We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth McIrvin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Elizabeth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

The first dollar I ever earned as a creative was ironically, the first time I was ever cut from a music video. I drove to a shady warehouse downtown and spent six hours, along with thirteen or so other extras, eating crafty and waiting to be called for our turn to be on camera lip singing the words to an upcoming R&B songstresses new single. There were group shots taken, which I actually was impressed that they were able to smoothly cut me out of, kudos to the editor. You might be wondering why? Well, so do I, because they don’t exactly tell you these things after the fact. I guessed that it was this, I had terrible acne at the time, my face was ghastly and red, not suitable for my first music video kind of skin so of course I wore makeup. The makeup artist came up to me halfway through the shoot and asked if we could take off my makeup. Maybe I should have been ballsy and said sure, why not, let me just have an oozing and red face on camera for all time. I just wasn’t comfortable enough with myself and told them I felt too self conscious without the cover up. But then right after, we did the group shots. I mean, I guess nice of them to let me participate till the end? But would have prefered to have been told that’s not what they were looking for. The music video was not so ironically, about accepting your flaws, that day, I just wasn’t ready to do that. Anyway, two weeks later I got mailed a check for a hundred bucks and damn, did it feel good to be paid for my work. Even though I wasn’t in it, it was an all day thing, I sweated my butt off and didn’t even get the glory of being an obnoxious brag about being in a music video. Maybe the universe was taking me down a notch? Like, hey Liz, we know you want everything right away and easy but it doesn’t work like that. I am definitely grateful for the experience and am now directing music videos for other artists and myself. It feels good to be on the other side of it and thank god there’s no music video proof of my cystic acne nightmare!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Elizabeth McIrvin (AKA p$ssybossqueen) a director, editor and musician living in Los Angeles. I’m a part of an electronic music duo with music producer and renowned bassist, Atune. I’ve directed short films, sketches and vlogs for years but I’ve always had an affinity towards music videos. When I was a teenager MTV, VH1 and even FUSE, still played music videos on a daily basis. I was hypnotized by these short and sweet little movies that came from the musical artists I loved so much. It was an opportunity to see a different side of their creativity and what the songs meant to them. This past year, I started making music with Atune and we recorded enough tracks for my first album “try me”. While we we’re working on the tracks and after the release of the songs we shot multiple music videos for each song. I have worked for other artists and directed/edited several music videos but working with a song from start to finish, from conception to recording to presenting the music in video form is so beautiful and fulfilling to me creatively. My favorite music video I’ve directed so far, is for our song “haunted by my future memories”. We shot it at several metro stations around downtown LA. There’s always something very romantic and nostalgic to do black and white combined with the train tracks, a representation of the road ahead and all its possibilities. It perfectly represented the feeling I had from the song. We plan on continuing to work together and see where this musical journey takes us. As far as films, I have been editing my documentary “Youth Alternative” for the past year. It was shot in North Carolina, where I’m originally from. It’s very personal and I’m very excited to start submitting it to film festivals next year.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I do have a mission and a goal in my creative journey. In 2022, women comprised only 24% of directors, writers, producers, editors and cinematographers working on the top 250 grossing films. There have been over 95 Oscars ceremonies and only seven women have been nominated, and just three have won, the first in 2009. Even though the likelihood of a nobody from North Carolina, with absolutely no industry connections winning an Oscar for directing is pretty darn slim, ultimately I do want to inspire young women to direct. I have to lead by example and make it look easy even when it’s unbelievably difficult. Film is a sacred art form to me, a way to express complex ideas, empathize with people living different circumstances or just to delight and entertain. Everyone deserves access to this art form and my hope is that as long as we’re all paving the way, maybe It won’t be such a hurdle in the future.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’ve been filming videos and editing since I was 14 years old but when YouTube came out, it wasn’t what it is today. There weren’t a lot of “instructional” videos. It was random shots of people’s lives, everyone was still figuring it out. The content hadn’t become streamlined, polished and perfectly delivered to your algorithm. It would have taken me so much less time to learn all that I know now if I had access to what is available online to people who want to make their own films and music videos. I use it for everything; to study different types of cameras and how to use them, how to improve your scripts, master classes on cinematography, it’s endless!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethmcirvin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethmcirvin

Image Credits
Greg Wallace