Meet Richard & Ryan Taylor

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Richard E. Taylor II & Ryan N. Taylor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below. 

Richard & Ryan, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
In order to keep our creativity alive, we learned that we have to take breaks from our everyday schedule to do things that we thoroughly enjoy, such as spending time with family and friends, going to amusement parks, hiking, traveling to new places and tying new foods. It is in this balance that we can breathe and develop a level of peace to be able to create again. 

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Yes, we are Richard E. Taylor II & Ryan N. Taylor, two brothers from Rancho Cucamonga, CA also known as “The Steampunk Brothers” and we are the owners of I.F.B. Studios, one LA’s newest film studios, centrally located in Glendale, California. 

Our vision for a film studio, came through our passion for acting & filmmaking. 

Richard started acting at the tender age of four commercials and then went on to later appear in numerous productions & music videos for artist like Lenny Kravitz, Mary J. Blige and shows like “Glee” and “John Benjamin Has a Van. He is also a graduate from California State University San Bernardino where he earned his B.A. in Psychology and has more than 10 years of experience working in health services as a behavioral therapist. Richard also served as the office manager for Plan B… Therapy Family Counseling Center for 6 years. While there he was able to help grow the practice exponentially and gain a vast knowledge of managing a business. 

Ryan on the other hand was pulled into acting when Richard signed him up for John Casablanca’s Acting School at the age of 12. Since then, he has starred in multiple productions, such as his leading role in 2017 released feature film The Young Believers. He will be making his latest debut in the upcoming feature film Bolt from The Blue shot on location in Alaska. Aside from acting, Ryan fell in love with the behind the scenes when he joined the camera/media ministry at Cathedral of Praise. This led him to pursue a college degree in film and eventually led him to become an Assistant Director. After falling in love with the position which while attending The University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and graduating with his BA in 2018, Ryan became a full-time freelance Assistant Director and has worked on over 50 productions to date. 

It was while assistant directing, that Ryan first got the idea to create a warehouse studio. Having to interact with studio owners/stage managers and observing what each studio had to offer, Ryan was able to get a visual for what things are needed to turn a warehouse into a studio and run it. 

One day while filming at a studio, Ryan invited Richard to check it out during his lunch break. This studio happened to be ran by two young friends which made them think “Hey, maybe we could do something like this one day”. Fast forward 2 years later, during the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic, something told us to start the new business venture. With so much down time from the pandemic, it became the perfect distraction for us. 

By March of 2021, it was time to open our studio doors to the public. We are now coming up on our 3 Year anniversary and could not be prouder as it has been one heck of a journey. Since our grand opening on March 7th, 2021, our 3,500 Sq ft facility has been then home of numerous film productions, photo shoots and live events with some of our regular clients including ABC & Disney. From our large cyclorama wall to our in-house prop shop (included in all rentals), we pride ourselves in having all that you need to create magic in our studio. 

The most exciting thing about being a studio owner is seeing what each production creates. Watching different crews come in and transform I.F.B. Studios into different setting is something that sends chills through our body. It’s always something new and a reminder that we designed a safe space for people to be able to create in. 

Something that makes us stand out from other studios is our Steampunk branding. If you are a lover of Steampunk this is the place for you. Every time that you walk through the doors of I.F.B. Studios, you are sure to see one of the Steampunk Bros walking around in their steampunk accessories. It’s our way of creating a fun and whimsical environment to work in. Also, with us being so young, it’s a subtle way to help distinguish us as the Studio Owners. 

In the end, we hope to grow I.F.B. Studios into a global household name and inspire people who look like us, while being a place for all to be able to enjoy the beauty of filmmaking. 

If you have not already filmed at I.F.B. Studios, you are truly missing out on an exciting filmmaking experience. 

Also, to coincide with our 3rd Year Anniversary, we’ll be having our 3rd Annual Film Festival in the Spring of 2024. So, if you have short films, music videos or commercials of any genre, get them ready to submit for the chance to win FREE STUDIO TIME! 

To find out more/get updates prior to the main event, follow us on Instagram @ifbstudios and visit www.IFBStudios.com . 

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?

Looking back on our journey, 3 things that have helped us time and time again are prayer, endurance & integrity 

When it comes to prayer, we have raw and honest conversations with God and ask for our needs to be provided each day. We understand that God knows us better than we do so we never feel ashamed to talk to him about anything. There are times where it feels like, we have talked God’s ear off with prayer request, but we find solace in knowing that regardless of how many times we come to him, he will always be there to listen and answer our prayers “IN HIS TIME” … 

It is during the waiting period that endurance comes into play. Just when you think God is sick of your requests, you must hang on with faith until it comes to fruition. This is something that we have had to do along our journey as business owners. There have been plenty of times that we thought about throwing in the towel and giving up or feeling like there is no way out, especially when life hits you back-to-back, however there is a little voice inside that tells us to keep going. Some time you must be that voice and tell yourself to keep going. One of the beauties of endurance is that, when you finally start looking back at your journey, you begin to see just how far God has brought you and that you are a lot stronger than you think. 

While enduring on the journey, it’s best to operate with integrity. As people pleasers, we had to learn the importance of not over promising on something that you cannot deliver but rather only promise what you can deliver. This is what allows us to develop a trusty worthy and reliable reputation amongst our clients. 

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

When it comes to overcoming challenges and developing the essential skills, qualities, and knowledge to be successful, first, we must shoutout God and then our parents. Being a business owner means that you must be prepared for things to happen unexpectedly so to limit our stress, we have learned to lean on God by praying through our challenges. We also ask for guidance/more understanding each day as we navigate throughout our journey. 

Aside from God helping us through challenges, we have been blessed with parents who have a lot of life experience and knowledge about being entrepreneurs. While growing up our parents Richard & Lynda were in the board and care business for people with intellectual disabilities which is where we were introduced to the daily routine of business and managing staff. Later our mother Lynda opened her own private practice called Plan B.. Therapy where we worked during/after college and gained a vast knowledge of marriage and family therapy. This upbringing has been helpful in that most of the struggles we tend to encounter, our parents have already encountered when starting out their own businesses. This has provided them with a strong knowledge of how to navigate through tough situations from their own personal experiences. 

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Dario Tejada, Brittney Janae, Ren Scott, Ryan N. Taylor

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