Today we’d like to introduce you to Mattison Lewis
Hi Mattison, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I was one of the few black students who attended my K-12 school program in Cobb County, the lone ranger in my formative years of kindergarten through fifth grade. This, along with being a big kid, a child of separated parents, and a band nerd led to a lot of acceptance and empathy for my otherness and all that is weird in pop culture. It wasn’t until I began watching a show called “The Boondocks” that I started thinking about embracing my voice as an artist and considering a career in the arts as a way to express this experience.
After I graduated in 2011, I attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts for my bachelor’s in Film/TV Production. But after my father lost his job in 2013, as well as my inability to adjust to New York winters, I ended up dropping out and moving back home to Georgia. I felt like such a complete failure at the time. Here I was in 2013 interning for “The Colbert Report” and living on my own to being to less than a year later living back with my mother. But because of GA’s booming film economy, I was able to cut my teeth by working in reality television, where I gained some one-hundred plus credits in production, lighting, camera, and a myriad of departments, traveling across GA and the East Coast, often spending nights couch hopping or sleeping in my car just to be able to make it to set. This all led to me eventually setting up my home base in Atlanta in 2018.
Then COVID hit. I had just spent the previous year recovering from an on-set accident, my engagement to my fiance ended, and the industry was frozen. But instead of accepting defeat, I used the time to virtually re-enroll at NYU and finish my degree. While there, I was blessed to meet some amazing filmmakers and mentors who helped me reignite my career as a production coordinator, working for companies such as WBD/Turner Sports, Netflix, and Paramount right out of graduation.
Where I’m at today is all due to never accepting failure, but as Brian Medavoy said while guest lecuring one of my classes, “Life is a never-ending series of obstacles.” When the dual WGA/SAG strikes hit in 2023, I used the time to recommence production on my thesis film series “[CRASHCAM],” an analog horror about murderous crash test dummies taking revenge against their employer by haunting a night-shift security guard with a crooked past.
I first started making this film with a cast and crew of four people in Atanta in 2020 working under strict COVID protocols and no money. And due to NYU’s generosity in extending the time for alums to finish their thesis, as well as the help and support I made over ten years working in the industry, I was able to wrap production at the end of 2023 in Los Angeles with a cast and crew of thirty.
Currently, I’m writing for a childrens’ media company called Little Ears Media for a new show called “Fun Facts” while I fundraise for post production on the rest of my thesis film. Vol. 1 of “[CRASHCAM]” is out now and represents what I love about analog horror as well as my taught relationship with toxic employers and crooked police. I hope to add more work to my portfolio to not only advocate for the others of society but to express my love for courageous storylines in the new media landscape.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest obstacle for me was getting over myself and my ego. Growing up, I dealt with a lot of otherness and isolation, as well as an abusive father. I had the grades to get to NYU, but I did not have the confidence or social skills to excel or grow.
It wasn’t until I dropped out and started from square one that I was able to develop my voice and my skills in filmmaking. Once I got injured in 2018 on-set, I was sidelined for a year. But in that time, I fell back in love with storytelling via a burgeoning new genre called analog horror. Once I was able to work, but the industry was shut down due to the pandemic, I had to swallow my pride and re-enroll in NYU undergrad film. I was at first embarrassed to be the only student closer to their thirties than their teens, but I was blessed to be able to learn two eras of filmmaking since when I attended in 2011-2013, things like TikTok and AI were non-existent.
Then, in making my thesis film in 2023, where I was sidelined again by the strikes, I had to overcome giving up on myself by making friends and reigniting connections from Atlanta to Los Angeles. Most of the cast and crew for the “[CRASHCAM]” series were found online or through friends of friends, and trusting myself to write and direct an original film some ten years after my last outing was challenging, but I think audiences will be surprised and captivated by the talent I was blessed to work with during a time where independent filmmaking was necessary for artists to continue practicing their craft.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I spent ten years working in reality/docuseries/live film and television production, developing my skills to become a professional production coordinator and unit manager. But going back to school helped me develop my voice as a writer, and now I have been lucky to transition to screenwriting during this contraction in our industry.
Currently, I’m shopping my pilot, “Penguinz,” about black penguins surviving in a society ruled by a tyrannical dictator. This project I’m most proud of because it was directly inspired by “The Boondocks,” the show that inspired me to become an artist. While I do this, I’m also fundraising and finishing post-production for my analog horror series, “[CRASHCAM],” and writing children’s content for Little Ears Media.
I’m not sure what sets me apart from others, but I’m lucky that I’ve never given up on myself. From dropping out of college, to recovering from an on-set injury, to the COVID-19 pandemic, to the dual strikes, to the contraction, I’ve been blessed to have people in my corner who have poured their time, energy, and experience into making me a better artist and a better man.
How do you think about happiness?
Writing makes me happy. It gives me a chance to honor my experience and the experiences of those closest to me in my life. My friends, mentors, my pets, and my family, especially my mother, continuously inspire me and fill me with hope and joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/crashcamthemovie
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crashcamthemovie/#
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattison-lewis-837b35179/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattyfilmthis
Image Credits
“[CRASHCAM]” illustration & poster by Yi Lin Zhao (https://www.instagram.com/yi_lin_zhao_/?hl=en)
“Penguinz” logo by Yi Lin Zhao (https://www.instagram.com/yi_lin_zhao_/?hl=en)
