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

Tyler, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve made was a short film for my nephew’s 7th birthday. It’s almost embarrassing with how over-the-top I got with making it. In 2021, my nephew watched a goofy 30-second video I made wishing a friend happy birthday. At that time, my nephew’s birthday was 6 months away and he asked if I would make him a video too.

As the months went by, he likely forgot he asked, but I didn’t. It was still the pandemic and I had some time on my hands and so I thought I’d make a quick and easy short film to surprise him with. But it’s my nephew, and he’s turning 7, the age I got my first video camera, and he’s always been charmed by movies, he finds them magical, so I thought I should make something he’ll really love.

That was the emotion behind it. I had to come up with an idea. I knew he liked pirates and that only last year a package in his neighborhood was stolen and that was a big deal to him. I knitted those ideas together and set off making a film about the birthday present I ordered for him being stolen by porch pirates.

“I’ll keep it nice and short. 2 minutes,” I first told myself. But instead I got a bit carried away. I ended up spending 3 months filming whenever I had time in between jobs. I had my parents, friends, and neighbors make up the entire cast, including 14 neighborhood kids!

About a week before my nephew was coming to visit for his birthday, I FaceTimed him and told him “your birthday present was stolen off my front porch but I’m going to find a way to get it back. Rest assured you will have your present.”

The day finally arrived. His father, my brother, took him to a local theater where I knew the owners to watch a new movie that just came out. Lo and behold his film came on, much to his shock, excitement, and of course a bit of fun confusion at first. He spent the next 32 minutes laughing and being surrounded by my friends, family, and a ton of the cast and crew. The film is now a fun heirloom and a wish that he “stay creative in whatever adventure life brings.”

My daughter is 2 years old but my brother has already promised a spectacular gift for her on her 7th birthday. Some silly and meaningful tradition has been born!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born out of ART! Slightly joking aside…I was named Tyler in tribute to Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, the place where my mom and dad met. Her career was in the fashion industry and my dad’s was running a stop motion animation studio in NYC. So I couldn’t get away from it. It’s in my name and blood.
I can sometimes fall into the “jack of all trades” camp, perhaps a byproduct of my upbringing and being influenced and inspired by so many different crafts people and artists. While I’m proud of that there have been times I’ve struggled with the label because I can’t help but think perhaps I’m just not good enough at one.
In a big way that’s the beauty of directing. While by no means I downplay the serious devotion and discipline a director must have to be a master of that craft, it is a much more flexible and fluid job, one that takes into consideration and understands a bit of it all. I didn’t one day label myself a director, my journey was a little different. After graduating from School of Visual Arts in NYC I immersed myself primarily in the art department side of filmmaking, starting in props and set design then working my way up to production designing feature films. All the while I would take production office jobs, coordinating jobs, driving jobs. I cut my teeth in the high budget, low budget and no budget. I found myself wanting more and more to make my own projects. So I gave it a shot in 2015. I founded Red Leaf Film.
Through Red Leaf’s platform I produce and direct commercials, branded content, corporate, narrative, documentary. I’m getting to work in the industry and also follow and practice the art and craft of directing my own films. My horizon is always expanding but what’s closest is an opportunity to direct a 6 episode miniseries. I’m also finishing up a feature documentary that I’ve been working on since 2017, following the life of a stop motion animator who is a quintessential New York artist.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Like much of the world, the pandemic forced me to pivot and change my business, but in 2022, I became a father and that really changed my world. The film industry moves quickly and is always shifting. You have to constantly keep up. I’ve seen first hand how that hustle impacts families, as my father worked as a filmmaker and my grandparents were actors. I am now in that same wild and wonderful dance of being a parent. With any pivot, there is a weight distribution and while I’ve had to sometimes settle for less creatively fulfilling projects and pursuits, becoming a parent has enriched every aspect of my life.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love to be alone and daydream but the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the social connections I create, and not just with other artists but with all people. Hearing and learning about other people’s stories is an endless and fulfilling endeavor.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.redleaffilm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylerabewallach/