Ryan Thielen’s first year out of college has led him to start his own business and onto the big screens at TCF Bank Stadium.
Thielen ’14 majored in film studies and minored in marketing preparing him for both the artistic and business side of his career, he said.
Ryan Thielen ’14 majored in film studies and now runs his own production company Triglass Productions. Submitted photo
“I was able to experience both the artistic side that the film studies department had to offer, while learning valuable business skills in the Herberger Business School,” he said. “… Both the business and film school did a wonderful job preparing me for my job. I have so many professors to thank for that and would recommend the school to anybody looking to go into business or film.
Thielen’s Triglass Productions, which he started while still attending St. Cloud State, was a subcontractor creating specialized videos for the Minnesota Vikings 2014 football season.
The company produced a new brand for the team’s production studio along with logos, design graphics, pump up videos played in TCF Bank Stadium and each of the Vikings Pro Bowl videos.
This February the production company is producing a Vikings series of videos for Black History Month. The videos consist of short interviews with players, coaches and Vikings alumni designed to spread awareness of Black History Month from the prospective of pro football athletes and coaches in Minnesota, Thielen said.
A new video is being added to the series each day in February.
“The best part of working in my field is doing something different with every project,” he said. “I really enjoy learning new things about companies, teams, and people when I make these videos. I would have never met the people I have worked with in any other field, film is a backstage pass to almost anything.”
Related links
In addition to creating videos for the Minnesota Vikings, Thielen’s company has produced videos for politicians and several companies. Triglass Productions, based in Maple Grove, specializes in video production with an emphasis on storytelling. Thielen runs it together with a partner, and the company employs several editors and videographers along with on-screen talent to produce its videos.
“The film program at St. Cloud State gave me the opportunity to experiment and learn,” he said. “They have good equipment. They allowed me to make two short films, and the professors were always willing to help me with anything I ever needed.”
The diverse nature of the film classes, the quality of the professors and their passion for film provided Thielen with a good education, he said, but he added that the experiences he found outside of class also helped prepare him for his career in filmmaking. He also enjoyed studying abroad at Alnwick Castle in England.
“You must use what they teach you and apply it outside of the classroom on your own time,” he said. “… It is extremely important to take advantage of the resources the program provides you. Without a doubt, the St. Cloud State film program will give the opportunity to be successful in any genre of filmmaking that interests you.”
