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.
The Fall of Man Music Video Production with Sophie Lloyd and Matt Heafy
Excited to share this video with you all! I learn more and more each time my team and I are on set making sh*t happen!
As a director, you have to set the tone and be an example for your cast and crew.
As the director, you are the visionary, the person in charge of inspiring your cast and crew and getting them to believe and fully invest in the project.
One of my favorite directors Werner Herzog is known for taking things to the extreme, bending the rules, and pushing his team to the limits but never without so doing so first. Herzog often wanted to partake in dangerous stunts the rest of the crew didn’t approve of. One particular misunderstanding happened during a scene in Rescue Dawn where Christian Bale’s character was being tortured aka Bale himself and was first hung upside-down, then spun around; the men spinning Bale were not native English speakers, and though they were urged to do it “faster.” Bale was not able to stand up straight for three days after recording that scene but guess who did it first? To his credit, Herzog did everything he asked his actors to do, and he did it first. When Bale’s character had to devour live maggots, Herzog showed him how, devouring a handful of maggots himself.
Be the example your cast and crew want and need.
Enjoy some of the footage and video below. Let us know what you think!
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Lighting and cinematography course...
1st day of filming my lighting and cinematography course was a smash. Super stoked about what we captured and very grateful for all the helping hands who can put to assist and learn.
Moving on to day 2 of filming today. Today we are diving into all kinds of lighting setups from top-down to clamshell to reverse key…the works!
I can’t wait to share this course in June 😈 I don’t think you’re ready for all of this!
Check out some fun BTS vibes from the other day HERE.
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ATTENTION: new short film entitled “The Stakeout”
ATTENTION: new short film entitled “The Stakeout” is out and available now on my YouTube channel.
So stoked about how this came out and how the entire team pulled it all together.
Teamwork really does make the dream work. F*cking love the feeling of being lost in the creative process with my friends on set, no better way to do it.
Also, I’m super grateful for the behind-the-scenes photos and videos. I think BTS is great for marketing but honestly, I think I value it more as a ticket into my past, as a means to time travel back to a moment and memory and relive it all. I love reflecting on the challenges and laughs on set. I love reflecting on what we could’ve done better and what we did exceptionally well.
I had an amazing time writing, directing, and acting in this but with the squad, and can’t wait to start on the next one.
There are a lot of things I like..filmmaking I F*CKING LOVE!
Shouts to the team!
Crew:
Written & Directed by: @kalvisuals
DP: @enmanuelzabala18
AC: @dp_ot
BTS: @chris.sorondo
Editor: @kalvisuals
Colorist: @chris.sorondo
Talent:
David: @watsonalexander
Tyler: @kalvisuals
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New music video out now | Do it again....
ALERT 🚨
New music video out now with @parmaseanii
Always impressed by what we are able to accomplish with such little crew and time. Shout to my team and Seanii for trusting me to bring his vision to life. Drop a comment and let me know what you think of this one.
Read more about how this music video came about and the concept behind it from the music artist himself. read more below….
the concept for ‘Do It Again’ was initially sparked by a conversation I had with @itskidleo and eventually actualized and brought to life a few months later after a couple of brainstorming sessions with @kalvisuals
release days are always bitter sweet for me
something that i once held near and dear to me is now a part of the universe and open to being perceived by anybody who comes across it…
that to me is equally exciting & terrifying
so with that being said… if you do nothing else today, take some time & go watch the movie we made….
- Seanii
Production Team:
Director/DP: @kalvisuals
Key Gaffer: Herbmaximo
BTS: @elimintss
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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…..