Today we’d like to introduce you to McKenzie Mosley.
Hi McKenzie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Born and raised in Arizona.
From a young age, I knew I wanted to create whether that was being on the stage and performing or working behind the scenes. I grew up acting, singing and dancing all while making time for sports and time to be a kid. I really looked up to both of my parents my whole life. My father and I bonded over the arts from a young age and we share a love for films. My childhood memories with my dad are in the theater seeing every action film together or comedy. I’ll never forget when we saw Iron Man. I was 12 years old and that film made me cry, it made me laugh and it made me feel a sense of excitement that was so thrilling. Fast forward 16 years later and I was hired by Marvel Studios to work on Captain America Brave New World. We will get back to this!
As a teen/young adult, I went through a loss that tore my whole world apart. I lost my cousin when i was 17 years old and was in the room when he gained his angel wings. This loss was something that I didn’t know how to face because I was so young and a big comfort and outlet for me was storytelling and creating. I was in my first semester of film school when this happened. While it was really tough to finish that semester, I turned my pain into art. It helped me face a lot of my own darkness which allowed me to create my senior Capstone Short Film project years later. My short film was 1 of 12 to make it into the Senior Showcase. My film “Ophelia” is about childhood sexual abuse and I whole heartedly believe it is why I am where I am now. This film was my safe space and a place to be completely vulnerable about my own childhood/adulthood. I learned that turning our pain and our joys into art is what sets us apart as individuals and allows us to just be. Shortly after my showcase, I graduated from Arizona State University and moved to Los Angeles.
I interned for a wonderful Production Company called Farm League while working a serving job to pay the bills. I worked a few commercials and freelanced around LA. A few months later I received a call to interview for my first feature film “Brightburn”. I was hired as a Post PA and this really began the trajectory of my career. Since 2018, I have worked on 16 feature films. Some have been in production and most have been post production coordinating/with post supervising duties.
Working for Marvel Studios has been a full circle moment because it brings back so much of my childhood in the movie theater with my family. I’m so honored that the amazing team over there gave me an opportunity to show them what I got! My grandmother, Geneva Mosley, always used to say “The world owes you nothing but an opportunity” and for that I am so incredibly grateful. None of this would be possible without the people who saw something in me. I am so grateful and blessed to be where I am, My next big feature is coming up later this year and in the meantime I am working with a high profile family and believe this will sharpen my creativity and problem solving for my future endeavors.
Post Production isn’t something I wanted to initially work in but it is where the stories really come together and it’s so beautiful to be a part of and I have really grown a love and deeper passion for it. Filmmaking will always heal younger versions of myself and I can’t wait to continue my career and eventually begin producing/directing my own projects. Wouldn’t be here without the support of my parents, sisters, niece, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and God.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s definitely been a challenge through the years. Covid and the Strikes taking place really put a pause on my career for years. I never gave up hope though and I am getting back on track. The beautiful thing about filmmaking is that we all have different paths to get to the same places. The challenge in that is that you learn to really rely on yourself because while our paths may be similar to others, I don’t think any are exactly the same. This industry has so many avenues with so many people having the same goals. It sometimes feels like a beautiful mess but It’s exactly where I am supposed to be!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a Post Production Coordinator/Producer/Writer/Model.
I have worked on many films and I am equally proud of all of them. Each film has been unique and challenging and lovely. The call I will remember forever is when I got hired on Brightburn because I was a fresh kid out of college at 22 years old getting to work on a film with James Gunn. I was so scared but knew if I worked hard and had a good attitude that I would be ok. I learned so much in that year.
I am most proud of myself through this all because I have kept a kind and loving heart in an industry that can be very tough and tend to make some people cold. Fortunately, I have been surrounded by so many mentors and wonderful people to look up to.
Being a woman in post production is also such an honor because there aren’t a lot so I love when I see other woman in the field. In my recent experience, I have seen many more coed teams which has been so wonderful!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
My sisters, my parents and the rest of my family are my living diary pages. I lean on them a lot and they offer the most amazing advice but also keep me in check. They help me to be my authentic self and the best I can be.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Matthew McFate
