Tyler Sherek: Freshman MOV profile

Posted by Nicholas Beckman in Students

By Nick Beckman/ Photos by Tim Kassiotis

He neared the end of his cigarette when the truth really came out.

“I was walking around my backyard…back home…” he began. Home for Tyler Sherek is the same as my own: Louisville, KY

. “Then I stepped up to this big ol’ bush that we’ve always had and out flew this massive bumble-bee. I’m talking big.” He motioned with his hands the size of a volleyball.

“That was pretty damn scary so I ran back into the house and closed the door. I was kind of freaked out so I decided to get a bowl of cereal, but when I poured it into my bowl, they all spilled onto the floor. Then, out of nowhere, every little Fruit-Loop had a face and they were all squealing. That was pretty crazy.”

Tyler was telling me about some of the dreams he had been storing in his Dream Journal. While this one stuck with me for its peculiarities, it also spoke volumes about his character.

I met Tyler in 2005 when we were both in the same science class. I had noticed one day that he and another friend of mine, were going bat shit insane on a craw fish that we were dissecting in class. They named it Macy Cray. From then on, I knew we would be pals.

Eight years later, we are still best friends and collaborate on comedy projects in our spare time so I was rather hesitant choosing him for an interview. Here was someone I’ve known like a brother, but the thought struck me that, perhaps, there was more to learn. The basics I knew: favorite movies, music, how hard his punches were when exchanging a friendly game of “licks” and how when he was a young child he’d cry every time he heard “You got the Hooch”. But I wanted to see what his thoughts were about our current state of being here at SFUAD.

“I must say the pacing of classes here are rather slow…” Tyler explains, when asked about his dislikes of film school. “It seems a bit repetitive, but who the fuck am I to say that, you know?”. He says that as far as the students go, he could care less. “I’m here to worry about me” he added with a chuckle.

While his parents are incredibly supportive of his ventures, they are weary, as most parents are, that he stays proactive.

“I mean I’m really here to get a good resume, use all the equipment I can possibly get my hands on and, hopefully, have a job when I graduate.”  Tyler explains.

As if his interactions between his mother and father over the phone a few times a week were not evidence enough of the unconditional love they all have for each other, then it can most assuredly be judged by the massive size of his care packages. Weighing in around 20 lbs, his latest package was stocked with food of all sorts, wool socks and various knick knacks reminding him of home. When asked to comment on the comparison of my care packages, my own mother declined to answer any questions. My father just gave a hearty laugh and changed the subject.

“Well we ain’t the Shereks” he mocked.

The future for Tyler in the film industry depends on the next couple years, he claims. While we both share the same indie-filmmaking mentor back in Louisville, he is actively searching for a way into the competitive world of film production. He currently helps out on any set he can and writes his own shorts, often times incorporating his dreams into his scripts.

His latest audio project for his production class utilized a dream he had about a shooter that came onto campus. In the dream, he was startled by the sound of gunshots and a heavy-breathing intruder, attempting to make his way into our dorm room. Tyler then kicked the door open and sprinted towards the smoker’s lounge outside of St. Mike’s, where the “Kentucky crew” can usually be found. Tyler rounded up the troops: me and Matt McMillan, another Louisville native, and we took that bastard down. While his audio project had the main character being pursued and threatened by the shooter, eventually to be gunned down by the police, the inspiration was clearly a testimony to his own opinions of his badass companions.

Knowing Tyler for as long as I have and living with him for almost a year now, I have found that the fascination with his sleeping subconscious is a testament to his dreaming nature. He keeps his head in the clouds while remaining incredibly grounded and down to earth. He is a realist with far-out ideas that can always be put into context and as a creative partner, I must say I am glad to have had him with me on this entire journey.