Meet Lily Mehallick | Director & Writer

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

Hi Lily, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
After talking with several people from various levels in the industry, I hear either “don’t take jobs in other fields in film because you might get stuck there” or “take any job in film because you never know which one will lead you to your destination”. Both parties will insist they’re right, but I think both experiences are totally acceptable. I see merit in staying true and pushing for the specific role you want in film, however, I also see merit in starting somewhere. I’ve heard of actors getting directing opportunities or animators getting to pitch their own original stories to executives so the paths to where you want to get to are endless. I have also heard of people getting stuck in a position that they only planned to have as a stepping stone into another career. It’s really up to the person!

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.
Lily Beyond Borders Productions was created after a viral video I had on YouTube. It was such a shock that something like that could happen to me and I knew not to waste the opportunity. However, long before that I was cultivating my filmmaking skills. I grew up in an arts middle and high school where I studied film, then went onto study film at colleges like USC, Portland State, and Art Center. As a former actor, I worked with companies like Facebook and Amazon. All these experiences have shaped me and shown my passion area in film is telling fantasy romance stories. Although I adore other genres, fantasy is where I really shine. I love bringing an entirely new world to life and weaving a high concept story and romance into the plot.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Love this question! I love a good phở place and there’s so many good ones here. So after phở, I’d take them to the LA zoo, the Forest Lawn mausoleum, Disneyland, the LA Arboretum, and to finish off, go to the Universal City Overlook at night. All of this would be too much to do in one day obviously but those are some places I would show someone over the course of a few days visiting.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I never would’ve gotten my recent job if not for the support of the faculty at Art Center College of Design, my family, and my friends. They have all supported me and offered forever valuable advice that has helped me become a well rounded person.

Website: https://www.lilybeyondborders.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-mehallick/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LilyMehallick

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Xu13rb2dI&t=3s

Image Credits
Zac Goldman
Ava Lauren Grayson
Ko Ashihara