Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Fontana.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started out as a guitar player and a lead singer of a pretty successful band in the late 80s early 90s. I became interested in audio engineering while making records with that band. After the eventual end of the band, I attended Full Sail University in 1998, where I graduated with honors and jumped headfirst into the business. My early days were spent at the Walt Disney Entertainment Music Department as an intern, then eventually as a technician at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom. I left pretty quick to get back into the studio, taking a job at Outpost Audio in Miami. Soon after, an opportunity to work on feature-length films opened up at Sound Storm in Burbank, so I was off to Hollywood. After that, I came back to Orlando and re-joined Disney, but in 2002 I opened Ty Fy Studios in Orlando, where I began to build the company that I now own. While working on projects for some of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, I kept growing Ty Fy Studios. Now we have our own facility in Orlando and are continuing to grow.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh no, it was a rough road. From South Florida to Orlando to Miami to LA and back to Orlando. It’s been a crazy ride through many different aspects of the business. The best advice I think I can ever give an up and comer is to expect success to be a windy and crooked road. I found that if you’re not from California, a lot of the people there really are not welcoming, which is a big reason I left LA. Also, be prepared to work with all kinds of people; some sane, some not so much. Grow a thick skin for all kinds things hurled your way, whether you deserved them or not.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am kind of an audio/music jack of all trades. While the majority of our business at Ty Fy is audio engineering, I tend to be wearing the producer/composer hat a lot more often. First and foremost, I am a musician and love to create and collaborate. Some of the producers we work with encourage collaboration and some don’t; I tend to jump into sessions with the former.
I specialize in Pro Tools engineering at a pretty high level. I know there are better engineers out there, but I think my team and I can hold our own. I think I’m known for running an efficient company of great engineers, producers, musicians and creatives. But I’m sure I am most well known for the work I’ve done in the theme park world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck is a strange thing. Mostly, I think you make your own luck. My being courageous and being willing to take risks have been seen as my best qualities and have also have created some challenging times. I strongly believe that you are the motivating force behind your success and that luck and money are a byproduct of your willingness to take risks and be fearless. So, no, I really don’t believe in luck; I believe in work and courage.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@tyfystudios.com
- Website: www.tyfystudios.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tyfystudios/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tyfystudios
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/tyfystudios
