Meet Matthew McLaughlin

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matthew McLaughlin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Matthew, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
Being a filmmaker is an optimistic journey and I would say the same for any type of artistic or entrepreneurial endeavor. There are so many moving parts in the filmmaking process that I often compare it to a giant cruise or cargo ship, and pessimism is like the anchor being dragged behind. It slows down the entire journey. Optimism opens doors. In filmmaking you need to get hundreds of people behind your vision and that definitely takes a lot of optimism. My optimism comes from finding stories I am passionate about and a deep desire to share them with the world.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a writer, director, producer with experience in scripted and non-scripted forms of storytelling. Our team is currently in the pre-production process of my second independent feature film titled ROSA. It’s an international action, suspense, thriller written entirely in Spanish with filming locations in Central America. My first indy feature was grass roots project where we called upon friends and family to pitch in with the production and now I am relying on an international production team, most of whom I have never met in person, to organize the logistics of an international production. It’s definitely a more challenging project but worth the risk in order to film a unique story at beautiful locations, never before seen on film. Whether in the scripted or non-scripted storytelling I always enjoy exploring and highlighting new locations that the audience might not yet be familiar with.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Perseverance through adversity. Learn to push yourself in those darkest moments. Have a sense of empathy. Be aware of the feelings of those around you and take time to listen
Teamwork. Carefully choose the right team. You are only as strong as your weakest link.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Filming an international feature film is definitely one of the toughest challenges I have ever taken on. I am currently working with local fixers and production companies to help facilitate the process. When people hear my excitement about the project it makes them want to help and I have been introduced to remarkable collaborators within the international film community. Also knowing that their city or town will be seen around the world on various film/tv/vod platforms usually gets the local fixers pretty excited too.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Reaves Washburn, Pasadena Film Festival, Chris Brake, Jonathan Gary, Adam Fischer, Queen Palm Film Festival

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