Meet Meliek Gaynor | Director | Producer
We had the good fortune of connecting with Meliek Gaynor and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Meliek, what role has risk played in your life or career?
for most of my career, I played everything pretty safe I did what was told of me and suggested. The more I began to risk things the more success I was able to accomplish.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is storytelling at its most rudimentary level. As a Director and producer, my job is to create an immersive environment a world where one gets lost in and completely engulfed in the story. If I’m lucky, I will leave an impression, a mark of a story so deep-rooted, that they have to see it again. I am a filmmaker.
I recently just completed my first feature film as a producer, and I am so proud of getting through the process and finishing. Most people don’t understand as an indie filmmaker. The completion of the idea. The ratio is so astronomically different. Many people have ideas if you complete them and for that, I’m extremely proud.
I started out shooting interviews with a YouTube channel called Marlou Wellness Center with June Ann Lewis. I then met two very talented filmmakers, William Anderson, and Brelan Butler with our combined forces. We started making music videos, commercials, skits, and now a feature film. As a kid, my dad brought me along with him to the studio and I got to meet a lot of amazingly talented writers, musicians, and Filmmakers. I had a little bit of a Headstart with my dad being a music producer.
as an Indie film, Director-producer, I will say making films is hard. The reason it’s hard is because it’s all idea-based. The Director has to communicate a digestible amount of information to his crew and cast while doing something that’s within budget. when I started, I worked two jobs and invested 80% of my income into equipment, locations, and meeting people. The hardest part is being organized so that other professionals understand what their task is. Over the last 10 years, I can’t say that I perfected this, but I will say that I’ve reached a level where things are second nature, and I make sure I write down and execute as soon as possible.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is, don’t rush to tell your story. Don’t just think about getting it done get what it is that you need and that you want to tell the best story. If it’s not possible, there’s no way that you can get it to move on. It’s better to be all right and finish than perfect and incomplete.
I’m cut from a different cloth. My standard is to make amazing stories and never yield the quality of my film or cater to it to appease audiences. The stories I tell will be truthful to the characters. I make films so that the audience can escape the troubles of life, and that they only focus on the subject that I’m giving them. Their worries and their troubles are at the door. Because when the lights turn down, and the screen comes on the only focus I want the audience on is my story.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a young old man lol. So all the things that I would do with my friends could be done anywhere. I believe in creating bonds and having a good time so the game I would play with my friends is Catan the greatest board game ever. but on this mystical night that I have to take them out on the town, I would stop by a few different comedy clubs, and music lounges to have a good laugh and listen to some music that we love.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It goes without saying of course my family specifically my mom is my biggest supporter. She set the example of being driven and enduring both good and bad times. my mom is my hero. She keeps me going when they’re going. It’s tough. But like many people, it takes a village and I’ve had so many people tutored me and invested their time love, and passion so that I could be successful. I’d like to shout out the teachers and administrators, who help me with so much of a critical stage in high school. Dr. Harrington, dr. Aarestad and Coach B all challenge me to be great. But they accepted me for who I am and truly saw me as more than just my current circumstance, but for my potential that I needed a little push to unlock.
Instagram: Meliekfilms
Twitter: Meliekfilms
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
