Today we’d like to introduce you to Merlin Showalter.
Merlin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I moved to LA two years ago, after having made the decision to jump full time from music into video production. I had made some friends through the YouTuber scene in Oregon and they had convinced me to check out what LA had to offer. After spending about six months “commuting” from Oregon, it became clear LA was the place to be if I wanted to grow and find opportunity. Since then, I’m happy to say I’ve got to work with some great brands like NBC, Adidas, and Warner Records, to name a few. I’ve also joined a band and have found new outlets for musical expression, even though it’s not my full-time gig anymore. My new “instrument” is the steadicam and I’ve been super appreciative of all the new experiences on sets over these last couple years. Being able to build a healthy small production business while working with some of the best artists and craftspeople in the world (not to mention awesome weather) is something delightfully unique to Los Angeles. You’ll never know what kind of new opportunities await here, and I look forward to continuing this new adventure!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I was lucky enough to have a few friends in the industry before I moved to LA, and that really helped jump-start my network building. Although, it did certainly take some time to find my place in the community, and I’m constantly on the lookout for new people to collaborate with. There were a few challenges along the way in that process, but thankfully my friends and colleagues always have great advice and I listen to my intuition while trying to find good people to work with.
Magic Show Media – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My partner and I run Magic Show Media, a small independent video production company that specializes in short-form commercial and musical content. After spending a decade as a studio drummer, I found a passion for shooting music videos which later branched out into filming commercial content for record labels, musical instrument companies, and entertainment publications. Since then, we’ve started to get into narrative storytelling; we recently finished a short film that has won film festival awards and are currently in the process of finishing a documentary and developing another short film. I also spend a lot of my working hours as a freelance cinematographer, camera operator, and steadicam operator. I find that my background in music has had a large impact on my approach to visual art and that having a keen sense of rhythm definitely helps with timing and composition in motion pictures.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success, to me, is a moving target and if one’s not content with enjoying the journey along the way then there should be some serious re-evaluation. That said, I started my path by defining success as being able to make a living doing something creatively fulfilling and consistently stimulating. Of course, there are financial benchmarks that are always evolving with the growth of the company (I mean, who doesn’t want to be able to buy a nice house in LA) but if it was all about dollars or counting down days until retirement then no amount of so-called success would be worth it to me. I’m always trying to balance being a small-business owner with my creative endeavors.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.magicshowmedia.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themerlinshow/
Image Credit:
Reid Bauman, Leah O’Connor, Joseph Adams, Nathan Alef
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