Meet Matt Aaron Krinsky | Director / Producer / Writer

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

Hi Matt Aaron, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Mogul Productions (www.MogulProds.com) is the company I founded to develop and produce feature film, television, documentary, and stage projects.

Immediately after my undergraduate years, I moved cross country from Boston to Los Angeles and attended the Baron/Brown Studio. I completed their acting conservatory program and was then asked by two fellow classmates to direct them in a play. I grabbed the chance and also agreed to produce the show. This sparked the desire to form my own production company.

I’d studied lots of cinema history in college and was always a big fan of Old Hollywood, so I was aware how the entertainment business came to be what it is. Most of the earliest studio moguls were East Coast transplants with a Jewish heritage, who were big dreamers, risk takers, and entrepreneurial in spirit. I could relate to all of them, which inspired the Mogul Productions name.

Mogul Productions is now turning 23, and through all the life turbulence that comes with pursuing an artistic career, I still have moments that I can’t believe what it’s growing into. From producing a play in a tiny North Hollywood theatre to having a legit slate of projects is wild to me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I recently heard someone reiterate that there truly is no linear route in the entertainment industry and that one’s career path only makes sense when looking at it in reverse. I had a bit of sheer good fortune when I first moved to LA and landed a job as an office production assistant to Lawrence Bender at A Band Apart, the company he shared with Quentin Tarantino back in the day. But after that ended, luck was elusive, and so I got to where I am today through grit, determination, and building authentic connections.

I also quickly learned it’d be absolutely necessary to create my own opportunities and starting Mogul Productions allowed for that. I directed and produced a bunch of short films, some music videos (of questionable quality!), and lots of plays. I always innately knew that I adored directing but never expected to fall in love with producing too.

To maintain a steady income, I accidentally discovered that I could utilize the many transferable skills to produce live events. Over time, I’ve done this on and off for several non-profit organizations. In fact, after seven years, I continue to enjoy working for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a fundraiser and producer of two community charity walks.

After spending more than two decades growing as a producer and director, the next logical step was to tackle my first feature film. This endeavor started in earnest in mid-2021 and involved me developing the screenplay with the writer, seeking investors, building the team during pre-production, shooting entirely on location in Massachusetts, and overseeing post-production.

The cast and crew on this film brought both talent and good temperament to the project –– a combination that is very important to me. This positivity and warmth permeated the whole filmmaking process and definitely translated to the screen. I’m proud to share that we just signed a distribution deal for the movie, “All Saints Day” (www.AllSaintsDayMovie.com). We anticipate it’ll be available on a platform in the months ahead and I’m eager for people to finally see the completed film.

Additionally, I’m already attached to direct my next feature film, and we’re starting to look for producing partners. It’s an LGBTQ thriller, love story, and period piece, that’s actually based on true events. It’s so good!

Later this year, I start shooting a documentary on an obscure, but pivotal, social justice activist who was critical in shaping how the community and government responded at the outset of the AIDS epidemic.

There’s also a unique docu-reality TV show in the making that perfectly combines my affinity for running, entertaining, and philanthropy.

I share all of this with hopes of inspiring other big dreamers to follow their hearts and instincts. As Roald Dahl said in one of my favorite quotes, “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” So never hesitate to seek your own magic – but also be prepared to do the work. The journey may not be easy, predictable, or controllable, but it will always be worthwhile.

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.
My favorite places in LA are very Hollywood/West Hollywood-centric. Let’s start with food selections!

A grab-and-go breakfast would be at The Bagel Broker on Beverly Blvd, where they make possibly the best bagels in LA. For a more leisurely brunch, it’s Fratelli Cafe on Melrose. Lunch and people-watching would be at Joan’s on Third, then back to Beverly for dinner at Terroni. For coffee, Kings Road Cafe. Go-to drink spots are the historic Formosa Cafe or All Season Brewing in the old Firestone Tire Shop. For a moodier vibe, The Three Clubs on Vine rocks, I’ll never turn down the chance to have drinks in the lobby of the Hotel Roosevelt, and late-night snacks mean a visit to Canter’s on Fairfax.

Even after nearly 25 years of living in LA, I still find so much joy simply driving over Laurel Canyon from Sunset to Ventura. For a new visitor to LA, I’d for sure take them on a drive along Mulholland, with stops at the overlooks to see down into the Valley (with views of Disney and Warner Bros), the Downtown LA skyline, and of course, the Hollywood Sign. I also like to show people the huge Kermit the Frog statue that stands atop the Henson Studios building on La Brea, which was originally Charlie Chaplin Studios.

For entertainment, we’d catch a Dodgers game and go see a lot of shows, specifically at the Hollywood Bowl, the Pantages, and either the Ahmanson Theatre or Mark Taper Forum. And no tour of LA would be complete without driving by my absolute favorite building in LA and one that is a truly iconic representation of this city – the Capitol Records Building.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m very fortunate to have family and friends who’ve always supported me on this entertainment career path and never made me feel judged for pursuing it with such lengthy determination. But I would love to acknowledge five specific individuals who deserve special recognition in my story.

I call Julianne “Jules” Homokay my artistic fairy godmother because she has facilitated more opportunities for me than most. The biggest of those is working with me over the course of nearly 10 years to adapt her original stage play into the script that is now my debut feature film, “All Saints Day” (www.AllSaintsDayMovie.com).

My friend-turned-producing partner Nicole Pascarelli O’Brien is one of those few people you meet in life and instantly know you’ll be connected forever. She is always game to go on a new artistic adventure together, and no one is better at talking you off of a creative ledge.

I grew up appreciating my Uncle Steven for his humor, commitment to family, and keen business sense. He is one of my most trusted advisors, always encouraging, and possibly the only person who can actually get me to stop overthinking!

And lastly, my parents who didn’t even flinch when I told them that pre-med was no longer for me and I wanted to see if I could make it in film. Though at the time I had no job or place to live, little money, and knew practically no one, they somehow trusted their 22-year-old to move cross country and give it a try. I credit Mom for my creative abilities and tenacity, while my Dad gifted me his writing skills and wit.

Website: https://www.MattAaronKrinsky.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattaaronkrinsky

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattAaronKrinsky

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MattAaronKrinsky

Other: All Saints Day Movie: https://www.allsaintsdaymovie.com
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Image Credits
Photos © Mogul Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved.