Meet Tyler Kaschke | Freelance gaffer in Boulder + Denver

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

Hi Tyler, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
My favorite quote is a simple one: “givers gain.” Not sure who I heard that from, but it really resonates with my values. I interpret it the same way as “what goes around, comes around.” I do my best to operate my business and my life with an abundance mentality – always looking for win-win scenarios. Whether it’s passing referrals to other gaffers when I’m already booked on a project or just meeting with a film student for coffee, you get what you put in – and giving builds trust and strong relationships.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In the motion picture industry, people in the grip and electric department have a reputation for being a little rough around the edges. At the end of the day, it’s a service industry and the producers who hire us are our clients. I do what I can to minimize friction as much as possible. Show up early, smile, be easy going, wear deoderant. Pretty basic stuff. Obviously technical skills and a creative eye have a lot to do with it as well, but people usually get hired back because of the relationships.

It was a fairly indirect path that lead me to where I am today. Being the chief lighting technician on commercial video productions was not exactly what I had in mind when I went to college for still photography in Chicago. Shortly after graduating in 2008, I bought a Canon 5D Mark II (which was one of the first to shoot stills + video) that opened my eyes to a new world. YouTube was only 3 years old at the time and I saw things moving in that direction big time. I had a few friends who went to Columbia College for film and they brought me on as a PA on big commercial sets. I saw all of the people working together as a team and realized the opportunity available in video production. I came up through the camera department as a production assistant (PA), Assistant Camera (AC), and then operator. I had to teach myself a lot of basic stuff that most people learn in film school. Eventually my colleagues were shooting their own work and needed help with lighting. I would hop in to fill the role and really enjoyed it. Eventually I started lighting more than I was working in the camera department and decided to commit fully to that path. I’ve been freelancing for almost 13 years now and I feel like I’m just finally starting to get the hang of it! The early days were rough. A lot of canned chili and ramen. Things have improved greatly since and I have plans to expand my business with more equipment and vehicle rentals in addition to my labor as a gaffer.

One of the big lessons I learned was the power of search engine optimization. My wife and I relocated to the Boulder area about three years ago. I was astounded to find the domain name white space that existed. I bought a bunch of available location-oriented domains. It’s been super helpful because my services are often hired by out of state production teams looking for locals. Guess what they search for? Denver gaffer. Colorado gaffer. You get the idea. Feels a little silly to only live here for 3 years and have “Colorado gaffer” as my website, but the SEO is worthwhile.

These days in my free time I’ve been sharing lighting breakdowns on Instagram (@colorado_gaffer). The content is time consuming to make and I don’t post as often as I would like for that reason. I love teaching and sharing information related to lighting so having a small audience to interact with on that level is very fulfilling.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my friends were in town visiting, I’d take them to Acreage by Stem Ciders in Lafayette. It’s at the top of a hill overlooking Boulder valley with a panoramic view of the front range. I love sitting in the adirondack chairs watching the sun set with good company. Great drinks too!

I’d also recommend we check out some live music at the Gold Hill Inn (but I wouldn’t take Lickskillet Road to get there) grab a seat near the fireplace and drink a hot toddy.

If they were feeling froggy I’d put some mountain bikes on the rack and head to Hall Ranch or Super Betasso. Maybe find a dispersed camping spot near Allenspark to settle in for the evening.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my wife, Stephanie. I would still be that plastic bag floating in the wind from American Beauty if it weren’t for your love and support. You’ve given my life direction and purpose. Thank you.

Website: www.coloradogaffer.com

Instagram: @colorado_gaffer

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tylerkaschke