To introduce myself, my name is Tyler Allyn. I don’t like cheese, crowded places, or social media, but I do like problem solving. Since things rarely go as planned during any sort of production, I have discovered an unexpected interest in filmmaking.  Without any formal training in the photo or video world, I have had to rely on my background in Mathematics to navigate through the intricate challenges that inevitably arise during a production.

My master’s thesis explored diagrammatically reducible two complexes, and while the technical field of Algebraic Topology might seem completely disconnected from the artistic fields of photography and filmmaking, there are some shared fundamental principles. For example, the structure of film must follow the same logical rules that a mathematical proof must follow. There cannot be contradictions, messages must be presented in an indisputable way, the relationship between two independent ideas must be explained, and redundancy must be eliminated. But there are more similarities between Algebraic Topology and Filmmaking than just logic.

Equipment, techniques, and styles simply form a toolkit within filmmaking, and in a similar way, a collection of technical, mathematical mechanisms form a toolkit within Topology. It is up to the mathematician to creatively apply those tools to produce elegant, and at times, beautiful proofs.  Topology, a field that categorizes shapes, often times in higher dimensions, has fluidity, so the mathematician has ample creative room. However, without any sort of meaningful purpose, a haphazard application of these mathematical tools, even with an element of creativity, will leave the reader unsatisfied. Likewise, a film needs purpose.  Without a compelling narrative, a filmmaker using the best tools at his disposal will still fall short.

Admittedly, it has taken me some time to learn this fundamental concept: story is everything.  As I grow as a filmmaker, the story plays a greater and greater role.  With each project, I attempt to identify and solve the shortcomings of the previous project. I have much to learn but I have come a long way. The day when I stop progressing will be the day I abandon this career path.

This website is intended to serve as a portfolio. As I add new projects, the site has morphed into a record of my development as a filmmaker. In my mind, these projects are simply mathematical proofs- sequences of logical connections between ideas.