Meet Matthew McFate of McFate Entertainment

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew McFate.

Matthew, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m an actor, singer-songwriter, model, writer, and producer based in Los Angeles, California.

I’m originally from Bettendorf, Iowa, but I moved out to LA at the end of Summer in 2014. Growing up, I spent all of my time doing theatre. I was normally in about 4 or 5 shows at a time, mostly musicals. But, every once in a while a play would get thrown in there. I was also part of my school’s choir and show choir. I knew very early on that I wanted to be in entertainment. Although, there was a brief stint of time where I wanted to be a Cardiothoracic Surgeon (a heart surgeon). While that would’ve been really cool, I’m very happy that I followed my heart.

What I loved so much about doing musical theatre, was getting to stand on stage in front of a live audience. I truly don’t think there’s anything comparable to that feeling. The only thing I started losing interest in, was doing the same show over and over several times a week. So that’s when I made the decision to break apart the acting side from the singing side. So, instead of pursuing theatre, I decided I wanted to make the switch to film and television, while still aiming for a career in music someday.

When I first got out here, it was a bit of a shock. I had visited a couple of times prior, but being here permanently and just kind of going at it 100% was a bit daunting. If I’m being honest, I think it takes at least a year to truly feel like you’re “settled” in and like you have a good lay of the land. Just like any aspiring performer, I started working right away as an extra on tv shows and in films.

For anyone wanting to work in any part of this industry, I think it would be a great idea to give this a try, simply because it’s kind of cool to be on set with your favorite performers, and it definitely doesn’t hurt to learn about the process as a whole of bringing a show or film to life. After several months of balancing the never consistent schedule of background work, with my then school-related work, I traded in movie sets for department stores.

Now, working in retail doesn’t really require much discussion, so I’ll talk about what I did outside of that. During my year working in retail, I had started to come out of my shell and focused a lot on meeting new people, mostly through Instagram. I had taken up photography and started to build up a small following. This ultimately led me to crossing paths with my next employer. From the summer of 2016 to this summer, I worked at a creative agency in Venice, that was in charge of creating content for major brands to use on social media.

During my time there, I worked as a Content Producer but eventually transitioned into the role of Office Manager. Most people would probably ask why I worked at a job for as long as I did, that wasn’t completely in line with my goals. I don’t know if there’s a truly specific answer to that question. But, at the time the opportunity came into my life, I think I was a bit lost, to be honest, and I wanted to try something new.

And I’m so thankful I did. I would not be who I am, had I not met and worked with the people I did. I got to experience so many wonderful things while learning new things that I’ll be able to use for the rest of my life. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. And while working there, it helped me confirm that what I really wanted to do with my life was act, sing, and create. So, I said goodbye (which was not easy) and made the decision to give my dreams everything I had.

And here we are today.

Has it been a smooth road?
I believe everything should challenge us. Challenges and obstacles are why we grow and adapt as humans. One of the biggest struggles I’ve encountered is learning to be truly confident in myself. Being in an industry that continuously tells you no, can get hard.

And even if they say no in the most polite way, all you do is wonder why you didn’t get a yes. Is it because I’m too fat? Is it because I’m not talented enough? Am I not intelligent? The list goes on and on. And I’ve really struggled with seeing my worth as a performer and as a person.

Another challenge I’ve faced is learning to put myself first. At the end of the day, yes it’s important to care about others and to show everyone love. But, if you don’t put the time, love, care, and energy into you and your craft, you will never get to the next level. I spent so much time focusing on others, which again isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but they were getting every ounce of my energy and support, and I started to suffer mentally and emotionally.

Sometimes we unknowingly hurt ourselves, so I’ve really learned how to be aware of what I need. I think there are so many other “struggles” that I could discuss, but at the end of the day, they’re only going to differ from one person to the next. My best advice would be to learn what you want and what you need, and figure out how to move forward without the negative things in the world taking a toll on you or affecting you too much.

And of course, it’s still okay to have a bad day every once in a while. We wouldn’t be humans if we never got frustrated, sad, or felt like giving up.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
While I do technically have my own company, McFate Entertainment, it’s still so new that I feel as if it’s not actually a thing yet. And part of that is because it’s just me at the helm.

This year, I formed my own company, to act as my own label for the music I just started releasing, as I’m an independent singer. I also started it because I wanted to start my own production company to develop all types of cinematic projects I’ve been working on, from TV shows to films, and everything in between.

For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to build a brand. I wanted to make a name for myself. While my first loves are acting and singing, I’ve also discovered a love for so many other things. I know that I want to direct, write, produce, which is why I figured I would make the leap towards getting my own projects off the ground, instead of waiting for opportunities to come to me.

And through working with my music producer for the past year and a half, I learned that I have a deep love for songwriting and the entire concept of music production. I think that what sets me apart from others, is that I’ve spent so much time honing what exactly my vision is, that now I’m just trudging forward with blinders on because it’s so clear what I want to achieve.

I think a lot of people tend to get ahead of themselves when starting a new project or activity, and things get messed up very quickly. Of course I’m in no way perfect, and I’ve had my own experiences with trial and error, but I think I just decided early on to let the world guide me for a while and I took in as much information that I could, and that set me up for where I’m at today.

And once you get to that place mentally, things just start to fall in front of you. Or at least, it feels that way to me.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely. Los Angeles is the home of entertainment. And not only is it great for entertainment, it’s great for just about anything. Being in a city like this, you’ve already increased your chances of succeeding at whatever it is you want because there is so much opportunity here.

I think the most important thing there is, is networking. Maybe that means you know this person, and that’s why you landed that role or job, which is great. But it could also mean, you know someone that can help guide you and make choices that will ultimately mold you into the best version of yourself.

I also think being in a city that fosters creativity, and encourages it, will only help you tap into parts of yourself that you didn’t know existed. Every single person on this planet has the ability to do great things, and I think giving ourselves the opportunity to open up our hearts, and our minds to those possibilities, will change the world for the better.

And most definitely. Moving to LA was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.matthewmcfate.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewmcfate/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthewmcfateofficial/
• Other: https://lnk.to/OOMM

Image Credit:
Samuel Elkins, Ethan Gulley

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