This month we spent time chatting with Tyler Funk, the man behind the Tongal legend, North of Now. Tyler grew up in Canada and first picked up a camera at age six. Ever since then, filmmaking has been a lifelong passion of his and he even completed a BFA in Film Production. Read on to learn about his upbringing in the arts, other Tongalers he admires, and his insightful advice for creating engaging content.
Izzy F: So Tyler, what’s your filmmaking background? Did you go to film school?
North of Now: I’ve been making films more or less my entire life. Growing up my parents ran an eco-theatre company so I’ve always been involved in the arts and the storytelling process. I did a BFA in Film Production at the University of British Columbia and during that time I also did a certificate in Directing at Langara College. So lots of film school.
IF: Impressive! I’m curious...what is the filmmaking scene like in Vancouver? What drew you to the city?
NON: Vancouver is more or less the warmest place in Canada so that along with the amazing film community made it a super easy decision for me. It’s a great city to live in and the film community is extremely talented and friendly.
IF: That sounds like a great environment. Do you remember the first thing you ever filmed in your life?
NON: I think I was six. It was a Night of the Living Dead knock-off short film that I co-directed with my brother. We used our two younger siblings as our actors/zombies.
IF: Wow...you were clearly ahead of the times given the recent zombie phenomenon! What’s the most interesting part of the production process for you?
NON: My favourite part of the process is getting to work with such a variety of people throughout production. To me, Tongal is all about collaboration and that’s the part that really excites and inspires me. It’s really amazing to build upon an idea and have all these talented people share your vision and help make it happen.
IF: We love seeing collaboration on our platform -- it inspires us too. How did you first find out about Tongal?
NON: Online Video Contests or Video Contest News -- I can’t remember which one. Either way, both are great sites for filmmakers to check out!
IF: That’s awesome. So when you first see a Tongal Project you’re interested in, how do you start crafting your Pitch?
NON: For me the Pitch is always about finding what elements excite me in the Project. It’s often about reading the Ideas and Brief until I think of a unique take on it or a new way of bringing it to life. It’s about taking the Idea and making it my own and contributing to the collaboration and evolution of the Project, all while staying loyal to the Brief.
IF: Great tactic! How do you go about assembling a team for a Project?
NON: I have a fairly set core team that I work with on an ongoing basis. I have an editor I’ve worked with since grade 8, and the same producer and cinematographer for most Projects. As I mentioned before, the part of the filmmaking process that I love is finding new talent to work with. I usually have one or two people in key positions on each Project that I haven’t worked with before.
IF: Wow -- that’s amazing that you’ve known your editor since 8th grade! What’s your favorite work you’ve done for Tongal?
NON: I always have a hard time choosing a favourite, it’s tough as for every Project there is something I wish I could have changed or tweaked. That said I’d have to say Tech Deck was likely my favourite as it was just such a fun shoot, and I was really happy how the spot turned out. I think with that Project I was able to really capture exactly what we set out to do.
IF: I really enjoyed your work with Tech Deck too, definitely a fun Video! What do you think would be your dream Project?
NON: A dream Project for me is any shoot that involves travel. It’s an extra logistical complication but it always makes the projects so much more fun and exciting. So I’d say some Project where I got to shoot all around the world, something multi-continental.
IF: Speaking of travel -- you were nominated for a Tongie for “Best Long-Form Video” for the Ford C-MAX Hybrid The Real California Video Project -- I hear you went on a bit of a road trip for that Project. What was that experience like?
NON: Thank you! Most of the ad was shot in and around LA; lots of laps around Dodger Stadium. We spent just one day on the road as the Prius we had rented had some ridiculous limit to the number of miles we could put on it, I think it was like under 300. We found this out within days of starting our shoot so our original road trip ideas of going to San Fran or to the Redwoods had to be changed quite dramatically. So each day was a challenge of figuring out how far we could drive. We spent a lot of time planning routes on Google. We ended up doing a one day road trip up to San Luis Obispo which was a lot fun, however we had to leave the Prius in a parking lot along the way to avoid going over our 300 mile limit.
IF: That was very creative of you! Your SanDisk Video for “The Next Small Thing” is also really captivating. How did you capture all of that extreme sports footage?
NON: This spot was directed by my North of Now co-founder Gabe Adelman and I helped produce it. Everything was shot with a 7D and a GoPro. Gabe had a great approach of finding the right people and capturing the energy. He’s taken some time away from Tongal but lately has been shooting some amazing drone footage. I’m sure he’ll be back with another awesome sports video soon!
IF: Good to hear, we’ll be on the lookout for his next video! What is your ultimate goal and where do you see yourself going with Tongal in the next year?
NON: I’ve never really had an ultimate goal with Tongal. I was pretty curious as to what Tongal was all about when I got started. Each Project brings new challenges and new rewards and this is what keeps me interested and excited to collaborate on the site. I figure as long as I’m enjoying the process no need to worry about where it is all going.
IF: That’s a wonderful perspective to have! Whose work on Tongal do you also admire?
NON: I’m impressed with so many of the creators on the site and constantly see the work of new Tongalers that totally blows me away. It’s truly such a diverse and talented group. Some of my personal favourites are Don Broida, David Brashear and Extraneous Noise. They’re all super talented creators that produce amazing content.
IF: Who is your favorite film or commercial director out there at the moment?
NON: This is a question I’d probably have a different answer for anytime you asked! However, today I’d have to say Matt Johnson. He directed a film called “The Dirties” -- it’s a small indie that won the Narrative Grand Jury prize at Slamdance in 2013, his film totally blew me away. It was an incredibly fresh, fearless film. If you haven’t seen it I’d recommend checking it out.
IF: What are you working on currently, on Tongal or otherwise?
NON: Currently I’m finishing up revisions on our John Frieda spot for Tongal which was super fun to make. Besides that I’m in preproduction on my first Spanish language spot and then slowly working on a feature and a couple short films.
IF: Wow, that’s a cool and diverse group of projects! Do you have any advice for other Tongalers?
NON: Everything you need to make a great spot is probably right in front of you. It’s easy to over complicate the process and worry about which camera or which lens to use and so on, but often times by taking a simpler approach and using a smaller crew you can create more authentic, exciting content. Just go out and do it.
IF: That’s very sound advice. Thanks so much for all of your interesting and creative answers, Tyler! It’s a pleasure working with North of Now and we always look forward to seeing your poignant and beautiful videos!
