Today we’d like to introduce you to Kipp Tribble.
Hi Kipp, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started by performing on stage in many different theatre productions and also was working in radio. My goal quickly became to work in film, so I soon moved into onscreen work, primarily in feature films.
I soon realized that the best way forward was to expand my onscreen work to include writing, directing, and producing, and sold my first feature internationally soon after. About a year later, produced and acted in another feature that landed a Blockbuster Video deal and on Pay Cable. And then, I relocated to Los Angeles.
I have since amassed over 40 feature film credits as an actor/writer/filmmaker, and my company focuses on creating low-cost indie films. While I do write some of our projects myself, I love collaborating with others while in development. Additionally, sometimes our company will acquire finished scripts as well.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This business is never “smooth” and certainly not easy. Things can go from incredibly busy to absolutely nothing in the matter of a week. This is just the way the business is, with projects always beginning and ending, or always in a different stage in the creative process, and the market also constantly shifting as well. The market changes cause investor and buyer fluctuations, and then genres fall in and out of favor amidst the rise and fall of the tides. Some companies will close up shop, Others have to reinvent their model. And the way you promote yourself as an actor or writer has to change as well. This is a constantly moving and evolving business, so you have to stay heavily involved and ahead of changes, or you will get lost in the shuffle.
On the filmmaking side, one of the main struggles is securing the financing that fits a project, along with assembling the right team that truly share the same vision for the project. This, along with adapting to the evolving distribution models, are probably the biggest challenges faced by filmmakers.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an actor/writer/filmmaker. I got into filmmaking to create more opportunities as an actor, so as a writer, I focus primarily on screenplays – although I am working on a book and some audio scripts as well.
The “filmmaker” part of it covers producing, directing, editing, etc. I not only create my own projects, but I also regularly collaborate with other creatives and develop their projects, see them through production and post, and then I am usually heavily involved in the distribution process. Sometimes I will just come on as a consultant, sometimes to fully produce a project, and sometimes just come in to give edit notes for a film in post. But when I am considering coming on to a project that will require a commitment from development to distribution, I am usually always looking at what the acting role would be interesting for me or is it something I might even want to direct. It really just depends on the project.
We’d love to hear about what you think about risk-taking.
I generally am not a risk taker when it comes to the financial side of a project. My goal is always to just not lose someone’s money! If I am pretty certain I can break even for them, that helps me sleep at night. But if there is a project that is a major risk, perhaps a small, weird film that has such a tiny specific audience, then there should be very little money put into it, so the financial risk is minimized. This goes against every fiber of my artist brain, but when you realize that you won’t be able to tell any stories if you keep losing people’s money, then you get a little more conservative when putting together a budget for a project!
Now, this does not mean making garbage movies just to cater to a certain genre’s audience. I’ve certainly done my share of those and don’t care to ever do them again. But you can take risks in the story, direction, or performance and not put the risk on the shoulders of a second mortgage.
I have taken several financial risks in this business. Some worked, some did not. So, my risks going forward are creative risks but not being careless with someone’s financial investment. Of course, carelessness is not risk, but oftentimes risk can lead to carelessness. You have to be aware of the danger there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMRPEntertainment
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kippdiddy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialKippTribble
- Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialKippTribble
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KippTribble
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/mrp_entertainment/
