Today we’d like to introduce you to Phillip Lybrand.
Hi Phillip, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story as a creative pain-in-the-butt starts back in the early 90’s on the mean streets of Port Tampa, FL where on any given day you might find me playing sandlot baseball, backyard wrestling, attempting to build a PC, or trying to convince my friends we could make a movie with a VHS camcorder. I was the kind of kid that would take apart my dad’s stereo – but not to see how it works. I was more interested in using a couple of the parts inside to combine with some other random electronics I’d found to make a movie prop replica. I still have some of them, too. 🙂 Fast forward to elementary school and you’d find me in the library studio producing the closed-circuit morning show. Middle school had an even better studio. Then came college in Arizona, followed by the big choice: move to LA or NYC and be somebody’s assistant for 10 years… or move to Austin and make ultra-low budget feature films on nights & weekends. I picked Austin. So, I’ve been in Austin for a little over a decade now. In my time here, I’ve produced & directed four feature films and worked as a DP & editor on several shorts. Working on some cool new stuff right now, too.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If it were a smooth road, it wouldn’t be any fun – and it certainly wouldn’t be creatively satisfying when you finish a project. Bumpy roads a great! I’d say the biggest struggle in the Austin film scene is that people aren’t honest enough with each other. In order for artists to improve, they need genuine, constructive feedback. We don’t need an echo chamber of everyone telling everyone how amazing their work is. Our stuff shouldn’t be amazing working at the level we are (ultra-low budget indie cinema). It should be barely-watchable, but with enough heart and intrigue to make people root for you to get better with the next one. I want to see garage band culture take over the Austin indie film scene. Anybody can pick up a guitar and bang out some power chords, and anybody can make a movie in 2021. Let’s just not be too afraid to let our buddies know when one of their tracks ain’t the winner. ;P
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Outside of my life as a renegade filmmaker-by-night, I’ve spent the better part of the last decade working in communications for nonprofits in Central Texas. You may have seen me once or twice on TV begging people to donate blood when there was a critical shortage. Also – go donate blood, if you can. I don’t work there anymore, but everyone should donate blood if they’re able to. I was tempted by the Austin startup scene a few years back, and I’ll admit that I dug having unlimited snacks, catered lunches, and the proverbial ping pong table in the office. I didn’t like the creative culture, though. I found myself working 80 hours a week and churning out disposable content. Finding a way to spend my 9-5 hours in a role that didn’t make me feel like a societal waste became priority #1 for me, and I’m happy to say that I’m in a role now that checks that box!
How do you think about luck?
Well, I’m extremely lucky to have been born in the time & place I was. I’ve been fortunate – and privileged – to enter this world at exactly the right time to have access to & learn analog filmmaking, digital filmmaking, and know enough about modern tech to not have whatever comes next fly way over my head. I was the last class in my undergrad program to still shoot 16mm film for our projects, and I was the first kid in my group to own a DVX-100, which was game-changing at the time. Now, every camera looks amazing, so it really all comes down to whether or not you’ve got an interesting story to tell.
Contact Info:
- Email: producer@greenless.com
- Website: greenless.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamnotafilmmaker/
- Youtube: http://youtube.com/greenless
Image Credits
Summer League poster art by Rob Schamberger
