Meet Tristan Kilmer | Filmmaker & Previsualization Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tristan Kilmer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tristan, why did you pursue a creative career?
Ever since I was a kid, I just loved the idea of being able to use animation to tell stories that were different than what the real world had to offer. Being able to use the medium as an interpretation of the world really spoke to me and I just knew I had to pursue it.

I grew up watching movies and cartoons, reading comics, and building LEGO. These interests were such big inspirations on me with all the styles and stories they brought to the table. Even with LEGO, it gave me ideas on how to design and create odd and new characters, even if they were a little blocky.

I loved and still love to draw, but the process of it always felt a little slow. So one of the first mediums I used to make a short film was with LEGO. I loved that it was tangible and that I could make a story with it rather quickly. I love to make new things all the time as opposed to work on one specific thing for a long period of time. It just allows more explorative ideas to come into fruition.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My day to day job is being a Previs Artist which is essentially visualizing a series of shots or scenes in a movie or tv show before filming. It involves a generalist skillset and a fast turnaround for ideas which I thrive in. It involves clever planning and techniques using new and emerging technology. It’s like the next level of storyboarding as you get to see and feel how the film will play out before you spend even more time and money on the final product. There is such a wide variety of things to do, you are never stuck to one specific task. As a person who loves to tell visual stories, it’s great!

When I first started out, it was way back in High School and it was actually stop motion where I found my passion for filmmaking. I enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts to study Experimental Animation which is where I really found my voice on what I wanted to make and the types of genres I was interested in. Even before I left High School I was already working in the film industry as one of my stop motion shorts caught the attention of some people at Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment for which I ended up making a promotional short for their game LEGO Dimensions.

Ever since that first job, I’ve gotten my hands in many other departments and studios. I’ve held positions as a previs/postvis artist, virtual production layout artist, animator, key layout artist and animation director, just to name a few. I’ve worked for several studios such as ReelFx animation, MPC, Digital Domain, Halon, One Roof, and Warner Bros Int. Ent. I’ve been on several films such as Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Aquaman, The Predator, and most recently Freeguy. Outside of feature film’s I’ve also have worked in cinematics for games such as Borderlands 3 and Disintegration.

During my down time outside of work I love to still make personal short films. My most recent short film “Next Life” was produced thanks to a generous grant from the City of West Hollywood and is just about to have it’s first premiere which is exciting.

The road I’ve taken certainly hasn’t been easy but it has been a rewarding path so far. I feel like persistence is key to being an artist. Being open to adapting and evolving is also just as important. And the last big thing is to just have fun with it. After all, you should be making art for yourself first and foremost and loving what you do.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Los Angeles is such a big city with so many spots to choose from. Personally I love Burbank as it has such a big artist community there. Hands down, the Portos bakery would be my favorite place to eat there. But weather wise, the beach in Marina Del Rey or Malibu is where I would want to spend my weekend at. For hiking I love Runyon Canyon Park. For a good time with nature, Griffith Park is beautiful. Plus it has travel town!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s so many people who have helped me along the way over my career. It’s hard to pick just one person, as everyone that’s been supportive even if it was for a brief moment has impacted my life in such a big way in the long run.

Website: https://www.artstation.com/tristan_kilmer/profile

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tristan_kilmer/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristan-kilmer-879834a4

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LegoGalactus/featured

Other: https://vimeo.com/tristankilmer