Meet Moriah McDaniel

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Moriah McDaniel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Moriah below.

Moriah, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I was raised in an artistic family; visual and performing arts was inevitable. However, when I started college, the majors that were being offered weren’t exactly what I was looking for. As a result, I took this moment to decide I was going to try something new and different. I have always wanted to build my dream home and understand how to create blueprints and I began majoring in architecture. A couple weeks into the major, I realized how unhappy I was; this was not where I wanted to be. Ironically, a new major popped up and it was for Performance & Movement. The program offered dance, theater, and music development. Immediately, I felt a spiritual pull towards the program. Without hesitation I made the switch and never looked back. I was one of the first students to graduate from Arizona State University with a Performance & Movement bachelor’s degree.

After college my artistic career didn’t take off like I had hoped and I ended up working in a cubicle, answering phones. I fell into a depression and cried everyday at this job; this was not my world and I needed a way out.

I quit my job after a couple months and moved to Los Angeles, progressing further into the world of entertainment. I attended and graduated from New York Film Academy’s masters program in Acting for Film. This program helped me expand in my creativity and knowledge; I felt at home! During the NYFA masters program I learned so much in front of and behind the camera. I became more passionate about the world of film and entertainment. I later ventured into screenwriting and fell in love with building new worlds, creating characters that we could resonate with, the possibilities were endless. I created my production company, Mount Moriah Films LLC, in October 2022, and everything took off from there.

I know my purpose is in the entertainment field, because anytime I’ve ever tried to do something outside of the arts, I get pulled right back in. This field is where I feel at home, it doesn’t feel like work when I’m working. With the things I’ve created and performances I’ve done, I can confidently say I have had an impact on people in positive ways. I bring something new, fresh and creative to the table. I am walking in my purpose.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am the founder and CEO of Mount Moriah Films LLC, founded in October of 2022. The production company’s mission is to create and produce films that transport viewers into a new world and resonates with people through the use of storytelling. While the company is still in its early stages, I have been able to create stories, write features, produce dialogue for trailers, shorts, voice-over work, etc. and offer my services to people in need and to people who just want to create. I am most excited about sharing my company and projects with the world. I’m working towards creating a fantasy, action/adventure, film franchise that is unlike any of the other fantastical worlds we’ve been introduced to overtime; for instance, Marvel or AVATAR. Mount Moriah Films will be a company where when the name pops up on the screen, there’s a subtle feeling of excitement, people are looking forward to the film being released. There’s a feeling of knowing that the film will be great because of whose name is on it. For example, you’re at the movies and the trailers are running, suddenly, “Lucas Film Ltd” pops up on the screen and everyone gets excited. Because of the impact of the films produced and created under Lucas Film Ltd, people are going to see the film without hesitation.

Mount Moriah Films will create fantastical worlds for the old, young and new generations to come. A world that invites everyone in and allows them to ride on the backs of foreign winged creatures, magic carpets, possess powers of the unknown, and travel as far as the heart wills! Mount Moriah Films will bring magical worlds to the big screen, inspire creativity in others and touch the hearts and souls of many!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back on my business and artistic journey, I feel one of my company’s best qualities is being a bridge for others. From people who don’t know where to go or who to go to, to people who don’t know how to develop stories, to the ones that are just getting started, and even to the people who are established professionals, Mount Moriah Films (MMF) offers services that can bridge the gap between the underdog and the top dog. MMF has the connections and resources to help others bring stories to life whether through written form or visually. Likewise, the production company has the ability to demonstrate written work in many different visual forms. Taking what a person sees in their minds-eye and bringing it to life on paper or in film. There are no limits or boundaries. MMF keeps an open-mind, especially when it comes catering to another person’s thoughts, ideas, or story.

When it comes to creating original work, the process of building a new world, characters (human and nonhuman), conflicts, relationships, etc. it has to be something people can resonate with consciously or subconsciously. A place people want to be a part of. Even if the setting of a story is placed in space, New York, or a fictional world, and there are blue people with tails, you want there to be some kind of human experience for your audience to connect to. Having the knowledge of connecting and being able to achieve that through writing and film is among many of the important things to think about when creating.
As a person who wanted to do it all by myself, I have learned that it takes a village. Sometimes it is possible for one person to do it all. However, there are things that I cannot accomplish on my own. And my advice to others is don’t be afraid to build a team for yourself. build a trustworthy team with one’s who support the vision, want to help bring it to life, and with people who are talented and gifted in areas that may be a weak point for oneself; storyboarding, editing, producing, sound design, etc. with passionate, supportive, creatives you can create beautiful work.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
I believe going all in on your strengths may work for some people, but personally, I feel it is essential to invest effort in improving in areas that I am not as strong in. My strengths will always be there, I can come back to them. Dance, for example, is my strong suit, I thought it was going to be the thing to help me “make it big”. However, when my dance dreams didn’t go in the direction I expected them to go, I ended up at the New York Film Academy studying the world of film and TV. Although I was familiar with acting and film there were many things I didn’t know. Going to school helped me to become well rounded in the entertainment business; in front of and behind the camera. I’m capable of much more than just dancing. I’ve been able to learn and expand creatively, and now I have more than one gift to share with the world.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Matt Conrads

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,