Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Marcus.
Hi Kayla, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started off my career in Film by making YouTube videos in high school. It was one of those hobbies that I would do after school, sometimes with friends. I used what little money I had to buy camera equipment and spent most of my time in class writing scripts and coming up with ideas for new content.
After graduating from Clayton State University, I spend most of my time working on sets across Atlanta, writing content for apps, all while working on my First Feature film.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Honestly, it’s been far from smooth. My first job on an actual set was as a Covid Production Assistant. Naturally, I took the job wanting to get my foot through the door but job offer after the job offer was nothing but Health & Safety. I was happy to be on set but I wasn’t doing what I loved. It was honestly so discouraging… people left and right tell you it’s all about networking but sometimes even that’s not enough. After a year of working in a department that’s sadly hated and frowned upon every set you’re on, I took a break and decided to work on my own set to direct my own indie projects.
While directing my first independent feature has been incredibly stressful, and there were so many times where I wanted to drop everything and quit. I know that filmmaking is a process. People quit on you last minute, you’re met with rejections, and oftentimes have to take on more roles than you can handle. Despite all this, I can’t see myself in any other industry especially in Atlanta.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My past projects include my senior capstone film, “Nothing but the Truth” which was a semi-finalist in the 2020 Top Shorts Film Festival and winner of awards of merit for Directing, Editing, and Cinematography from the Southern Shorts Awards. NBTT was also named an official selection of the New York International Film Awards and the Lift Off Global Network. My other projects include the Jury Award Winning Films; Am I Crazy (2016), Trauma (2017), & Home (2019). After winning the award for Best Actress for “Home”, my love for acting motivated me to take classes at Nick Conti’s Professional Acting Studio & Drama Inc. As of right now, I am completing production on my first feature-length film “The Last Supper”, which tells the story of six adoptive siblings reconnecting with their estranged parents over dinner.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is getting paid to do what you love. It also helps to surround yourself with people who genuinely want to see you grow and vice versa. I know what it’s like to wake up to a job you hate 5 days a week, sometimes 7. A lot of people do. I want to wake up excited to be on set, whether it’s behind the camera or in front of it. I want to write away my feelings for the next hit film or show.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylafilms/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009366433681
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11590794/
Image Credits
Tatiana Marcus
