Behind the Lens: An Interview with Tyler Cave Productions

You know the video.

The one that broke Facebook for a good two weeks. The one that shows off our freaking haven of an island and made every other Canadian pick their jaw off the floor. Yeah, that one. We tracked down Tyler Cave, the man behind the lens, to get an exclusive interview.

Tyler, talk to us a little bit about what you do.

I am 25 years old, born and raised in Victoria BC. I do videography and photography. My main work involves a lot of travel. I have partnered up with a few companies, one of them being Matador Network where I film for tourism boards. It is an awesome way to see the world and to make a living while doing it.

When did you start making videos?

I started making videos when I was 18. The year I got out of high school, I went on a 2 month Europe trip with my friend and I brought a gopro when it first came out. That’s when it really sparked my interest. Taking photos and showing them to my family was great, but having video allowed me to show and explain more about the moment.

How did you turn your passion into a career?

I started out by saving up money while I was going to university; I worked quite a bit so I was always busy. But this allowed me to backpack during the summer months. I would travel, make a gopro video, and enter my videos into contests. I started winning a bunch prizes such as trips and cash prizes. It helped support my travel expenses and I would just repeat this over the years. It was a great way to upgrade my camera equipment as well. Up until 2 years ago I started receiving emails to help people out with videos and it went on from there.

photo: @tylercaveproductions Facebook

What was your favourite country to visit?

My favourite country to visit is definitely Indonesia. I have now been there 3 times and I would go back again and again. The people are so friendly and there is always something new to see.

What was a favourite phrase you learned abroad?

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer” This quote hits it dead on. I would never have gotten into this type of work if I did not get out there and travel. Yes travel can be expensive at times, but there are plenty of ways to make it affordable and very cheap. With technology these days it has become easy to get around and find cheap locations to sleep.

What camera do you film with?

I film with a canon 70D with a few different lenses. A wide lens 10-22mm, a portrait lens at 50mm and a long range at 70-200. I also use my gopro and a drone at times.

Can you tell us a little bit about your next project?

There are a few projects on the rise. Recently I was in Quito, Ecuador filming with Matador Network for the Quito tourism board. The next projects will be in Cambodia and Australia. I am filming for a hotel chain in Cambodia and A tour company in Australia.

What advice would you give to any aspiring artists in your field?

When I started video, I would always ask questions to people who were involved with video and photography, and the one word of advice I always took away was to find your style and create stuff that you love. It wont come right away and it wont be easy but don’t steer away from the type of things you want to capture. Film what you love to film and stick with it. That being said, there will always be times where you will end up doing a project that doesn’t fit your niche, you just have to adapt and make it authentic to yourself. Pitching ideas is always a great idea. You never know what will happen unless you ask.