We recently connected with Michael Conroy and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
My latest project is Queen of Prey, a short film/proof of concept for a feature. The premise: while attending a sex party with his girlfriend, a shy young man meets a mysterious older woman. Drawn to her presence, he soon discovers that she may be far more than human.
This was the first project since I moved to Los Angeles where I kept true to myself creatively. One of the worst things you can do as an artist or entrepreneur (and let’s face it, a filmmaker is both) is fall into the trap of trend chasing, especially in an industry as capricious and unpredictable as the one I’m in. Make a film you’d want to see – it’s a guiding principle I’ve heard from many of my cinema heroes. And so, I set out to make a film that incorporated my favorite creative elements – a dark, disturbing storyline with occult elements and offbeat sex practices; luridly beautiful, vibrant images; colorful characters grounded by natural performances from actors; chilling, brutal scenes that cut to the bone. Whether this project is a success or failure, I can feel good about it.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I studied film at Boston University and came out to Los Angeles for an internship program – I ended up staying here where I freelance edit for employment while making short films. Currently, Queen of Prey is my best work – it’s played at a number of festivals all over the world and is going to be featured on a bunch of online showcases. As I said previously, the ultimate goal is to turn it into a feature, so my main focus right now is writing the screenplay, planning the visual elements, and getting funding. In the meantime, I’ve edited almost every type of project and am always looking for more paid gigs.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I think a lot of people trying to break into Hollywood spend too much time trying to connect with big shots – they’ll write a script and send it straight to Brad Pitt’s agent or whoever, and that never pans out. I’ve definitely had more success networking with people on my level in the trenches – there’s plenty of talented people ready to work on whatever you got cooking. At the same time, you have to develop a good sense for who’s serious about their work and who’s a pretender – there’s a lot of the latter in this town.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Filmmaking is nothing but resilience. It takes a toll on almost every level – financial, mental, physical even. To top it off, after all that effort, if your work isn’t up to scratch people are rarely sympathetic. I guess the fact I’m still doing it shows I have a bit of inner steel.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/queenofprey
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queen_of_prey/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-conroy-4559aa18/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIAWihdRESOdHOZJn5MjTzw
- Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/mjjconroy Editing Portfolio: https://michaelconroyeditor.squarespace.com
Image Credits
Film stills/Headshots – Micah Slay