Meet Justin Moynihan | Writer/Filmmaker, former mountain guide

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

Hi Justin, how do you think about risk?
I think my understanding of risk is largely framed by mountain guiding and outdoor education. The idea that risk itself is neutral. Just the potential for change. Usually that change has negative as well as positive potential. We then use a spectrum to evaluate the likelihood of harm versus the likelihood of “success”, and equally measure if that risk ratio is worthwhile. Which is where you get into the weeds. Because sometimes meaningful growth requires hardship. Even consequential failure (including injury).

I was fortunate to be raised in a household that was not particularly risk adverse. My mother immigrated from Japan in her early 20’s. My dad escaped the draft and hitchhiked around the country. My brother stopped working entirely (I paid his rent) and just drew comics until his art was discovered. On top of all this I’ve never been particularly afraid of death.

With all this as the framework I’ve had the privilege to be able to focus on my art-projects over a stable career. This might completely hose me in the long run. But as it all pans out in the harm to benefit ratio, it is absolutely essential for my what I value and why I live. So I work gig jobs to make just enough for rent and food. And spend the rest of my time and money to write and make films, animated shows, and music.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I try to make something everyday. At the very least I write every morning. It is a compulsion and need that would, and has continued whether I try to make it a career or not. I developed this daily practice in the early 90’s. I knew very few career artists, so it was always a personal practice and never a goal to make a living doing it. It wasn’t until my brother got story boarding work in LA in 2010 that anyone in our friend group realized you could really make a living as an artist.

I’ve mostly made money off of labor. Sometimes getting hired to write for cartoons.

The art and writing itself? Stories about heart-broken sad saps with a touch of magical realism and issues of mental health. Often I pull from the funniest and most traumatic episodes of my actual life. I spent years chasing love and committing sickeningly romantic and over the top courtship gestures. I sort of realized how problematic that behavior was, and so I shifted to putting that romantic energy into stories and films. Like Barry White and his dedication to Lady Music, I am trying to devote my love to Lady Film. We’ll see.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Coffee at Woodcat. But don’t bug me too much I got to get my writing done.
Go workout and climb at Stronghold Gym.
Grab breakfast at Just What I Kneaded.
Lunch at Monzo.
Take a walk around Echo Park Lake or Elysian Park.
Dinner at Aunt Yvette’s Kitchen.
Go to an event at Heavy Manners Library. Probably the most legit community event space I know of in LA.
Donuts at Donut Friend or Honey Donut.
If they do Jiu Jitsu send them to Midnight Jiu Jitsu.
Maybe do some flips at Joining All Movement.
If I have some extra money in the bank we can hit up the Magic Castle.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Naomi Prentice. The woman directing Always Crying Always in Love, the feature we’re currently shooting (a romcom about doing a backflip on roller skates to validate a tortured life).

I met Naomi on the set of the Blackening. She was the prop master and I was best boy electric. Like so many folks crewing on sets, Naomi and I both had aspirations to make our own things. She had written and acted in a short called No Manners which she showed me on her phone during a crafty break. I was very impressed, especially with her acting. I shared with her a few shorts I made. She gave a bunch of notes. Haha.

When we started the process of casting for Always Crying Always in Love, I invited her to help with the process and coach performances. She improved the acting so much that I asked her to co-direct the film.

It’s been over three years of making this film so far. In that time she’s taken full director status, really bringing quality to each performance, and depth to each character. And her notes in the editing room are what’s making this movie come together.

Website: https://justinmoynihan.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alwayscryingalwaysinlove

Image Credits
1. Shannon M. West
6. Oliver Lukacs
7. Shannon M. West