Meet Tyler Hudson of Imposter Productions in Denver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Hudson.

Tyler, before we jump into specific questions about your company, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Ah yes, the beginning. I’ve always been fascinated by acting, film, and performance in general. As a child, back in SC, I wanted to be like Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, or Jimmy Stuart (my family was really into old movies). I remember doing lots of sketch comedy with my siblings, making stupid videos and that type of thing. By the time I was ten or eleven, I learned how to edit videos with iMovie and I was hooked. It didn’t matter if it was stop motion animation, reenactments of my favorite movie scenes, or something weird and experimental, I loved it all.

As a teenager I was drawn to the stage, but also completely petrified. The few chances I got to perform felt like the biggest opportunities in my life, and when I got up there I was weird as hell. Then when it came time to choose a major for college, I denied myself the pleasure of studying film. I listened to other people’s fears and believed I wouldn’t make any money. Instead, I pursued architecture.

I did well in architecture school and became passionate about that as well. Yet, every semester the urge to pursue acting and film grew stronger. I kept pushing it down, telling myself that I’ve committed to architecture and I needed to see it through (which I did). But what did I do the first month after graduating college? I got an acting agent.

From there the story gets messier. Lots of jobs, architecture and otherwise, all while booking acting gigs here and there. But I wasn’t satisfied. My acting career felt like walking through a swamp — slow, uncertain, and not that pretty. So I decided that instead of waiting for the right opportunity, I was going to make my own. Thus begins the journey of making my first “real” film and starting a production company.

Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not smooth, but what would be the fun in that? The biggest struggle for me was simply getting over my paralyzing stage fright. That was step one. When I would be waiting to be called into the audition room, my heart would be pounding and my mouth would be dry. My cheeks would get flushed and my brow would furrow. That’s not exactly what they’re looking for at most casting agencies. Unless of course they’re casting a weird, nervous, angry defendant I guess…

I wouldn’t say that I’m truly cured of stage fright, but I have managed to obtain new confidence when performing or auditioning. My philosophy is simple — I own the room and I’m going to give them one hell of a show. Doesn’t matter if I get cast or not and it doesn’t matter if they love my performance, because I love performing. It has paid off. I book gigs and get call backs more than ever.

Step two: I had to learn to be at peace with my current position. I think this is incredibly difficult for virtually every entrepreneur. You want so badly to see results right away, but that’s not how empires are built. I had to be okay with my nine-to-five job and learn that I can utilize my free time effectively to do what I really love. This was very hard, by the way. But when you’re working a full-time job while producing a low-budget film that you wrote and are directing/starring in, you’ve got to work your ass off. I made it work.

The third hardest struggle for me was maintaining my self-confidence. It’s really easy to lose faith in yourself when you’re out of energy and you’ve still got to push that boulder up the hill. You start wanting to take short cuts. You start thinking, “Maybe this isn’t worth it. Maybe I’m kidding myself. This is going to be terrible and everyone will say they knew I would fail.” But that’s when good friends really count. Thankfully, I had a big push from my co-producer/co-star on this film, actor Casey Lloyd. He not only told me we could do it, but he also pushed me to go bigger. This is advice for anyone: when someone tells you to go bigger, listen! And also make sure you write down the date and time because that is a rare occurrence.

Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
Imposter Productions is young and bursting with life. I started the company when I began assembling a production team for my independent film, which is expected to release this November. We’re already booked to shoot a short documentary in Denver about the sudden burst of electric scooters in urban areas.

I think one thing specifically that sets us apart hinges on my conviction about efficient story telling. Some independent features linger too long on a beautiful shot because it was expensive to get, or they leave an unrealistic amount of space between dialogue to make things seem more dramatic, and things like that. For me, it just kills the momentum of a piece. Being willing to sacrifice that expensive shot in the name of good story telling takes guts. Imposter Productions has guts.

Another huge defining factor for us is that we focus first on building a fantastic team of genuine people, which results in thoughtful, fresh, and precise pieces of work. Strong collaboration is essential when you have so many moving parts. The ability to trust each other to realize the overall vision of the project is key.

The name “Imposter Productions” comes from the notion that I have felt like an imposter in every job I’ve ever had, like Leonardo DiCaprio in “Catch Me If You Can.” However, when it comes to film making, I feel right at home.

I love every aspect of production. I love the first ideas of a plot that pop in my head, I love writing, rewriting, and rewriting the script, I love being on set, I love directing, I love it all. There are few things that feel as magnificent as the moment you witness your imagination turning into reality. So there’s a lot of passion behind this company, more than my own.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
It’s easier to get started in production these days with equipment becoming more affordable and creative software more accessible. So with that in mind, I think the lower-end production market will become saturated with young entrepreneurs competing for promo video type gigs. But Imposter Productions’ focus is on independent film, even if the market is significantly smaller.

And while Colorado has a small but growing film culture, New Mexico is ramping up. It’s becoming more and more common for Colorado actors to get a second agent to represent them down there. So I foresee doing plenty of work in New Mexico in the future, but for the time being I will continue to take advantage of Colorado’s beautiful landscapes for filming locations.

Overall I am beyond excited to release this film and even more excited to dive head first into the next project. It feels like cheating to have this much fun.

Contact Info:

• Email: imposterproductionsllc@gmail.com
• Instagram: @thehudsonherald

Image Credit:
Katie Ramsay, Onion Labs, Casey Lloyd

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