Exclusive interview with Matthew Paris – Producer/Director/Writer
Matthew Paris was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Growing up he excelled at sports.
Matthew played football and ran track in high school. After high school, he graduated from
Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Growing up, Matthew loved to go see
movies. He would watch movies and critique them. He got so good his friends would ask him for advice on what is good out that weekend. Matthew never thought about writing until his high school English teacher his sophomore year told him that this was a talent and he should explore this. Matthew had written several screenplays, but his short screenplay, “Crisis” was bought up by Look now Productions. That short film went on to win many accolades including a Platinum Remi award from World fest-Houston. The short film would also be sold for distribution from Shorts International. The film was shown on the Shorts HD Network and AT& amp; T U-Verse. Matthew second short film that he wrote, produced, and directed was “The Last Catch”. That short film was also produced through Look now Productions. The short film would also go on to win many accolades including best short film at the Digital motion Awards. The short was also sold to Shorts International and played in the United States, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Matthew has also worked on “Walker”, the reboot of “Walker: Texas Ranger”. The show aired on The CW. He worked on “Love & Death” for HBO MAX, starring Elizabeth Olson. In his time of working on shows and films, Matthew was honored by the Governor of Texas office with the Honorary Admiral in the Texas Navy Award. Matthew was honored by the mayor of San Marcos, Texas with a proclamation declaring it “The Last Catch” day. The short film was shot in San Marcos. Matthew was also honored with his contributions to literature from the city
of Austin and former mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner sent him a letter congratulating him on his accomplishments in Texas film and literature. Matthew also host and produces “The Matthew Paris Show”. A sports podcast that is distributed through Google Podcast, Spotify, Listen Notes, Amazon Music, and Apple Podcast. The video version of the show is available on Always Press Record TV and is number 2 in podcast. When not writing Matthew runs marathons and enjoys coaching athletes.
NY Glam: Tell us a little about yourself—your background, how you grew up,
and what first sparked your passion for storytelling.
MP: I grew up in Houston, Texas. I grew up a sports kid. However, I was a huge movie buff and went to the cinema on a regular basis. I got really good at critiquing movies. I had friends come up to me and ask what is good out that weekend? Through the power of films, I learned about storytelling and how to write compelling dialog. English was my favorite subject. The first time I was told I was really good at writing was my sophomore year English teacher. She said, I think this is a talent and that I needed to explore it. I really got serious with writing in college. I graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Arts. After I graduated, I started to write stories and scripts. I have to give a shout out to Dr. Sean Grass in the English department at Texas Tech. He really sparked my passion for storytelling.
NY Glam: What current projects are you working on, and what inspired them?
MP: I just finished writing, producing, and directing a short film called, “The Things We hold Sacred.” I was inspired by the silent film era of the 1920s. I thought I wonder what it would be like to tell a story with no dialog? Would the audience be interested in that? I’ve gotten some good reviews on it and we are still looking for major distribution for it. I also just won a Bronze Remi award from Worldfest-Houston for a short film I wrote, produced, and directed called, “A Time of Reflections.” A story about taking a break from busy life and reflecting on what matters. The film has good reviews from critics and we are shopping that around to buyers.
NY Glam: In your opinion, what makes a film truly great? Are there specific
elements you look for or strive to achieve?
MP: First thing is you have to get a solid story on paper with good characters that the audience can relate too. I always love story first. However, shooting a film is a team effort. One of my favorite movies of all time is “The Godfather.” I just think that movie is close to perfection. Everything from the acting, writing, cinematography, producing, and directing. It’s great. However, I would say what kind of story are you telling? Use the elements and the tools to make a truly great film that you hope people will understand. As a filmmaker, you always try to achieve greatness.
NY Glam: As a screenwriter, what do you believe is the most crucial aspect of
building a compelling character?
MP: The most crucial aspect for building a character I think would be you have to know where the character is coming from and where they are going. What is the goal for the character? Why do they need to achieve their goal? How did they come up with the goal? What type of situation they are faced with in the story? These are the type of questions a screenwriter needs to ask themselves. What happens if you are writing an ensemble piece? You have many different characters that you need to flesh out. The screenwriter needs to be smart with their story and characters. A times you don’t want to write your character in a corner and not know where they are going.
NY Glam: What are your top 3 favorite projects you've worked on, and what
made them memorable for you?
MP: The first project I wrote. A short film called, “Crisis” was great because it was the first thing I wrote that got produced. The first one is always the exciting one. You see it come to fruition. Actors coming in to audition for characters you wrote, crew is being hired to bring your story to life. It’s a great feeling. The second one is another short film that I wrote and produced called, “The Last Catch”. That was fun and it was also my first time directing. The actors were great and the film won many accolades. It was bought for distribution and played in the United States, Middle East, and Africa. My 3rd project was when I was working on the HBO MAX mini-series “Love and Death” starring Elizabeth Olsen. Everything about it was fun from the crew to the cast. It was a great experience.
NY Glam: Do you have any other creative outlets beyond screenwriting and
producing?
MP: I write articles. I’m the highest read author on “The Sports Column”. An online sports blog. I’m also an athletic director for Memorial Lutheran School in Houston, Texas. I coach and train young athletes to be at their best and skill level.
NY Glam: What advice would you give to someone aspiring to pursue a career in
filmmaking today?
MP: I think it’s easier to make a film now than it was decades ago. For an independent filmmaker in the 70s and 80s, you had to find a way to raise money for a budget. That way you can hire a crew and actors. Now, You, could basically film a movie on your Apple iPhone. It’s that easy. I shot two short films on my phone, “A Time of Reflections” and “The Things We Hold Sacred.” Both got out there and critics reviewed it. I also highly recommend if a film student wants to be a feature or television filmmaker, a good route would be in to making commercials. It’s like film school, but you get paid well for it. The biggest thing is if you want to be creative be creative. You don’t have to ask for permission.
NY Glam: What can audiences expect from you this year—any exciting
developments or upcoming releases?
MP: This year I plan to develop a feature. I’ve written a few feature scripts before, but they never saw the light of day. I like to do a feature. I also been working in producing sports shows and live events. Those are fun and everyone does their job really well. However, the feature is what I’m focus on. I also have a small part in a independent production shot in Austin, called “After All”. It’s supposed to be released in Theaters this fall.
NY Glam: How do you balance the creative side of your work with the demands
of production and business?
MP: The producer has more to offer than just raising money for the project. For a screenwriter, it’s hard at times because of re-writes. Your original vision may see only 5% of the actual shoot or what’s in the movie. The point is everyone needs to be working as a team to get the film made. However, everyone has an opinion about where the film and story should go. It’s difficult at times and it could be exhausting. The main focus is to focus on the goals of both the business and creative side.
NY Glam: How has your approach to storytelling evolved over time?
MP: I think my storytelling has evolved through observations of other people and by listening. You never know where you might fine, a good story or something you can think up and add on to. Inspiration can come from any place. However, you have to think about it and look for it. The last few short films I wrote had a deep meaning to them so I think I’m focus on stories like that at the moment.
NY Glam: What stories are you most passionate about telling—and why?
MP: I tend to focus on stories with a deeper meaning compared to focusing on stories that are far-fetched. I like telling stories that are very much reality based and not too many effects driven pieces.
NY Glam: Where can people follow your work and learn more about your
upcoming projects (social media, website, etc.)?
MP: You can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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