We recently connected with MacKenzie Fisher and have shared our conversation below.
MacKenzie, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I love having such a creative mind, but there are definitely times when I get a creative block. Every artist knows that experience. A full blank, white page with the cursor blinking at you over and over again but you still cannot think of anything. There are many different ways one can keep creativity alive. I try to keep creativity alive by doing different things outside of the film industry. I love being a part of the film industry but it is not my only creative outlet. One of my biggest outlets is writing. In my undergrad I was an English major where I specialized in poetry. I absolutely love poetry and feel like it is such a good way for me to be creative. I always joke that everyone has a childhood story or film that they connect with, that shapes a lot of their art when they are older. For Taylor Swift it’s Peter Pan, but for me my inspiration comes from Alice in Wonderland. Whenever I want to write something, or I have a block I think about all the crazy metaphors, or characters in Alice in Wonderland, It helps me get into a creative mindset. I can definitely thinking of away to write about painting the roses red, or a crazy mad hatter. One of my favorite lines from a poem I wrote was “Well I know I am not Alice I did not fall through the rabbit hole….If I never know who I am, do I become who I want to be.” I think as an artist it’s important to have different areas where you are creative. Along with writing I also keep my creativity alive by being interested in other things outside of the film industry. I love watching NFL games with my family and friends. I have become a giant fan of Formula 1, and watch the races every Sunday. I love playing tennis in the evenings or using acrylics to paint a picture. Another fun activity I do with my family is playing golf. It has brought us really close and it helps me stay active in my life. I love having many different interests because if I feel uncreative in one area I have another one I can look towards. I know there are so many stories in these areas that will peak my interest. I never thought I would write so much about Alice in Wonderland, but it has affected my creativity in so many ways. That creative spark can really come for anywhere if you allow yourself explore and learn new things.
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 an editor, sound designer, and script supervisor but also just a lover of filmmaking. I have been able to learn so much about the industry because I am pursuing my Master’s Degree at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media. I find it so special to be able to expand my knowledge of film. I never would have known the art of sound designing if I hadn’t taken certain classes at Dodge. I was able to edit and sound design a student TV pilot that was written and produced by Emily Robinett this past year. We spent hours in the Foley stage and Mix room creating the sound of the film. We collaborated together on adding certain sounds to each scene. We even added a low rumble that elevated the feelings we wanted the audience to experience. I remember listening to a certain scene over and over again, because I couldn’t get it to sound the way I wanted. I finally had to move on so I would not drive myself crazy. Then Emily came in during the session and we figured out together what was missing in the sound for that scene. Working on this pilot was such a fun and fulfilling creative experience which made me realize Television is one of the areas I would like to work in. That TV pilot is one of the projects I am the most proud of. It was my best sound design work and I know we created an outstanding product.
I have also been able to learn about the animation industry while in school which has been incredibly exciting. This past semester I took three classes that all revolved around animation. I was able to learn about the pipeline of animation, and how post production is so different then it is in live action. It was exciting to see how important editing is in animation because you have to know exactly what you are animating before you start. You can’t go back and change the shot you used for a scene like in live action, its animated there is no other shot. This coming year I will be sound designing an undergrad animated project and I am incredibly excited. It’s great to have so much knowledge of different parts of the film industry. From motion pictures, to television, and animation I feel confident that this is what I should be doing. I love that I get to call myself a filmmaker and will continue to grow in the film industry.
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?
One really big piece of advice I would give people in the early stages of their journey is do not close yourself off to certain experiences. If you are interested in directing do not stop yourself from learning about production design. Being well-rounded and knowledgeable about different areas in the film industry will help you so much in the long run. I have production designed, directed, edited, sound designed, and done different tasks on student sets. So a quality that I would say first is important to me is to be open. I was given an opportunity to production design because I told the Showrunner I was passioned about learning how to do it. I learned a lot on that set, and I am thankful for that opportunity. Closing the door on new opportunities will stop your growth. Another quality that has impacted my journey is my personable nature. I really enjoy talking to people about their journeys and life overall. It’s important to be able to hold a conversation with someone, and I feel like I do a great job of that. I especially think in filmmaking you need to be personable because we work so closely with each other. If you want to talk to me about which editing software is the best, or are the Chiefs going to win the Super Bowl again, I am all ears. Do not be afraid to talk to someone on set you don’t know because you never know what you will learn. Lastly a quality I have, is the ability to not be afraid to ask questions. If I don’t understand something I will be the first one to raise my hand and ask a question. There is nothing wrong with not knowing all the answers. I know that I will continue to learn, and new qualities will impact my journey, but I feel like these three are the most important for me at this moment.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I have a really strong family unit that has helped me overcome many challenges in my life. They have supported me in every step of my life, and have always given me encouragement when I need it. I have realized getting older, how rare that kind of support can be. I have never had to worry if my parents are proud of me, because they tell me all the time. My brother has been at every graduation and musical theater performances I have been a part of. He listened to me talk on the phone about my anxiety when I was graduating from undergrad. My sister-in-law came out to see a play I directed 5 months into dating my brother. The love and support I feel from all of them has continued to push me forward, even when times get hard. I also look to people outside of my family, like my Godmother, who has taught me what it means to be resilient. Every time something happens in my life I know she will be there cheering me on. My friends are also people I look to in helping me build up my confidence and filmmaking skills. They have given me the chance to work on different roles on film sets, like Script Supervising or Sound Designing. The other group of people that have helped me build and develop my skills are the professors I have had. Dr. Trey Moody is an English Professor at Creighton University that I had for several poetry classes, and he was my mentor for my senior thesis. He helped me develop my creative voice and without his guidance I would not be the writer I am today. I learned how to tell a story in such a short amount of words that it helped me develop my longer writing skills. At Chapman, I have many amazing professors that have taught me so much about the art of filmmaking. I was able to take an animation pilot scriptwriting class with David Krinsky. I was able to step out of my comfort zone and do something that I normally wouldn’t do. I was able to further my storytelling skills, by writing a script, I thought was interesting. I definitely need to keep working on my script but it was great to gain so much knowledge about the life of a writer. Every little new skill or information I learn from my professors pushes me forward to the career I want to have. To have so much support, in my life, has meant the world to me. I have gained so much confidence in my film skills because of their support. Having a base of people surrounding you will always help you face challenges and grow into the person you are meant to be.
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Image Credits
Emily Robinett
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