KYle Loftus Studios Behind the Scenes BLOG
Articles, posts, and information surrounding video production and what is going on behind the scenes at Kyle Loftus Studios and beyond.
Finding your path...
Finding your path and navigating the media industry as a filmmaker can be extremely difficult if you let it. There are countless jobs, freelance roles, agencies, and more at your disposal. You add on top of that having to deal with daily decision making that influences your present and future…it’s no wonder so many people feel stuck.
Before expressing more on my views on finding your path, it is important to find ways that help you learn more about who you are, where you’re at, and where you plan ongoing.
10 Tips to Choose the Right Path in Life:
1) Get to know yourself: this is spending time alone, and knowing how to feel comfortable with being uncomfortable.
2) Consider your passions & what you are doing: What works best with me is writing things down. The importance of writing something down can go a long way while giving you a visual of what your goals and processes of completing them look like.
3) Reflect on your core competencies: What are your strengths? What makes you unique? What are you really good at that you can help others on?
Take it from me, someone who was extremely lost just a few years ago before I leaned all the way into filmmaking as my journey, it takes time and effort to get where you want to be but just know the universe has got your back.
If you believe in yourself and the effort your putting in, things will align for you. The right people will seemingly enter your life. The best gigs will suddenly come gliding across your desk. And no it’s not some magic trick. It’s the culmination of hard work, dedication, and trust in one’s path…IN YOUR PATH.
What has worked for me may not work for you and vice versa. Trust your path and go forward with an unbound passion.
Love you and see you at the top! Enjoy the climb.
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Happy Easter Weekend fam!
It’s Easter weekend and I wanted to share some exciting news with you and also wish you a great weekend with your fam and loved ones. I am celebrating this weekend with some exciting news and there’s no other way than to share it with you all.
For starters..nobody told me the hardest part about being a director was keeping quiet about projects after you finish them because they have to follow a release schedule and usually don’t come out until weeks or months after the production…sometimes years…still waiting on a few 😂
But some don’t have to wait to share the BIG news. I am stoked to share these behind the scenes of an incredible experience shooting for the @ibarakiband. As always, my team brings it on and kills the show exceeding all of our expectations. Check out some BTS footage with a video launch following up shortly.
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Stay tuned for more….
Copying is flattering....
When people copy your work take it as a compliment.
When people copy your work it means you doing something right and although it may annoy you at first it’s really nothing to worry about. No-one Can ever replicate you. You are such a unique and special individual. It’s not YOU that’s hot and bothered when people steal from you it’s your EGO.
It’s not about us it’s about the message. It’s about the impact we want to have on future generations. When people copy your work it’s a compliment, embrace it and know you’re doing great things.
Copying reflects a certain level of success
The idea that your work is good enough to be copied means that there must be some value in it. I went for years without anyone ever copying my work until recently.
Your work will get copied
The internet transformed our lives and at the same time, thanks to copy and paste, it made copying ten times easier.
There are no truly unique ideas
There’s nothing that I’m saying or you’re saying that is 100% unique.
We’re all copying someone or something without realizing it.
Keep climbing. I love y’all ❤️ and I’ll see y’all at the top!
Original messaging from my dude @sun.yi go follow for incredible daily inspo and advice on building an incredible and relatable brand that can scale.
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How to find Inspiration....
I don't think it is a question of where I find inspiration but how I find it. Inspiration is everywhere and it can be channeled through everything. To me, finding inspiration is all about perception and perspective.
The world is oversaturated with inspiration, but so many people never realize this because they walk among the earth aimlessly fixed from a singular perspective. I think finding inspiration is as simple as letting it happen. However, one can't expect to find immeasurable inspiration by doing the same task the same way every day. One has to be willing to take on new experiences and test their limitations. I strongly believe by constantly getting outside one's comfort zone one will find organic inspiration.
This is where I find my inspiration, doing familiar things in unfamiliar ways as well as taking on new adventures and experiences. Furthermore, I believe in order to find inspiration one must first open themselves up to the world of possibilities and the great unknown. To affirm something exists is to ignorantly claim knowledge of it but to touch, hear, smell, taste, and see something; that is to truly know it. Thus, I believe inspiration lies at the doorstep of curiosity. I find inspiration through my curiosity and hunger for knowledge.
I find inspiration in my search for meaning and understanding. I look at the world before me and question life endlessly. However, it is not so much in finding the answer to my questions that inspiration lies in the process itself. It is the journey of discovery that is the reward and it is in the journey that I find my inspiration.
New in-depth behind-the-scenes breakdown of this documentary/music video hybrid I had the pleasure of working on with @danemyers is available on my YouTube channel and linked in my bio or go check out the documentary on his page today.
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Where Confidence Begins Pretty Boy Commercial Campaign Launch Video
ATTENTION:
There’s a new brand in town. Here to reframe the way men think about their skin. As active males, we often put so much time and effort into dieting, weight training, supplements, and more.
We invest thousands in taking care of our bodies but the majority of us neglect the largest organ of the body. OUR SKIN.
Super excited to announce my partnership with @yo.prettyboy the new-age thinking men's skincare brand of the future, where confidence begins.
Extremely proud and honored to have been part of a great project. All the hard work the team put into this project for 6 months has paid off and more!
It took our team quite a lot to manage such an extensive project while still tackling new projects and helping additional clients succeed.
However, we always salivate over a new challenge. We all know it’s through challenges we grow and prosper and this was such a valuable and fun one to undertake with a brand that’s really trying to push the boundaries and reshape the way men think about skincare and their overall health and wellness.
Some BTS!
This short top-down video showcases so of our various locations and setups and how we filmed this video. You can catch a much more detailed and in-depth breakdown by clicking the button below!
Shout to mi Equipo:
Director/DP: @kalvisuals
Line Producer: @niehoff_11
Commercial Photographer: @coreyhour
Key Gaffer/Grip: @im_jasonanthony
Gaffer/Grip: @its.tizzle
BTS: @amris5m
INTENTION IS EVERYTHING.
INTENTION IS EVERYTHING.
I always try to share a lesson I’ve learned from production or why I used the lighting and camera choices I did etc. to provide you all with some actionable value you can implement directly into your processes.
However, sometimes I’m just overwhelmed with work or I just don’t have anything to share and that’s okay. I think what’s most important is that we also act with intention in every aspect of life.
Providing you all with great value is something I love to do but if I don’t have anything to share I think it’s better to not say anything at all than to try and force something up.
Why do you ask? Because deeply rooted in actions like these are usually things pertaining to ego ( your desire for status, approval, praise, etc.) and nobody f*cks with that haha.
Be true, be you, be intentional.
SIMPLE…..
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Rhino Dolly - Big Moves for Small Teams
Rhino Dolly - Big Moves for Small Teams
The time has finally come! Rhino Dolly is ready to be introduced to the world! I am personally excited because I was part of this creative process helping ideate and bring this to life. I was able to provide real tangible feedback as a filmmaker and someone who uses sliders/dollies etc in the field. So I am super excited that I've been able to optimize and have input for the everyday content creator and for the optimal video production team, filmmaker, or anyone who is trying to work with a small team or a band. This is only the beginning of something BIG in the filmmaking space!
I had the privilege to be part of the development process and help redefine this new revolution setting space in the video production space.
Now creatives, can get their hands on this dolly shot system that is convenient, efficient, sets up in minutes, and packs away in a single case.
Start capturing mind-blowing shots and streamline your workflow with Rhino Dolly. Rhino Dolly enables small production teams to capture big motorized shots in no time.
Pre-order Rhino Dolly and save 20%
The first all-in-one dolly system to streamline your workflow.
What will you film with Rhino Dolly?
Camera accessory manufacturer Rhino just revealed a motorized dolly that will leave you speechless with the shots it's capable of capturing.
Most dollys are fairly archaic; bolt some skateboard wheels to a piece of metal and buy some conduit from your local hardware store and you have a dolly. Rhino Dolly looks different.
While you can still use it manually, it’s the ability to motorize it with Rhino Arc II that puts it in a completely different class. You’re able to set keyframes with up to 4 axes; pan, tilt, focus, and dolly to create a shot that makes you think it came from a Hollywood set.
If the cool moves aren’t enough, they came up with a way to fit all of the hardware needed for a motorized dolly into a single case. This includes their “Infinity Rails” and even carbon fiber legs to support it so you don’t have to lug around tripods or stands. Even cooler is that the legs have markings on them so you can easily get them all to the same height. Why hasn’t anyone done this with tripods yet?
They have a few kits available for pre-order on their Kickstarter page so go check them out if you’re looking to upgrade your old dolly. Even if you don’t want all the fancy carbon fiber and motion control you can get a “Rental Kit” which lets you bring your rails to the party. All of their pricing is reduced by 20% when you pre-order a unit on Kickstarter.
Pre-order on their Kickstarter page
Rhino launches motorized dolly to streamline pro workflows.
Rhino Dolly has created a fit all of the hardware needed for a motorized dolly into a single case. This includes “Infinity Rails” and even carbon fiber legs to support it so you don’t have to lug around tripods or stands.
Even cooler is that the legs have markings on them so you can easily get them all to the same height. You can manually move the dolly or motorize it which looks pretty easy. Add a belt and attach their motion control head called Arc II which powers the motor built into the dolly.
Arc II works on a keyframe-based system and can even control your focus points using their optional focus motor. The types of shots you can achieve with their motion control are truly impossible with a traditional hand-pushed move.
Pre-order on their Kickstarter page
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How to build a confident & healthy mind...
Manifestation and affirmation are important parts of building a confident and healthy mind. They also help attract that which you aim to attain, achieve and or acquire however, it’s important that you use positive affirmations rather than negative ones as the human mind is incapable of thinking in terms of the negative. Therefore, if you use negative affirmations you are actually pulling yourself further away from accomplishing your goals and objects.
Use positive affirmations that your mind and instill and believe in through habitual repetition and implementation. Lastly, it’s not enough to affirm and manifest. You gotta put the work in. How bad do you want it?
The old saying, “You are what you think” may be true. For example, negative thoughts may lead to a more negative outlook on life, which then can lead to more negative thoughts. This cycle of negativity may result in stress, anxiety, and depression, which can damage your physical health. As a result, affecting your overall performance in your personal and professional life.
The best way to break the cycle is to introduce more positive thoughts into your life as often as possible.
You can repeat an affirmation to yourself as often as you’d like — while brushing your teeth, driving to work, or before you fall asleep. The more often you use an affirmation, the more it can help reinforce your value and self-worth and it may even positively affect your behavior.
Some positive affirmations for better self-care and brighter days:
I am ready.
My efforts help me succeed.
I can make a real difference.
My hard work will pay off.
I am strong.
I have the power to make the right choice for me.
I have faith in my abilities.
I got this.
I am grateful for what I can do.
I am happy to be me.
With so many of us facing new challenges these days, now could be the perfect time to turn positivity into a regular habit. Try using one of these affirmations each week to help you stay positive so you can continue to tackle your goals.
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Mindset | Don't waste your time..
What if you could wake up every day with $86,400 in your bank account but whether you spent it or wasted it would be fine by the end of the night.
I bet you would spend each and every penny if you could. Well, we have exactly 86,400 seconds each and every day. Why are you wasting precious time? All we have is now. Don’t waste your time away.
Use every day and opportunity to learn and grow. Try approaching challenging situations and days from a “learners” perspective rather than a “judger”. Seek to gain clarity and understanding and constantly ask questions.
How do you get to where you want to go in life? One of the key factors to running a successful business is honoring and implementing a time management strategy: first, you have to set goals and know what you want.
Set goals for both your private and professional life. Write down what you want. Get specific. Writing down your goals helps you to start gravitating towards working towards makingyour goals come to life.
Do you want to lose 10 pounds? Spend more time with friends and family? Would you love to take up a new hobby? Jot your goals down and refer to them often to stay focused. Once you have established what your big-picture goals are, you can break them down into smaller tasks that you can consistently work towards.
Each day is a new opportunity to grow internally and externally.
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Forgiveness...
Forgiveness…
Forgiveness isn’t always about the other person. In reality, forgiveness more often than not is about ourselves. Forgiveness is for ourselves.
Through forgiveness, we can find freedom. Freedom from pain, from resentment, freedom from anger, etc.
Yes, it’s important to forgive people for the mistakes they make. We are all human and it’s part of life but what’s more important is that you forgive others for yourself.
Keys to forgiveness:
1. Know what forgiveness is and why it matters: It is not about finding excuses for the offending person’s behavior or pretending it didn’t happen.
2. Become “forgivingly fit”: To practice forgiveness, it helps if you have worked on positively changing your inner world by learning to be what I call “forgivingly fit.”
3. THIS ONE: 3. Address your inner plan it’s important to figure out who has hurt you and how. This may seem obvious, but not every action that causes you suffering is unjust.
These are just a few keys to start forgiving. The more you learned o forgive, the more you grow as a person. You deserve happiness and joy and the longer you hold onto that pain and suffering the longer it’s going to eat away at you, the more it’s going to poison your spirit.
Forgive them today.