Tyler Ham

Background

About Tyler Ham

As a creative director I love telling stories – just not about myself. So instead, here are some things about me and my work that you might find interesting- I have developed products for some of the most recognized brands in pop-culture. From lightsaber design and prototyping to reimagining G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO, I have had the honor (and child-of-the-80s dream) of working in the Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Universal Monsters, Ghostbusters, Game of Thrones, South Park, Batman, and Goonies universes – just to name a few- Experience has led me to a wide variety of professional areas. I have worked in consumer goods as a graphic designer, packaging designer, freehand and digital sculptor, prototype painter, marketing designer, licensing manager, art director and creative director. I have a deep first-hand knowledge of the creative, marketing, and licensing industries which I utilize in developing and strengthening brands- My interest in the film and toy industry began when David Hasselhoff knocked on my door to film a few scenes for an episode of KNIGHT RIDER- Dirty secret – I got my first job in the collectibles industry based on a lie. I was at an industry event and a college approached me asking if I knew any sculptors who could sculpt the fossilized bone hand from THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. Having never sculpted before but loving that movie, obviously I said “Sure. I can!” I went home, learned to sculpt, got the project completed ahead of schedule and it became a best seller for that company- Helping companies find their stories is my greatest professional delight. I learned the importance of story through my decade of experience in the film world. More recently, as a mentor to Stanford undergraduates and entrepreneurs in the StartX accelerator program, I work to turn concepts into narratives. “This is my idea” becomes “Let me tell you about our company…” - One of my all time career highlights was being on the Academy Award winning visual effects team at Industrial Light and Magic for our work on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest- Once I got to body double for a lightsaber wielding Stephen Colbert. I *think* this makes me a jedi.