Today we’d like to introduce you to Mackenzie Watson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m from Edmonton, Canada originally (you’ve probably never heard of it) but moved across the country to Toronto (you’ve definitely heard of that one) when I was 18. My dad was a movie critic who would take me to movies I was faaar too young to see, and I was a goner. At eight, I told my parents I wanted to go to film school to be a director.
At 14, I wrote my first and only feature screenplay (yet). I did theatre in high school and found out I really dug acting too. But aside from a few acting lessons, I temporarily left those dreams for a more conventional path and got a Political Science undergrad at the University of Toronto with plans to go to law school. But I couldn’t create. And writing papers on Hobbes’ theory on human nature wasn’t exactly the type of creating I wanted to be doing.
I started writing, acting in, shooting, and editing short comedy videos I posted on YouTube which caught the attention of a director who cast me in a sitcom pilot. It didn’t get picked up, but it got me an acting agent. I spent the next two years going to a lot of auditions and booking very little. I also worked at a few different tech startups where I did sales and marketing. I learned a lot during that time, but I felt like I needed the next step. Enter graduate film school.
Producing was appealing because I had already been doing it on a small scale with my comedy sketches and I felt like I certain pragmatism and savvy from my undergrad degree and work experience. So I applied to the producer’s programs at UCLA and USC as a pipe dream, never expecting to get into either. I got into both and chose UCLA for their more open and flexible attitude and because USC is HELLA expensive.
Long story long, now I’m here in LA finishing up film school just like my 8-year-old self wanted to. I graduate in June with an MFA in Producing from UCLA!
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh god yes. Many a struggle. All kinds of struggles. Picking up and moving to a new city and/or country is always going to be difficult. It still is, you should’ve seen the hard time they gave my Canadian ass at the DMV today!
I don’t want to get too personal here, but I had a traumatic brain injury in high school which forever changed me and my mental health. My accident made a lot of things in my life more difficult, and there have been times when I wanted to throw in the towel or stay where it’s safe.
But I’ve also always known I would never be happy playing it safe in any aspect of my life or career, so I’ve sort of never stopped trudging forward, sometimes subconsciously, towards what I wanted. I believe interesting people are forged from pain and difficulty, so I’m thankful for all of it because it’s made me a better storyteller.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
As an independent producer, I have four short films under my belt and one short film and a music video in pre-production. I also write, direct, and act and am steadfast in my goal to be a multi-hyphenate in this town. In some ways I think you have to be – so much of this business is out of your control, so the more hats you can wear and the more you can create on your own the better.
Something I’m really excited about is CASANOVA – a comedy web series pilot I wrote, starred in and produced. It’s about a female, pansexual “Casanova” in LA who also happens to be a tech entrepreneur/computer programmer. I was interested in putting a woman in spaces/roles traditionally reserved for men (IE – engaging in casual sex and working in tech) and exploring that juxtaposition with comedy. We’re going to release a teaser for it soon, and I’m very excited to share it with the world. Also upcoming is my first project as a writer/director – a short dramedy that I’m shooting this summer.
I’m drawn to material that is female-driven, includes diverse voices, and explores the most weird and sad things life has to offer through the lens of comedy. The darker, the better. I’m always looking for my next project as a producer and to connect with other creatives who are coming up alongside me! We’re all just out here trying to make it happen, right?
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m very lucky to have a really supportive, cool family without whom I definitely wouldn’t have made it this far. So I started life with some really great luck having them.
After that though, I’m not sure. What’s that quote? “Luck is the residue of design?” Is that obnoxious to say? How about this – work really hard, be nice to people, and keep your dreams active.
Whether whatever happens after that is luck or some other force, who knows. This got really existential. Whoa. Did we drop acid? I should probably wrap this up.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmacwatson/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsmacwatson?lang=en
Image Credit:
Adam Lee. Instagram: @adamlee133
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