoot his very own feature length film.

It just goes to show you that putting yourself out there, believing in your skillset, and showing up every day can pay huge dividends in this industry without ever having to be a PA on a movie set. Tell a story, tell your story, and enjoy the journey because everyone’s is different.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Tyler Duplechin, a photographer/cinematographer from the New Orleans area.

My story is a little different from most. I actually didn’t touch a camera until March of 2019. Around that time, I worked at a fine-dining restaurant as a server. In my free time I would really enjoy cooking and began posting my food on instagram with hopes of being a private chef. At some point, after having every member of my family hold up their phone lights around the plate so I could get a good shot (at least I knew the importance of lighting) I decided to buy my first camera.

After watching about 200 hours of Peter McKinnon videos on YouTube, I pulled the trigger and bought a Canon 80d and a 50mm 1.4 lens. From that point on I totally gave up on being a chef and dove head first into the creative world.

I had been creative my whole life. Early on it was drawing and sketching. In my teens/highschool I was the local rapper kid. Which actually worked out a lot better than originally planned. I did shows with Kevin Gates, Kid Ink, SoMo, Juvenile, even Lil Boosie. I would pay other videographers to shoot my music videos that I had written, but never really had interest in shooting them myself. I was too caught up in writing new songs and learning how to mix/master them (through YouTube of course).

So when I bought the camera I just viewed it as another creative outlet. After a year or so of taking photos of my family members, friends, etc. I had a friend from high school ask me if I could help her shoot a dance video for a school project of hers. I had never done video before but I’m pretty big on saying “Yes” to everything and just figuring it out.

After agreeing, I rented a Ronin stabilizer from Borrowlens.com and made it happen. During the process of shooting and editing that project, I felt as if it had unlocked a new level of creativity within the camera world.

From that point on I have been very video-focused. Today I run my own business “Tyler James Studios” and help local businesses and people level up their content creation. For now, I work with retainer clients that I produce videos for on a monthly basis, while shooting passion projects in the meantime.

My ultimate goal is the shift toward producing “documercials”. A branded, documentary style of filmmaking that helps brands shoot commercials with a genuine and relatable feel for their product or service.

But for now, I’m just enjoying the journey and thankful that I get to play with cameras for a living.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients by far is word of mouth from current clients. I can’t think of one single time I have worked with a client and not gotten some type of referral from them. That’s why it’s so important to crush every project a new client trusts you with, and make their overall experience as easy and as effortless as possible.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Definitely fortunate enough to say my side-hustle has turned into my full-time career. It took almost 4 years and It’s still scary to this day. Before going full-time I was a server at a restaurant where my schedule was flexible enough to do freelancing on the side. However, the longer I was there the more I realized if I didn’t just take the leap of faith and bet on myself I would end up regretting it in the future.

I originally bought a camera to take pictures of food that I was cooking in hopes of becoming a private chef. However, 200 Peter McKinnon videos later, I completely fell in love with photography and the dream of being a private chef quickly faded.

Since then, I have really pivoted to video production. Since then I have worked on countless social media campaigns, short documentaries, and even a few higher budget commercials that ended up airing on television.

In the future, I would love to live in New York City and be a full time DP and/or colorist. As of now, I’m just enjoying the journey and continuing to better my craft.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tylerjduplechin