Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan Malone.
Hi Meghan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up in a small town in New York, I didn’t really understand that writing for film and television was a real career that I could pursue. But I made a lot of friends in the film and television program at Ithaca College where I attended school, and they showed me that it was possible to make a living doing something I had only dreamed of. By my sophomore year, I changed my major and was able to study filmmaking with colleagues who I still work with today (shout out to every Ithaca alum who’s gotten me a job).
After graduating, I moved out to LA with my best friend and other classmates and started working as a production assistant, even though I had recently torn my ACL. Word of advice – do not move across the country if you are still recovering from surgery! I took whatever industry jobs I could and ended up working for a few reality TV-type shows. I was even a stand-in for Steve Harvey once (I am 5’5″ for reference – they made me stand on a box).
After a year or so, the production life was wearing me down, so I applied for a job at a reality TV development company, and thankfully, I knew the person who had the job last from school. I worked my way up from the front desk into the development department as an assistant and learned how to pitch shows for buyers. But, my heart always belonged to scripted content, so I reached out to everyone I knew and told them I was looking to make the jump out of reality TV.
Thankfully, a friend of mine worked at Universal Pictures and put me up for an assistant gig to a development executive. I have literally gotten every job I’ve ever had because of friends or colleagues helping me. Working on the lot at Universal was an incredible year. I made so many friends and got to see how a feature film was made from concept all the way through to release. But unfortunately, it was a one-year contract job, so I had to move on. My boss helped me get a job as a showrunner’s assistant to a writer/producer, and although I learned some valuable lessons, she and I weren’t a good fit and I was let go.
Then exactly a week later – the pandemic hit. And as horrible as things were, I was finally able to take a step back and re-evaluate my life. Why had I moved to LA in the first place? I took industry jobs to make connections, but I hadn’t been concentrating on my writing. So with the help of unemployment funds and a big chunk of my savings, I was able to work on my writing skills and personal film projects again.
And as fate would have it, a friend of mine (shout out to Amy Stiefel) was working at a digital production company called Mythical Entertainment – the creators of the award-winning YouTube channel, Good Mythical Morning. She told me the Writer’s Assistant job opened up and I jumped at the chance. After an incredible year, I was promoted to writer, and have been writing episodes for the channel ever since.
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?
Definitely not always smooth! The beginning of my career was a lot of long hours for little to sometimes no pay. I hope in the future assistants in the film industry are both treated and paid better. Then after I was let go from my showrunner’s assistant job, my confidence was absolutely shattered. I thought that I wasn’t cut out for the industry and that my dreams would never happen for me. But I took the time to reevaluate what I wanted and was able to build back the confidence that I lost.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m currently a writer on the YouTube show, Good Mythical Morning and have made several appearances on it as myself and character roles. It’s definitely the thing I’m most proud of – my dream was to move to LA to become a writer, and here I am getting paid for it. Me and my fellow writers not only write the jokes they tell, but design and research the games and tests they do with our producers. It’s an amazing company to work for, and the most collaborative environment I’ve ever been in. Not many people get to laugh and play at work every day, and I’m so grateful I get to do that.
On my own time, I’m also a screenwriter. I’ve written short films, TV pilot samples, features and even for a board game. I love blending the genres of comedy, fantasy and horror to subvert audience’s expectations. My scripts and films have placed and been finalists in several competitions.
What matters most to you? Why?
Oof, heavy question! lol. I used to think it was being remembered for something I created. But as time went on in my career, I realized that being happy and fulfilled was way more important. I have a fear of being stagnant, so as long as I’m growing – whether that’s professionally or in my personal life, I’m a happy camper. I just want to feel proud of what I do, and I want what I do to matter. And although writing episodes about the silliest subjects doesn’t seem very important, the show has made a huge impact in a lot of people’s lives, and I’m proud of the work we put out every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: meghanbmalone.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghanbmalone/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/meghanbmalone
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@meghanbmalone
Image Credits
Mythical Entertainment
