Meet Tyrrell Shaffner: Writer, Director & Producer

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

Hi Tyrrell, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After pitching and developing passion projects in the film industry for several years, I got impatient waiting for someone to tell me “yes.” So I decided to make my first feature film on my own terms. I started Ex Files Productions with my writing and business partner Meryl Branch-McTiernan to produce our feature length script, “The Dropout.” We developed the project ourselves, and we are in charge of producing and fundraising for the film with a crowd equity campaign. During this process, I find I’m often out of my comfort zone but I love being in control of my own destiny. We are aiming to shoot “The Dropout” this fall and I’ve never been so exhilarated as an artist!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a writer, director and producer who specializes in female-centric stories that are funny, sexy and subversive. I received my MFA from UCLA, where I was awarded the George Burns and Gracie Allen Fellowship in Comedy.

One of my first jobs in the industry was the walkie-talkie PA on a Jeff Goldblum pilot and I’m proud to say I never lost a radio! Since then, I’ve been on hundreds of film shoots as a producer, writer, and director. One of the places I feel most at home is on a film set. It’s filled with artists, everyone brings their A game and the closed environment feels like camp! I wish I was there right now.

As you can imagine, filmmaking is a very competitive field. I’ve learned that in order to thrive, you need to be personable, killer at your job and flexible, given that a set environment is always unpredictable. One important caveat: while you do need to be adaptable, you also need to be impermeable in who are you. Because filmmaking is fun and even glamorous, it’s easy to fall into roles or ruts that perhaps aren’t true to yourself.

For me, I started working in film to direct but I quickly found out that I was good at producing. Playing the long game, I continued to produce while working my way up the ladder. Then I leveraged producing gigs into directing gig as well (often doing both at the same time.) Taking two demanding jobs on at once isn’t easy, but I prefer it a million times over to being a bitter producer who secretly wants to direct.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Highland Park, which is known for it’s nightlife scene with many fun restaurants and bars! Perhaps lesser known about Highland Park is its exotic wildlife. A hike through Ernest E. Debs may reveal coyotes, wild parrots, or even a wild albino peacock! Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to shout out Meryl Branch-McTiernan, my writing partner, who has been on this crazy filmmaking journey with me for several years!

Website: https://wefunder.com/the.dropout

Instagram: @the_dropout_movie

Twitter: @Tyrrell323

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedropoutfeature

Other: https://soundcloud.com/the-dropout-writers

Image Credits
“Threnody” still – Melissa Fargo “Threnody” still – Mandy Moran Recording still – Rom Alejandro