Meet Aalany McMahan of Los Angeles, CA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aalany McMahan.

Hi Aalany, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Aalany McMahan, and I’m a visual director, analog filmmaker, model, and DJ raised in the San Fernando Valley. I’ve always had a deep and unbreakable love for film and music, but for a long time, I didn’t realize that all of my interests could exist inside the same world.

When I was a teenager, Spotify and SoundCloud became a huge part of how I discovered music. My friend Andrew Kessee showed me all of these sick experimental bedroom beats, and I instantly became obsessed with crate digging, finding samples, and tracing where each sound came from. At the same time, I was learning how to shoot films and taking editing classes after school, so it honestly makes perfect sense that I ended up becoming both a director and DJ today.

Right after I graduated high school, I met Alondra Buccio, who scouted me to model in her really fun photo shoots. Around that same time, I randomly picked up a VHS camera at a thrift store and started carrying it everywhere. I would shoot my friends at art galleries, parties, and events just for fun. That eventually led to people asking me to shoot behind the scenes on film sets, fashion shoots, Milk XYZ’s artist series, and tours for musical artists. I love that something I picked up with absolutely no plan ended up getting me into so many rooms. My backstage pass collection is still one of the coolest things I’ve accumulated throughout my career.

My brain was always beaming with fun and fashionable visual ideas. I would call my best friend, explain the dream I had in my head, and ask if they wanted to be a part of it. Those dreams became VHS shorts that I would direct, location scout, style, shoot, and edit myself.

My passion project “Slinky,” starring Sydney Wiley, became a huge turning point for me. Converse reached out after discovering the film, highlighted my work, and had me model their burgundy Chuck 70 sneaker. They created an entire installation with my art playing across analog televisions. It was one of the best things I had ever seen. I remember looking at it and thinking, okay, magic is actually so real.

That was when everything started feeling bigger than me just experimenting with a camera. The world I had been creating eventually became Ante Meridiem, the production company I officially founded in 2021. Ante Meridiem became a home for all of my interests in analog filmmaking, music, fashion, horror, 1970s and ’80s glam, theatrical humor, and slightly strange low-budget television. I like creating things that feel beautiful but also a little unsettling. Ante Meridiem is basically my maniacal world of wires, VHS tapes, characters, music, and fashion. It feels like a dream from the past while creating its own future at the same time.

Raven Tracy later reached out to me to direct social media promos for her swim brand, BODY. That project was where my editing style really started to shine. The VCR title sequences, pose direction, and visual formatting became a staple for the brand. Polaroids I took during the project were also displayed on Melrose Boulevard, which was another amazing accomplishment for me. That experience helped me realize that my weird little analog ideas could work commercially without losing what made them mine.

While I was shooting my own projects, I was also being scouted to appear in music videos for artists like Harry Styles, Tyler, the Creator, Taylor Swift, Trippie Redd twice lol, A$AP Ferg, and more. Modeling became one of the most fun pivots in my career. I also appeared in editorial and branded shoots for Refinery29, Apple, Everybody.World with Ron Finley, Foot Locker, and others.

Being in front of the camera made me a better director too. I understand how vulnerable and sometimes awkward it can feel to perform, so I always want the people I’m directing to feel comfortable enough to play around, experiment, and become a character.

Eventually, music labels like Sony and Stones Throw Records, along with referrals from friends, began approaching me to direct music videos for developing artists. I’ve directed projects for Josh Levi, THRILLERS, Jarline, Sara King, Aliyah’s Interlude, and Michi.

Most recently, I led the creative direction for Michi’s “Dirty Talk” album rollout, including the album cover. Sand and bikinis were everywhere that day, and my team of ladies seriously did their thing to make it happen. Now I have a physical vinyl with artwork I directed sitting inside my own personal record crate. That is actually unreal to me.

DJing came from rediscovering how deeply I loved music. I had built this huge library in my mind from researching the tracks I used to soundtrack my VHS shorts and everyday life. Eventually, I felt like I had to bring that library to the dance floor.

I came up with the moniker Jay Ani by combining my first and middle names. One day, it just popped into my head that I barely used my middle name, so I decided to give it another life. As Jay Ani, my goal is to bring dark disco, political grooves, industrial sounds, and lush ’80s tracks into a space that feels cinematic. Preferably while I’m wearing a full leather outfit like a femme hero moving through the night.

The common thread throughout my career has always been asking people to step into an idea with me. None of this started with a huge budget or access to an established production company. It started with me calling a friend and saying, “I have this dream. Do you want to be in it?”

That is a huge reason why I care about expanding Ante Meridiem now. I want to build a team of femme and queer creatives who are excited to experiment, learn, and create a sweet VHS dream together. I’m currently scouting cinematographers, gaffers, editors, production assistants, set designers, stylists, Polaroid photographers, vintage set builders, and other people who love analog imagery. I want the environment to feel safe, fun, playful, and ambitious, especially for people who may not always feel like there is an obvious entry point for them in production.

I’m also developing AMTV, a visual music series where I can highlight overlooked artists, share the music that inspires me, and promote new work being created by people in my community. In my free time, I’ve been learning piano theory and becoming more interested in sound design because soundtracking films is another huge dream of mine. I don’t really see directing, DJing, modeling, music research, or building a creative community as separate careers. They’re all different parts of the same world I’ve been creating since I first picked up that random VHS camera from the thrift store.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has it been a smooth road? Absolutely not lol. One of my biggest struggles has been balancing my creative career with the reality of working a regular job and supporting myself. There have been times when I’ve worked all week and then used whatever energy, money, or free time I had left to make a film, edit, plan a shoot, practice DJing, or build Ante Meridiem. I’ve also worn almost every hat myself. I’ve been the director, producer, location scout, stylist, cinematographer, editor, and sometimes the person figuring out how we’re getting a huge analog television to the location. Very glamorous lol. Working with analog technology comes with its own chaos too. I’ve had cameras stop working, tapes get eaten, hard drives break, computers completely shut down, and hours of untangling wires. At the same time, I think that’s the beauty of being a tech head. It’s all a glitch in the Matrix. You learn not to panic because there is usually another wire, adapter, machine, or strange little solution waiting to be found. Those moments have made me extremely resourceful and taught me how to stay creative when the original plan is no longer possible. Sometimes the glitch even takes the project somewhere more interesting.

Another major learning curve has been realizing how deeply I care about the atmosphere I create as a director. I’ve been on too many sets that felt hostile, stiff, and rushed, and those experiences showed me exactly what I want to change within the industry. I want my sets to feel thorough and intimate, where every decision is made with intention but no one has to feel small or uncomfortable for the work to get done. That balance between intention and kindness is one of the most important parts of directing to me. Creativity can’t fully flow when everyone is tense, overwhelmed, or afraid to speak up, so making sure my team is okay will always be a priority. I want people to feel safe enough to experiment, offer ideas, ask questions, and bring their full personalities into the work. There is no reason to create something gorgeous if everyone felt miserable while making it. I want the process to feel just as thoughtful and memorable as the final image, and for everyone to leave knowing that their ideas were heard, their work was valued, and they were genuinely cared for.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m the founder and visual director of Ante Meridiem, and I specialize in creating visual worlds for music videos, artist rollouts, fashion films, editorials, and commercial projects. I usually work from the very beginning of an idea all the way through the final edit. That can include building the treatment, finding references, scouting locations and crew, helping with wardrobe and character direction, directing on set, shooting analog footage, and editing everything together. People usually know me for my VHS work, VCR-inspired titles, pose direction, and the way I combine music, fashion, and slightly strange imagery. My work pulls from horror, 1970s and ’80s glam, punk, disco, old television, political music, and theatrical humor. I like things that feel glamorous but a little creepy, like a memory you’re not completely sure you actually had. I also don’t see VHS as something I add at the end to make a project look vintage. The cameras, tapes, televisions, glitches, wires, and imperfections are all part of how I build the world. Music is just as important to me as the image. My years of digging for music and DJing as Jay Ani affect how I direct and edit because I’m always thinking about rhythm, atmosphere, and what a song looks like. Modeling has shaped my directing too. I know what it feels like to be on both sides of the camera, so I’m able to help someone find a pose or character without making them feel overly controlled or self-conscious. Since I came into filmmaking by doing almost everything myself, I understand how all the different pieces of a production connect.

I’m most proud of the moments when something that started as a weird little idea in my head became physical and entered the real world. Seeing Converse build an installation with my films playing across analog televisions was huge for me. Having the Polaroids I shot for Raven Tracy’s BODY displayed on Melrose Boulevard was another moment where I had to stop and really take it in. Most recently, I directed the artwork for Michi’s “Dirty Talk” album rollout, and now I have a physical vinyl with my art sitting inside my own record crate. That is still insane to me. More than any individual project, though, I’m proud that I’ve built Ante Meridiem into a recognizable world without waiting for someone else to give me permission or tell me exactly what it was supposed to be. I think what sets me apart is that I don’t separate directing, editing, modeling, music research, DJing, fashion, or community building. They all feed each other. I’m not only interested in making a beautiful image. I care about the soundtrack, the character, the feeling in the room, and whether the people helping me create it feel like their ideas matter. I want my sets to be spaces where femme and queer creatives can experiment, be strange, learn something new, and feel safe enough to bring their full personalities into the work. I think my work stands out because it feels like an invitation into a complete world, and once you enter it, you can tell it came from me.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I actually think the further technology moves forward, the more people are going to want to go backward and revisit older formats. Not because we’re stuck in the past, but because people want to feel their memories again. Everything is becoming so clean, instant, and easy to delete that having something imperfect and physical feels special. VHS captures the parts you normally wouldn’t keep, like the blur, the static, the strange zoom, the audio warping, or the moment when someone didn’t realize the camera was still recording. Those imperfections are proof that something real happened. Over the next five to ten years, I think more people will find old cameras, digitize their family tapes, print photographs, collect physical media, and create films that feel like artifacts from another time. I also hope this return to older formats inspires a slower, more intimate way of creating. So much of the industry is built around rushing, pressure, and the idea that a set has to feel hostile or uncomfortable for serious work to get done. I want to help change that. I believe thoroughness, intention, and kindness can all exist together, and that people create their best work when they feel safe, valued, and comfortable enough to experiment. VHS is such a beautiful tool for that philosophy because it forces you to slow down, let go of perfection, and accept whatever the machine gives you. As a tech head, I love new technology too, but I think part of moving forward is learning how to use it to preserve the past instead of completely replacing it. I hope the future of the industry is not only more open to work that feels lived in, touched, and unpredictable, but also more thoughtful about the people creating it. How something was made and how everyone felt while making it should matter just as much as the final image. That’s really where Ante Meridiem lives, between the past and the future, intention and imperfection, and all the glitches, memories, and sweet little accidents that could never be recreated exactly the same way twice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amvideo.live
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treatyofversace
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jay_ani
• Other: https://vimeo.com/antemeridiem

Image Credits
DJ image by Stassie Vee @stassievee