Matthew S. Robinson of North Hollywood on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Matthew S. Robinson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew S., thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Right now I’m working freelance so in the morning I get up early and start work by answering emails. Usually there are about 15-25 emails to respond to a day. And I pray that at least one of them is a potential new client. Check my socials, check my calendar to see if I need to post anything on my socials, caffeinate…. I find that nothing beats a rich Earl Grey tea right as I shift through my morning tasks.

After that I try and work on any client work, budgets, schedules, pitch decks. I usually have somewhere between 7 and 12 meetings a week. About half are on zoom, the rest send me all over LA. (Shoutout to Republic of Pie, my pseudo basecamp for meetings.)

I have found in life that I am most productive between 7am and about 3pm. After that, everything starts to go downhill in terms of mental focus. So then I go to the gym and workout. I like to go to gyms that are near grocery stores, maybe there is a part of me that thinks “Hey Matt, you’ve earned this dried mango or that zero sugar turkey jerky.” And it gives me something to do after the gym. One hour lifting and 10-20 minutes intense cardio. It’s followed up by just walking around somewhere and getting my steps in. It helps clear my mind, and helps me feel like I’m being good to myself, ya’ know? Maybe it’s because I’m from Washington DC and we walk everywhere there. If I have the time to walk somewhere I always will.

When I get home I respond to the emails from the morning. Complete some more client work and then get ready for whatever evening event I have. Somedays it’s my writer’s group, some days it’s a friend’s play, or some sort of bar meetup. On days that are truly nice I get to maybe relax and watch a movie, read a book, or go for a late night walk. I probably shouldn’t go on late night walks, but it’s the one time that this great city is actually quiet. I can almost pretend to have a whole city to myself and my thoughts. Then I get back home, try not to fall asleep at my desk working on more client work, and I get ready to start it all over again. No day is really “normal,” every week I feel I’m doing something completely different, but that’s how I kind of like it. Keeps things interesting.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Matthew S. Robinson. I am a filmmaker, playwright, director and line producer/UPM. Right now I have largely been hired to work as a line producer, building out budgets and schedules for burgeoning productions. However, I also have been hired many times as an unit production manager. Helping productions keep track of their expenditures, budgeting, hours, logistics and qualified expenses for tax incentives.

I’d say what makes me unique is all the aspects of these jobs I can bring to people. I often am hired to figure out if a script or an idea is financially plausible. Once we go from there, I can help them figure out where the production should be shot, what kind of tax incentives works best for their company setup, and then logistically how to pull it off. Having both a creative and business background I think gives me an edge. I understand the passion and artistic desire of a filmmaking team, while also balancing that with the pragmatic restrictions of budgets/schedules.

I’ve managed to be successful in my creative life and my responsible approach with productions has allowed me to continually get work in that sphere of the industry. In 2025 I directed two feature films and one short. I now am slated to direct at least one feature film in 2026, and I’m hoping to finally achieve my dream very soon of directing a feature I wrote the screenplay for. However, the job that pays the bills day-in and day-out is line producing and production management. Few creatives want to deal with paperwork, CPAs, insurance, vendors, organization, distributors, etc and that has given me a sort of niche to fill. A niche I an thoroughly passionate about. Couple that with also having a knack for film and creative acquisitions and it allows me to navigate around the world of film.

Right now I’m hoping to get more into the acquisitions and budgeting world. I want producers, writers, financiers and distributors to come to me. When creatives and producers think they have something coming together I hope they seek me out for consultation. I want to be able to use my skills to help the next generation of filmmakers bring their stories to life. I’d like to think of myself as a sort of cheerleader, one that can also open up a spreadsheet and tell you what you need to do next.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When I was very young, probably about 6 or 7 years old my parents took us to this interactive exhibit. I don’t remember all the details, the idea was that you walked through these rooms that were designed to look and operate like homes from all over the world. It was a very humanizing look at other societies, different cultures, experiences, priorities, all made tangible. It definitely spurred my continued curiosity in the world around me.

It was the end of the exhibit however that stuck with me the most. After seeing all these different average homes from China to London to Lagos, the final area was there to stop you in your tracks. It was a refugee tent, a shopping cart filled with possessions, and next to that an unassuming compact car. The life of those who had to flee their homeland and the houseless who had to struggle to survive on the street. I was not unaware of these situations even at that age, I understood what the exhibit was saying to me.

It felt so unfair, unjust, barbaric. How could we as a society allow this to happen to people? It stuck with me, seared into my memory with the force of a branding iron. My thirst for cultural understanding only blossomed from this moment, but I also never forgot that there are so many less fortunate. Just trying to survive. Whatever I end up doing in life I hope I have and will continue to whatever I can to leave it a better place. A more equitable place.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The first thing that comes to mind is having “Jonah Complex.” It’s basically this fear of success. I used to think that perhaps I had imposter syndrome or something similar to that, but then I had a therapist explain to me that my fears more aligned with Jonah Complex. The idea that if I get too ambitious I will become arrogant, lose touch with my friends, my family, my humanity. That I will subconsciously self sabotage opportunities because I’m afraid of the continued work that success could bring.

I know it sounds odd, but I think more people fear this than we realize. I think we all sometimes don’t want to make waves. The more success you gain the more to upkeep, the more you have to stand out, the more conflicts you will need to be the deciding vote on. There are consequences to leading, there are people you sometimes have to leave behind when you find success. It is scary, and I think I personally try to deflect these things with what I think feels like humility, but comes off as self-deprecating. Or worse, as a lack of confidence in my abilities. It’s something I have to consciously check myself on, and find balance in. I’m starting to grow beyond that, but to even do that I had to know it was a problem in the first place.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I won’t say too much here but I have a sci-fi action project that takes place in an alternate history of our world. It has been in my head for over 20 years. It is ambitious, expensive, bold and would be a financial risk to do properly. But if I ever get the chance I am willing to stake my career on getting it made and done. One day, one day I believe it will happen.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I can’t imagine myself doing anything else but working in the arts. I figured out before I was a teenager I wanted to work in film, and I never looked back. There hasn’t been a moment of significant doubt, never been a period where I felt I wasn’t going to succeed. I’ve always had this core belief pulsing through me that I was doing what I was meant to do. There really isn’t anything else that interests me in terms of long-form career. No matter if it’s working logistics, creative or some blend of the two, it is always centered on the world of the arts. I can’t help myself. I love to write, to produce, to plan, to direct, it is an insatiable desire that has fueled so much of my passion.

I would never even allow someone to tell me what to do besides this. If someone dared to even suggest such a thing, I’d know instantly to disregard their entire opinion.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.matthewsrobinson,com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robinsonishyde_
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-robinson-62797a29/
• Twitter: https://www.x.com/robinsonishyde

Image Credits
For the photo of us all holding up the award the photo needs to be credited to Matt Kamimura