Ty Trumbo on playing “Kyle Thompson” in Melissa Vitello and Bryan Ricke’s Sound of Settling

Ty Trumbo grew up in the small Florida beach town, New Smyrna Beach. Ty later attended Emory University in Atlanta. After graduating with a degree in Screenwriting, his love of writing transitioned into acting. Ty moved to Los Angeles, it wasn’t long before he booked a series regular on MR. STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT. The series won best ensemble cast at the 2017 Streamy Awards and even aired internationally in the United Kingdom, Canada and Colombia. Ty Trumbo has also appeared in several other television productions, including “Tru TV’s” THOSE WHO CAN’T, “Netflix’s” DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, “Fox’s” THE PASSAGE, and a recent Guest-Star on THE RESIDENT. Ty has worked as a lead on several indie-feature productions that have appeared at film festivals across the country, including several festivals for THE SOUND OF SETTLING. He is now bicoastal, living in Los Angeles and Atlanta and he is an active member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA).

indieactivity: What acting technique do you use?
Ty Trumbo (TT): The majority of my training is in the Meisner Technique. Currently I’m enrolled at Scott Sedita Studios, a respected acting studio based here in LA. I always start with identifying what the character “wants” in each individual scene and how that relates to the overarching “want” that the character wants in the specific episode or movie. It’s something very basic, but it always seems to help ground me and ensure that I’m telling the right story.

The Official Trailer for Sound of Settling written and directed by Melissa Vitello and Bryan Ricke

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How did you get connected to the project? Did you have to audition? If you did, would you still have gotten the part?
Ty Trumbo (TT): I was very fortunate. I had worked with the Director Melissa Vitello and her talented DP husband, Bryan Ricke on their previous feature film, SPEAK NOW, which was also very successful on the festival circuit. I was very grateful when they thought of me for the SOUND OF SETTLING, particularly since the character I played in SPEAK NOW was radically different than Kyle to say the least.

Let’s take this project you did; how did you prepare for such a role: the cast, the physicality, the terrain, the climate, weather and the demands of the project?
TT: Melissa had a great idea of giving Kyle glasses which excited me because I never get to play characters that wear glasses so we spend some time during pre-production deciding what glasses Kyle would wear, how he would dress, etc.

As one of the cast on the project, how did this ‘choice’ work for you?
TT: Feeling the part is of the utmost importance to me. When you have a great wardrobe it does so much of the acting for you and I find that feeling like character gets me in the role and story world.

How do you create the character from a script into a person?
TT: I was excited to play Kyle for two reasons. 1) He’s a very different character than me and 2) he’s very different than the type of characters I generally audition for. After reading the script, Kyle struck me as someone who was very particular in what he liked and didn’t like. He was the type of character that seemed very much in his head, possibly borderline neurotic so I tried to journal as much as I could and create a backstory on his relationship with Abby- how they fell in love, what went wrong, etc.

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What part of the story challenged you when you read it? What drove you to get on the project?
TT: I was very much attracted to the challenge of playing a character that I have very little experience with. Also, I appreciate that the story was a love story at its core. There’s a lot that an actor has to convey when showing the ups and downs of a dysfunctional relationship so I knew it would be a fun challenge. More than anything, it was simply a very well written script and the type of movie that rarely gets made independently since the majority of indie films are horror movies.

Explain one creative choice you took on set of this production?
TT: There were a variety of quick flashback scenes – montages really – intended to illustrate what Kyle and Abby’s relationship was like in the beginning of their relationship when they were very much in love. I decided to play these moments as if I was playing a different character. I think it worked because, in many ways, Kyle was a very different character than the person we spend time with throughout the movie.

You’re not new to indie films. What do you enjoy about the work that keeps you working?
TT: I enjoy the passion that’s always involved and the inherent challenges that come with making a movie on a low or ultra-low budget. There’s a certain freedom in that and having no choice but to just run with whatever happens. Fortunately, since Melissa and Bryan know what they’re doing things never go off the rails.

Give an example of a direction you received from the director during the production?
TT: During rehearsals, Melissa would always say “play with it” when referring to the scene or specific moment we were working on. To me, that’s some of the best advice you can give an actor, especially when he or she is the onset and “action” is about to be called. It frees you.

How did you collaborate with your cast members from scene to scene?
TT: I love rehearsing. It’s necessary for me and I love getting feedback from other actors I’m in the scene with. I’m always open to their suggestions and enjoy coming up with ideas together.

As the main cast on the film, describe the feeling of responsibility that you shouldered. Were you scared? Or did it fire you up? What scenes were difficult to shoot?
TT: It fired me up mostly, but there was pressure involved because I care about the work I’m doing. Since I respect Melissa and Bryan so much I always felt a real responsibility to make sure I was living up to the character they wrote as well as telling the story they envisioned. When I was on set I always wanted to make sure they were happy with the choices I was making.

What did you take away from the film production?
TT: I love working with Melissa and Bryan and the people they surround themselves with.

What do you like most about the director, and his/her collaboration with his/her team?
TT: Melissa is always supportive and kind to everyone on set. She encourages her actors to discover moments and make scenes their own, but she also knows what she wants and can communicate it in a way that’s never overwhelming to actors. It’s truly a collaborative process with her.

What is next for you?
TT: I’m fortunate to have played a supporting role in a horror film, STUDENT BODY, which will be released later this year. Beyond that I’m always in class working to improve my craft.

What advice do you give actors regarding what you learnt on the project?
TT: Some of the scenes I initially found most challenging while filming actually came out the strongest. Being challenged is a good thing.

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