Meet Coze | Director | Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Coze and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Coze, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I’m from Savannah/Atlanta, Georgia. Well, thats where all of my family is from. I actually like to think home is where the heart is because of my upbringing. I was a military child which caused my family to move to a different state and/or country almost every three years. So I have lived in 8 different states and 1 country, Germany which is ironically where I was born. For any child moving so much, it can do a lot to your mental and trying to navigate a new space, new people, new cultures but I think that has made the most impact on my life today. I can walk into any room, move to any state and meet anyone and find some common ground and connection and I love that. Moving around so much taught me to adapt, taught me to understand and have compassion, to accept what you can not control and make the best out of every situation! I use to admire people who have stayed in one city their whole lives and sometimes even wished that for myself but as I grew older I realized that that experience is what makes me, me. I look at the world through a different lens, because I have lived it and there is SO much more to experience!

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.
In LA, it can very hard to navigate choosing different creatives to work with. Everyone is a filmmaker, everyone is an artist, everyone has a business. What sets me apart is the experience that comes with my filmmaking, that comes with my art, that comes with my business. The care and time I take with each project goes beyond making a quick buck. One of the things I enjoy the most is seeing people’s face when they see their ideas comes to life. The excitement, the joy, the inspiration. I love helping people achieve that through creating timeless visuals that ignites emotion, showcases unique stories, underrepresented communities and starts conversations that can impact the world.

The challenges I currently face is being a women editor in the film industry, Because I am a women, I tend to receive softer tone projects that emphasize romance, and all things deemed appropriate for women. It does not happen to everyone all the time but that is a huge goal of mine to change. I want to be an inspiration to other women editors and filmmakers that love projects with Sci-Fi, Action Thriller genres, that you can get those type of jobs too. And if not, create it!

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 am a huge foodie and Vegan Playground and Vegan Exchange LA are my go too! Back home it’s really hard to find vegan options so to have a place dedicated for multiple vegan food trucks is heaven. Another cool thing about the city is being able to go to the beach, to the desert and on mountains all in driving distance. I did the SoCal challenge and was even able to see the Milky Way! Nature is so beautiful here. There is always something to do in LA, like Sofar Sounds, Fork n Film, NBA/WNBA games, I can go on and on!

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?
Man where do I begin! There is so many people that definitely deserves a recognition in my journey but I will sum it up to 4 shoutouts. First, is my family! From immediate to cousins! I am viewed in my family as “the Golden Child”. If you know you know! But they believe in me so much and have always encouraged me to follow my dreams, whether that is collegiate basketball or creative filmmaking. They have always been supporting me and I am lucky to have that relationship with them. It’s my daily motivation. The second person is my girlfriend of 4 years, Lotus Bomb! She is a creative director and choreographer here in LA and she was the first person to encourage me to quit my job and continue on this path of entrepreneurship. I seen her follow her dream relentlessly and I admire her so much! The next person I would like to shoutout is my friend Kelly Sarri! She has been helping me navigate the film industry with genuine advice and I can not thank her enough for all the things she has done and is currently doing to help my visions reach the screens. Such an amazingly talented person! Last but definitely not least I would like to shoutout Davide Fiore and the GRAiNEY Pictures Team! I look to Davide as a friend and mentor. From the moment I met him, he has helped me grow as an editor and has taught me the ins and outs of the industry. I can not thank him enough for jump starting my career and giving me a chance! And to Colin K. Gray and Megan R. Aarons at GPiX, thank you for adding me as addition to their team and helping me gain valuable experience as an emerging filmmaker and editor!

Website: https://cozeclips.myportfolio.com

Instagram: @cozemac @cozeclips

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChRFJpaorXYFg1NbuUkdOGg

Image Credits
Image 1: Set Photographers: Sarah Desage Hayflick & Katherine Flynn All other images: Cozeclips