When Ryan Thielen graduated from St. Cloud State in 2014 with a film degree, he had no idea he’d end up in Columbia Heights, producing videos for major sports teams. Opportunities for film directors in Minnesota were scarce, but “I didn’t want to go to California,” he said recently. “I’d be swimming in a sea of similar people.” He decided to create his own opportunity.
He rented a building in North Minneapolis and started Triglass Productions. It was not an ideal location. The building had low ceilings and the heating system was sketchy. Nevertheless, he was able to secure some work with the Minnesota Vikings, and he was on his way.
Last year, he purchased the old Minneapolis Saw building at 4018 Central Avenue. He and his co-workers spent the last year gutting the building and remaking it to fit the business’ needs. “We took a risk on the place,” he said. “A lot of people didn’t have much faith in the building, but when we ripped down the ceiling tiles, we found these wonderful 1930s wooden beams.” Today, his production company is housed in a comfortable building with exposed brick walls and wood floors. They have a kitchen and a living room, “because we end up working a lot of nights and weekends,” Thielen said. “We’re going to stay a while.”
In its short period of existence, Triglass Productions has become a standout in a niche segment of the sports marketing world, receiving eight Upper Midwest Emmy awards (they’ve been nominated 15 times), and highlighted at the Golden Matrix Awards ceremony for the sports and entertainment industry. Clients include not only the Vikings, but the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Devils, and the University of Minnesota. Corporate clients include US Bank and Wagner.
What makes the film company different, Thielen said, is its “little more cinematic than sportsy” approach to sports. The pieces Triglass produces are used in stadia and sports arenas to “pump up” the crowed. A recent video for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers presents a pirate ship sailing through a storm (a la “Pirates of the Caribbean”) interspersed with short segments of snarling Buccaneers. It’s described on the Triglass website as “A team on a quest to conquer the ever-changing landscape that is the 2020 NFL season.”
A campaign promoting the ease of using US Bank’s ATMs focused on real-life situations and was shot locally.
Triglass also creates documentaries. “Venice Boys,” shown at the 2019 Minneapolis Film Festival, explored the culture of Venice Beach skateboarders in Los Angeles. Another, shot in New Zealand, focused on female surfboarders. “Their surf culture is very rooted in the overall culture,” Thielen said. He expects to release “Hinemoana” early next year.
After the initial shutdown shock, the COVID-19 pandemic has actually played into Triglass’ strengths, Thielen said. The five-person company makes heavy use of computers to create 3-D graphics that are “almost photo-real.” It’s a technique that gave them a competitive edge in the sports world. “It’s a less cookie-cutter approach,” he said.
“Usually there’s a ‘media day’ before the game,” he explained. Most of their competitors travel to various sports facilities, set up a tent and film the players against a green screen, a practice the Triglass crew finds somewhat boring. Travel restrictions soon brought that practice to a halt.
To create the Tampa Bay video, Triglass spliced still photos of football players such as quarterback Tom Brady getting ready to throw a pass with created scenes of pirates, fire and guns to create a story-driven piece.
“We’re actually competing against big filmmakers in L.A. and New York,” said Thielen, “but we’re here, in Columbia Heights.”
Below: Ryan Thielen with some of Triglass’ Emmys. (Photo by Cynthia Sowden)
