We recently connected with Kyle Herman and have shared our conversation below.
Kyle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. So, we’d appreciate if you could open up about your growth story and the nitty, gritty details that went into scaling up.
The pathway from shooting YouTube comedy shorts back in college to producing my first full length feature last year was not a straight line. The first draft of the script for Trigger Happy was completed in 2019, but due to the nature of the industry, a global pandemic, and the risk associated with investing in a film from a first time director and producer, West 36 Productions wasn’t able to secure our funding until Fall 2022. It took a lot of grit, determination, and relentless optimism to keep pushing forward, fueled by the knowledge that we had a truly original story and world in our script that was begging to be brought to life on screen.
When West 36 Productions received funding for the feature film, I thought working with a budget ten times larger than any of my previous projects would be easier — and it was, in some ways. Taking the leap into a feature film budget and production alleviated some of the stressors that come with tight-budget short film projects, but along with the growth of our budget came bigger challenges to meet in pre-production, on set, and in post. In the creation of Trigger Happy we would shoot for three weeks instead of three days, feed and pay a crew of 50, shut down a street in Glendale, and rent out a plane and part of the tarmac at Santa Monica Airport.
The larger budget for this feature also came with pressure and expectation of a return on investment. We were lucky enough to get our budget from private investors. It was really our only option as first time filmmakers, as larger financiers want a proven track record and secured distribution before they will invest. We were clear about the risks involved, and were so grateful to find people that understand that risk and believe in the vision for Trigger Happy. We are now in process of courting offers with our sales agents and closing in on a platform to share our finished feature film with the world.
There has been this incredible feeling of gratitude and accomplishment from making the film and premiering it at Cinequest in San Jose this past March (thank you to anyone who voted for us and helped us win the audience award!). It feels like a true culmination of my efforts since I decided that I wanted to go to film school and pursue film as a career. As we close in on a sale for Trigger Happy, we are now focusing on what’s next for West 36 Productions. I’m confident that the next project will see bigger budgets and bigger challenges, alongside an even greater sense of accomplishment and pride. At West 36 Productions, we are more than a film company; we are storytellers on a mission. With Trigger Happy and all that comes next, we are excited to challenge conventions and spark conversation about real, human experiences through the strange surrealism of the worlds we create.
Kyle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I started West 36 Productions in 2018 with my good friend Tiffany Kim Stevens. We had started making independent shorts together in 2015 when we were both still students at the University of Southern California. After graduation we both began working in the industry, her as an editor for Tastemade and me as a camera assistant and editor for Disney Digital Network and CollegeHumor. We both felt the desire for more, and wanted to make compelling narratives on our own. From our shared vision, West 36 Productions was born. We are a narrative and commercial production company dedicated to creating bold, contemporary cinema featuring unconventional storytelling, diverse perspectives, and biting social commentary; we aim to accurately represent true human stories set against a tapestry of provocative surrealism.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
The creative industry is truly based on referrals. So many people are eager to work, but most hiring within the industry is done via social networking and professional recommendations. Every position on a film set is crucial to the success of the project, and everyone plays their part in bringing the vision to life, so hiring for every single role is taken very seriously. I personally come from a wide background of experience, which allowed me to make connections with many different types of creative professionals working in their fields. After college I worked as a first assistant camera, DIT, camera operator, EPK producer, production assistant, and editor. Having been on all sizes of sets at different capacities has allowed me to get a better understanding of everyone else’s needs around me now as a producer.
I also pride myself on having a calm demeanor on set — the combination of understanding and attitude together is essential for success. Things inevitably do not go to plan. I used to feel some anxiety before a set because I wanted to catch every issue before it happened, but now I understand that it really is impossible to prevent and you just have to trust in yourself and the team you have built to get through the day’s obstacles.
That team is key. As a producer, I rely on my crew to be the experts in their fields and provide me with insights to prevent and solve problems as they arise. On the set of Trigger Happy, there were moments where certain departments became more strained on budget than others, as unexpected costs arose or changes were made in real time. At one point, we had to wrap multiple locations in the same day, and we knew that the art department would be spread thin, so I brought on extra help that day and focused the energy of our production assistants with art department. We also brought in additional help for hair and make-up on days where we knew we would either have a lot of actors present or would have less time at the beginning of the day for them to work due to our schedule. These decisions were made based on the suggestions of the department heads, and their advisement was crucial in helping us avoid potential problems. I have found that keeping an open dialogue with every crew member, proactively asking for their opinions and advice, and showing them a high level of respect goes further than anything else in ensuring success, building my reputation as a producer, and opening doors for future work opportunities.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Producing the fully independent Trigger Happy was a marathon. If something needed to happen, it would inevitably fall on me to find a way to get it done. During pre-production on Trigger Happy, we had put in permit requests well in advance to film on a residential street, and only days before production we were denied the ability to park our trailers on the street overnight. I ended up walking door to door, asking folks if I could pay them to park trailers in their driveways for 10 days in a row. We had a similar issue with our airport permit — just days before our shoot at that location, we were told we could not shoot in the area we requested. I had to get on the phone with owners of different businesses around the tarmac to secure a new area of the airport to shoot in. One day I even volunteered to drive the art department cube truck to set when it was clear the crew that would usually drive would be better served somewhere else. I was responsible for everyone and everything on set, was the first person there and the last to leave, and truly took it upon myself to fill in any gaps and do any job necessary to get us across the finish line.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.west36productions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/w36productions/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@w36productions
- Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/w36productions
Image Credits
Greg Swartz Photography
Kyle Herman