We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tyler Pina. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tyler below.
Tyler, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I learned a lot about myself during the lockdown in 2020. I’ve always been very confident and extremely extroverted, but I never realized that this confidence primarily came from my ability to do well in social situations. The external validation I received from being quick-witted, telling jokes, or making people feel good fueled me.
But during the lockdown, when I was in isolation and without work, I felt my confidence beginning to fade. Even simple things like getting out of bed were starting to become a struggle, and I, like many others, found myself falling into a deep depression.
I realized that I needed to find a way to get my confidence back. I wanted to take control of my life in a time when we all felt so helpless. So I took it one step at a time. I started working out at home and doing small things to feel good about myself. I set goals, and then I accomplished them. I took any opportunity that came my way.
By the summer, productions were beginning to take place again, and I challenged myself to take on more and more work. I ended up producing two shows that year simultaneously on top of numerous other projects, quadrupling my income from the previous year. I worked harder than I ever have in my entire life, and I completely surpassed all expectations that I had set for myself.
By the time the world opened up again, I realized that I had found my confidence. But, this time, it didn’t come from any external validation. It came from learning that when I put my mind to something, nothing could stop me. And we all have this power within us. It may take time. It will be difficult, and some people may face much greater obstacles simply based on their ethnicity, socioeconomic background, gender, or sexuality. But, with enough time and willpower, it is possible to find your confidence and achieve any goal you set for yourself.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m a filmmaker based primarily in Los Angeles. I’ve produced and directed shows, branded content, music videos, documentaries, and shorts. But my primary interest is now in film and television.
Currently, I’m focused on telling stories that highlight underrepresented groups and connect people. I think, especially in a world today where facts are questioned and communities are divided, the greatest way to reach people is through their emotions. It’s a form of communication that’s more than just words. Whether it’s making people laugh when times are tough, educating audiences on different social issues, or inspiring people to be brave and lead with love, films can have such a positive and lasting impact on our culture.
“I’m excited to announce that I’m currently working on a queer-focused feature. I can’t give too much away at this time, but the story is actually based on my life experiences abroad. Things are going very well so far with the project. We’ve just finished the development phase, and now we’re getting ready for pre-production.”
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Hard-working, innovative, and kind. I only am where I am today because I don’t give up, I’ve learned how to problem solve, and I try my best to treat people with compassion on set and in my personal life. In this industry, relationships are so important. But also in life — when you have the choice, why not choose to be kind?
I would rather hire someone who is less experienced but driven, respectful, and willing to learn over someone who has an ego any day. Everyone’s journey is different, but I think if you come with a good attitude, try your best, and learn to overcome the obstacles thrown your way, you will find success.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
This is a question I have asked myself numerous times, and I think the answer depends on the situation.
If you are in a leadership position, the most important thing to remember is that you have a team. Use them! I was the showrunner of a series a couple years ago, and we filmed with a lot of leadership coaches. One thing that kept being said over and over again that really stuck with me was this, “do the tasks that you’re good at or enjoy, and delegate everything else.” When you have a team, this is the best way to focus your time and keep everything running efficiently.
That being said, if you’re just starting out, think it can be very beneficial to try a variety of tasks to learn what you’re best at and develop as many of your skills during this learning period. It’s a great way to grow, give yourself more opportunities, and learn what skillsets you want to refine and focus on later.
When I was in college and first starting my career, I worked lighting gigs, audio gigs, cinematography gigs. I produced, directed, and edited. And later in life I began to write. Having a background in all of these areas has helped me be a better leader because I know what I’m taking about when I need to communicate things to these different departments. So having this diverse background has helped me excel at the roles I’m currently investing my time into.
Contact Info:
- Website: neonflamingofilms.com
- Instagram: @tylerpina1
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/tylerpina
- Twitter: @tylerpina1
