For this month’s In Focus Interview, we are proud to feature full-service production and post-production company, MCM Creative. With over twenty years experience in the New York creative market, the company has established itself as a high-tech playground for content creators, as well as a solid production partner, with a fully built studio in Chelsea, New York available for rent, as well as high end camera packages, full G&E trucks, and a full staff of editors, colorists, and re-recording sound mixers.
MCM Creative also produces narrative features, documentaries, music videos, tv/web series, promos, commercials, and corporate communications projects, offering podcast recording, sound studio and gear rentals and VR/360 experiences.
This month, we sat down with MCM’s Founder and CEO, Michael Canzaoniero. Born and raised in Shoreham, NY, Canzoniero is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the New York University Graduate Film Program. His explosive short film Hyper played in the Centerpiece of the 2002 New York Film Festival where it opened for PT Anderson’s “Punch Drunk Love.” In 2009, his first feature The Marconi Bros premiered at the SXSW Film Festival. In 2011, Canzoniero directed the award winning documentary Shelter Island. In 2013, he created Mindshift, a consciousness raising talk show starring Daniel Pinchbeck. Canzoniero’s 2014 film Don Peyote featured Dan Fogler, Anne Hathaway and Josh Duhamel. Canzoniero’s latest feature, Making The Day, a charming and often funny film about making an indie film in NYC and never giving up, will have its worldwide premiere this Friday, April 8, at NYC’s Village East Cinema followed by a two week run ending April 21.
What are the creative goals for MCM Creative in 2022?
MCM is excited that we are now being repped by Rick Dorfman at Authentic Management. Our hope is that our collaborations with the amazing talent at Authentic will lead to some very cool work in the television and film space. Recently we produced a talk show series for JB smoove (also repped by Rick Dorfman) with guests such as Tina Fey and Roy Wood Jr. and see that as indicative of the type of projects we’d work on together.
If at all, has the pandemic affected the way you produce content? Have you had to change your strategy, creative or logistically?
We actually built out a contactless stage during the pandemic that kept our facilities and team very busy. We certainly hope that this type of precaution will be less and less necessary as we move farther away from the pandemic peak.
Can you tell me a bit about what the past year has looked like for MCM in terms of growth? How has your strategy for business changed/been affected?
MCM actually doubled in size on several fronts in the last year (real estate, staff, and gross income) so we are very excited to see that production needs in NYC have never been greater.
What is your team working on at the moment?
We are really excited to be launching the distribution of our feature film, Making The Day, with a two week theatrical run at Village East Cinema. This will be followed by an aggressive marketing push by our internal digital marketing department. After using traditional distribution methods on three other features, we are really excited to take matters into our own hands and control the process and campaign 100%.
We are also about to launch a new casting division with seasoned casting director Mary Clay Boland (Sopranos, Welcome to Smallville) taking the lead in this new space for MCM.
What does the creative process look like at MCM Creative? Does it differ from project to project? If so, how?
MCM has dedicated hours every day where we work with writers to develop new content. This usually occurs at the end of the day around 4-6pm after we’ve “eaten our vegetables,” so to speak, and then get to have some fun creating new ideas for “dessert.”
What does MCM believe are the most important qualities to have on a creative team? Has this changed as you’ve scaled?
An “MCM-type,” if you will, is someone who lives and breathes filmmaking. If you don’t love being on set, creating, and all aspects of the business, this isn’t the place for you.
What are you looking forward to this year? Project wise, industry wise, etc.
After three years of construction and build outs (including the recent addition of a 5.1 mix suite), we are really looking forward to just “greasing the wheels” of our operation and finding ways to streamline workflow and build processes that make MCM a smoother operation.
If you could give advice to creatives today, what would it be?
Work your ass off, don’t give up, and keep an open mind about what you are and what you really want as that may change as you grow and get to know yourself. For me, I’ve come a long way from my childhood dream of being Steven Spielberg to preferring to be the type of filmmaker and business person I now see myself as.
MCM has created a special offer for the Telly Awards community!
THIS FRIDAY, April 8, at Village East Cinema in NYC! Attend the Making The Day 7PM World Premiere + following open bar Red Carpet Gala at half off the listed ticket price.
Go to www.makingthedaymovie.com to purchase tickets and use the code: TELLY
