About Me

My name is Tyler Young and I am a journalist turned filmmaker from Greenville, SC. No, my parents did not think I was going to be a boy. They named me Tyler on purpose. My mom picked out the name Tyler during her second trimester. In fact, she and my dad were forward-thinking in the 1980s. They figured it’d be pretty neat if their Black daughter was mistaken for a white man every day of her life.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, welcome!

I earned my B.A. in Mass Communication from Winthrop University. In 2023, I began my journey as a film director. My first short film, Dying Laughing, won the 2024 Black Harvest Film Festival Audience Award. I’ve produced narrative, documentary, and branded content since 2012. Most recently, I produced Gaps, a coming-of-age NAACP Image Award-nominated short film presented by Queen Latifah’s Queen Collective program in partnership with Tribeca Studios and Procter & Gamble.

I began my TV career as a morning news producer in Charlotte, NC. One morning I stood in the dressing room and said, “God, I’m tired of crying and praying about this job. Is it time for me to leave?”. He replied, “I have something greater for you.” I went on-air for my social media segment, walked over to my desk, and typed up a 3-sentence resignation letter. I haven’t looked back.

Greater is here.

Today, I am a Project Involve writing alum at Film Independent. I wrote the short film, Saving All My Love, based on my relationship with my mom and sister. My first screenplay, Body Count, advanced into the 2022 quarterfinals of the Academy Nicholl Fellowship. This comedy feature detailing the challenges of moving back home at age 30 was among 359 scripts accepted from 5,526 submissions. I’m also a former Gotham Film & Media Institute fellow.

I previously served as Associate Producer and researcher on the Emmy-nominated (Outstanding Historical Documentary), Peabody nominated, and Telly award-winning documentary film, Downing of a Flag (PBS).

My Story Producer and Associate Producer credits include:

Fun Fact: I got my start in unscripted television as a production assistant on one of the highest-rated episodes of Hoarders.

I’m a human pop up video. My love of ‘90s and ‘00s pop culture is endless. NSYNC will forever have my heart. A Different World is my favorite TV show. Dirty Dancing brings me joy. I aspire to tell very human stories with unintentionally funny protaganists  working through later in life growing pains. Comedy is healing and it’s the vehicle that drives my imagination.

Above all, I am a believer! Proverbs 3:5-6 is my guiding light.