Meet Gregory F Tuzin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gregory Tuzin.

Gregory, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My two passions have always been film and music. In college, I was most interested in cinema title sequences and the art of people like Saul and Eileen Bass. I studied cinematography, editing, effects, photography, art, design, and even a little programming knowing that titles could possibly use any of these disciplines.

After school, I worked at the design firm IDEO as in-house video production. We created “video prototypes” for future products and brand videos. There were two of us in the department when I started and we did everything: directing, shooting, score, editing, etc. Quite a crash course in real-world production.

Simultaneously, I became heavily involved in the San Francisco dance music scene designing and creating live visuals for clubs, musicians, and events. I worked for promoters such as Blasthaus and Blowup creating visual shows for artists like Boys Noize and MSTRKRFT.

After I left IDEO, I started a production company called *ontheflyfilms. We worked on commercial and documentary work until I moved to Los Angeles to pursue narrative cinematic endeavors. Since moving to LA I have worked as a freelance Director with my writing/directing partner Brent Bishop as Bishop/Tuzin.

We have directed music videos for bands such as Poolside and Open Mike Eagle and recently finished our short film Black Ice written by Dwayne Perkins and starring Scott Thompson, Baron Vaughn, and Tone Bell. In the last few years, my love for still photography has grown. I shoot lookbooks and e-commerce imagery for brands like The Palatines, and Vere Verto.

Finally, I am half of the band S P A C E. We are a downtempo Indie electronic act and are preparing to launch a six-song EP and mini-tour to support it. My bandmate Bryan Neff and I have been DJing together for many years, and the natural evolution was to begin producing our own music.

The band combines music and visual arts with an immersive live show with lighting and full visuals. We also use our branding and art background to create sight and sound installations for events, venues, and basically, anyone else who is willing to pay and gives a modicum of creative freedom. We have a single releasing October 23rd.

Has it been a smooth road?
The life of a freelancer is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s sometimes possible to take a day off mid-week, but most of the time I’m busy with multiple projects and work 14-16 hour days. I wouldn’t exchange the freelance lifestyle for a day job, but it’s not for everyone. It’s feast or famine, and it’s hard to know when it’s going to be one or the other.

I’m in the middle of an extremely busy period right now, but in a month or so it could go dry and suddenly I’m scrambling for work again. I love freelancing as it gives me a chance to touch many different projects, to carve out time for my personal projects, and to work with friends. It’s just good to be aware of the pitfalls before leaping into it as a career.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
Classic LA story. I have a directing/editing/photography business. Plus, I’m in a band. I’m known for narrative, web series and music video directing, and fashion-forward photography. The band is a downtempo Indie Electronic experience called S P A C E.

There’s a lot I’m proud of lately, which is great. I love our short film Black Ice, our music video for Feel Alright by Poolside, and my most recent lookbook shoot for Vere Verto was very experimental fashion photography and was wonderfully fun to shoot.

At the moment, I might be most proud of the music and art my band is creating. It’s truly a project driven by passion, and we have so much fun. It really combines a lot of my loves: art, film, music, photo, lighting, design.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I love LA. I love the energy and creativity here. The city definitely requires being a self-starter. LA won’t give you a handout, but maybe nowhere really does. I think that in LA it’s important to go in search of experiences. If you’re looking for something specific, I can almost guarantee it’s here.

My recommendation for people starting out is to create great work, but don’t forget to go to events that interest you. Find a community and dive deeply into it. If you find like-minded people, the work that comes to you will be the kind of work you actually want to do.

Also, if you’re thinking about starting a project, just do it. Don’t wait. Nothing was ever completed while waiting.

Contact Info:

• Address: 537 Neva Place
• Website: tuzin.com, bishoptuzin.com, spacewithspaces.com
• Phone: 4153093400
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregtuzin/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gregory.tuzin
• Twitter: gtuzin
• Other: band instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spacewithspaces/

Image Credit:
Thomas Leisten Schneider (Black Ice film shoot), Michelle Felix (S P A C E live at Bootleg Theater), Braydon Szafranski (Bishop/Tuzin Portrait), Brent Bishop (Priceless Festival BTS)

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.