Meet Mariya Pyter: Director / Writer / Magic Hour Productions, INC.

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

Hi Mariya, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It was a series of things that compelled me to start my production company. I founded Magic Hour Productions, INC. with my business partner to produce character-driven films in all genres and furthering the art and craft of film. As a writer and director, I knew I want to further produce my content, and our small team of now 5 people are successfully doing that since 2013. Since then we also collaborated with many other production houses, partners, and charities, which is also quite inspirational for our team, because all of these projects became life-changing experiences for us and changed the lives of other people for the better. For example, our documentary “22” available on Amazon and other platforms, sheds the light on the Braga family from Utah, who created a unique facility named “Bear-O Care” for children with multiple special needs who have aged out of the system and are no longer eligible to participate in this publicly funded special education programs. I do believe that film has transformative power, and to us, it’s nothing more inspirational than finding like-minded people and building the connection with the communities. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think that the road to success is never easy. It’s constant work on your filmmaking skills and people skills. As a director, sometimes your journey feels lonely because often you are in charge of the final creative decisions, yet, there is nothing more important than the team you can fully trust. In developing our production company, Magic Hour Productions INC., we had to start very small, working from our home office, to gain the trust of the community and our clients who became our long-term collaborators and friends. When it comes to narrative storytelling, the biggest challenge of any filmmaker, including myself, is raising the funds, and it became even harder during the times of pandemic, but I believe what sets me and our team apart is our inexhaustible dedication, loyalty, and commitment to telling quality stories with exceptional production value. When I have windows between the productions, I enjoy writing, and I draw my inspiration from real stories, history, long-forgotten books, and fairy tales.

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 live in California, and there is really an abundance of amazing places to visit. I guess the choices would depend on the friend’s interests. I would show them the Santa Monica area, Venice Beach, the quiet and beautiful mountains of Wrightwood, Yosemite park, and Lake Tahoe. In terms of my favorite dining spots, I would recommend Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills and Evergreen Cafe in Wrightwood.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I believe there is no other road to success but a combination of hard work, some luck, and people who support you all the way. Great shoutout to my family, who stand by me every day, and my dearest friends who support me and land a hand when needed: big shoutout to the talented writer Diane Lansing, Monica Purkin, director and instructor Phil Ramuno and Glen D. Miller.

Website: http://magichourpro.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariyapyter/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariya.pyter
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/aikido-of-los-angeles-alhambra
Other: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-are-Silent-Brian-Gross/dp/B07S9GR3LW/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mariya+pyter&qid=1607658982&s=instant-video&sr=1-2

Image Credits
Magic Hour Productions, INC. for all except for the Group picture, on which the credit will be with Women in Film