Meet Thomas Kolicko | Owner, Founder, and Filmmaker

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

Hi Thomas, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The thought process to start Traverse Image was largely motivated by a curiosity to create a sustainable digital cinema production company, inspired by the outdoors that would specialize in the craft of documentary filmmaking. At that time between 2012 – 2014, I was largely doing freelance producing and directing for a variety of projects. Most of the work that was doing paid the bills, but the type of work didn’t fulfill my creative, filmmaker side. And so, d this nagging curiosity to one day pursue starting this company, pursuing this dream, was always in the back of the mind at the end of reach day.

It wasn’t until a road trip from Denver to Austin in 2014 with several filmmaker friends that I graduated with, that the journey of pursuing this dream of starting Traverse Image really began. Under the New Mexico stars and around the campfire, we all discussed ideas of what this company could be. A platform of creativity, where eventually we could regularly create feature-length film projects, and move away from the cliche agency and corporate production company model that was burning all of us out.

After that road trip and shoot, I enrolled in several business plan writing classes in Denver. It wasn’t until July 1st, 2015 that I officially filed the LLC, and hung up our sign that Traverse Image was officially open for business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is filmmaking, crafting character-driven cinematic documentary films for those who love the outdoors. Filmmaking is truly about collaboration, relationships, and partnerships. It teaches you more about personal growth and resilience in the behind-the-scenes of any good film. Films are tough to make. And documentary filmmaking is absolutely the hardest style of filmmaking to successfully complete a project.

It is certainly not easy to complete a film, and like my business or creative ventures, it’s often lonely, riddled with failure. You are always undercapitalized, unless you have that rich uncle, or been fortunate enough to have daddy give you a trust fund. I think what makes a great film, is a filmmaker that is driven by a motive that doesn’t profit or monetarily focused. But there is something deeper driving that person, to tell a story that feels soulful and rich. I’ve often said that profit should be viewed as a by-product of success, not the guiding principle.

I would say a good lesson is for filmmakers is to learn to embrace and lean into making mistakes and failing. It means your pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, and that’s just a part of the process. Look, every film sucks in the rough cut. And there’s a phrase that you have at least 10 bad films in your life, so make them as quickly as possible. I agree with that. If money or the promise of a quick return on your investment is what was driving you, you are going to give up.

I believe good film comes from good people, who genuinely want to tell stories that leave a positive impact on the world and the human experience. It’s less about the author, it’s about respecting the audience and the collaboration of partners to get the film completed and out into the world.

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.
I’m not a city person, so it’s hard for me to answer this. And many of my closest friends aren’t either. I grew up in the country, I drove tractors and was a snowbum in the winters. Cities make me anxious, and thus, my itinerary would be to go explore somewhere new. Preferably wilderness. Where things aren’t safe, there aren’t signs or trails, and the stars are bright at night.

I would suggest packing a 60L backpack, bringing 2L of water, a water filter, filling a flask of 291 bourbon or Deerhammer single malt, a couple of cans of beer either Outer Range or Upslope, along with several thousand calories of dehydrated food, and point the truck west from there. Since I’m in the edit on a new feature-length about the conflicts on public lands and tribes in Southern Utah, I would suggest a short 8hr car ride to the Cedar Mesa area to have that unfettered sense of exploration and discovery. Backpack for 3 – 4 days, with only a couple of preplanned GPS pins from areas of interest found from Google Earth. But always visit with respect, and never geo-tag your “discoveries” on IG.

The experiences that I love, are ones you have to work for and aren’t “safe”. As much as I am a foodie, and have my favorite haunts for a post-trip caloric debt reconcile being outside is what really fills my soul.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are alot in each of the categories.

Support, mentorship, and encouragement:

– Of course my family, Maggie and Joseph Kolicko and My fiance Kari Turk. They’ve always stood by my crazy ideas and creative endeavors in life.
– Early mentors. Matt Cutter from Upslope Brewing Company. I made a film about Colorado craft beer in college and Upslope’s founders were the main characters. I learned so much from them and documenting their trials and tribulations, which made for a great film. And truly inspired me.
– David Liban, now the Chair of the University of Colorado – Denver, Film and Television Department for believing in my films and myself as a filmmaker to extend me the opportunity to now teach film. Something that has added so much fulfillment into my life to be able to work with and inspire film students.
– Brendan Harris, my best friend from film school. While we haven’t collaborated on a film in while, he always pushed me to be the best possible filmmaker in so many respects. Brendan now works as a in-house DoP at a production company in Minnesota.
– And my crew at Traverse Image. Kristen Olson, Nick Patrick, Chris Riggs, Cory Palencia,
James Bannon-Schneebeck, and Tim Brown.

Books and Organizations: (there are countless but these are chart-toppers for me)
– The Leading Edge Business Plan writing class that I took back in 2014 helped draft the original business plan for Traverse Image
– Let My People Go Surfing – Yvon Chouinard
– Creativity Inc. – Ed Catmull
– How I Built This, Podcast Series – Guy Raz
– Good to Great – Jim Collins

Website: WWW.TRAVERSEIMAGE.COM

Instagram: @TRAVERSE_IMAGE -OR- @THOMASKOLICKO

Facebook: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/TRAVERSEIMAGE

Youtube: YOUTUBE.COM/TRAVERSEIMAGE