Today we’d like to introduce you to Sebastien Tobler.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started out in the banking world. It sucked. I grew up traveling around as a Swiss diplomat’s son until I was 17. My father is Swiss and my mother is Filipina, but we spoke English primarily. Having been educated in an American school system, I went to college in the US and decided to work here as well because culturally, I fit in here the most but, in order to get the coveted H1B work visa, I needed to get a job that was very competitive – so I chose banking. Word of advice, definitely choose what makes you happy not what is practical. After a few years, I wanted to get back to what I knew best and that was travel. I started writing a travel blog, which turned into writing/directing travel films. Eventually, I sold both my blog and travel videos to a big online search company and a cable channel dedicated to travel lifestyle. From there, I started directing music videos before branching out to commercials and narrative work. While doing my creative work, I was also navigating a career in the hotel world as a marketer. I made my way from the agency side to executive positions with luxury hotel brands.
Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road because I always found myself balancing corporate gigs with passion projects. Also, as an immigrant, you don’t get a lot of the safety nets like federal student loans or grants, so I graduated college with a steep hill to climb. As a bi-racial person, my perspective isn’t always understood and the fact that I don’t have an accent confuses a lot of people which has set me up for culture clash.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’ve always found myself straddling two worlds because of my upbringing and bi-racial background. While I was very fortunate to experience so many cultures and meet amazing people, I also struggled with impermanence. That’s why I love films with characters who search for a sense of identity, meaningful relationships, struggle with the melancholy of loss, departure and the passage of time. Films like Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, The Big Chill, Reality Bites, Out of Africa and The Days of Living Dangerously.
Currently I’m working on several film projects including a feature about my time as an expat teen in late 90’s Bangkok called Kamikaze Blue. The script recently placed in the quarterfinals of a screenplay competition besting over twelve thousand other submissions and also made the top 4% of submissions to a diversity initiative.
I’ve also found myself digging into my Filipino roots, developing a pre-colonial feature film about tribal life in the islands before the Spanish advent and a pilot about Magellan’s attempted circumnavigation of the globe and his death in the Philippines.
In addition, I’m working on a documentary series profiling “good people doing good things” in the hopes of bringing to light some of the great work people are doing to change each other’s lives for the better.
Ultimately, what I bring to the table is both a creative and analytical perspective. I specialize in marketing hotels and travel destinations but also develop impactful content, commercials and films. What I’m most proud of is the ability to tell a compelling story, be it for a brand or myself, that resonates with whomever the consumer or audience is.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
LA has such a creative vibe and offers the mental and emotional space to express yourself. You can be as competitive as you chose to be, allow yourself to step up and be better or take a step back and refocus. There’s so much natural inspiration around us that I find myself able to draw from it whenever I hit a bump in the road.
What I like the least that there’s not a lot of inter-mingling of cultures and it’s hard to just step out of your home for a long walk and get lost exploring the city.
Contact Info:
- Website: sebastientobler.com
- Instagram: sebastien_tobler
- Twitter: twitter.com/sebastientobler
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