Putting Good People Together: Matt Chassin
Growing up with relatives who worked in the entertainment industry, one would think that manager, producer, and marketing extraordinaire Matt Chassin always had a knack for the film industry. However, he originally turned the total opposite direction and spent decades in the corporate world, only returning to the industry when a friend asked for Matt’s help in marketing his film.
After spending years far away from Hollywood, why did Matt take on this very different job?
“Because he was my friend,” Matt stated. “I was doing marketing consulting, and a friend asked for help marketing his film.” That reason was a no-brainer for him. “That movie won awards and got distribution. His friend and producer called and asked for help with a bigger film and I somewhat reluctantly said ‘yes’. When that film’s premiere was a big hit, that producer paid it forward by introducing me to a plethora of Hollywood connections, and my career as a publicist was born.”
Not long after that, a publicity client told Matt that he was far more than a normal publicist and hired him as his manager. Matt took that job very seriously and as more clients came knocking on the door, Matt instituted a policy of picking only the best of the best to represent. “I love that I get to pick and choose who my clients are because they really are some of the best people you could ever meet.”
Matt says his greatest compliment as a talent manager came when a casting director told him, “Your people are not only the kind of actors I’d cast in my projects, but they are also the kind of people I would invite into my home for dinner.”
Today, Matt’s client list includes not only actors, but writers, producers, directors and more. “Acting and filmmaking are competitive, some people feel the need to put other people down, in order to feel more successful, but my attitude is if we all rise up together, we can make really good things happen. We can even change the way Hollywood does business.”
Matt not only focuses on his own clients, but he often does seminars and classes to help actors and others define their brands, as a way to give back. In 2019, he hosted a class at HC&F’s studio, on branding in order to help actors define their own brands, resulting in stunning results for the participants.
“Many actors aren’t sure what their brand is. Building brand awareness helps actors and their handlers to help discover which roles are best for them.”
Several years ago, Matt’s client Bill Oberst Jr. was given a rude awakening by a casting director who told him that Bill had the most disturbing eyes they had ever seen, and that Bill was the soccer dad who would go home and kill his family! According to Matt, lot of actors would’ve gone home with their tails between their legs, but Bill started playing serial killers, pedophiles, and cannibals. He started working with Matt, and they expanded that brand. Today the man that Matt calls “the nicest guy in Hollywood and one of my best friends in the world” has over 200 film and television credits, as well as an Emmy award.
That success has only boosted Matt’s optimism. He’s still excited about teaching actors, writers, and filmmakers on how they can maximize their skills and potential, especially within the HC&F community. He continues to produce, recently producing a horror comedy (The Central Authority) that’s awaiting a release date. 80% of the crew were clients.
“If you have committed people, you’re going to make a good project. I’ve done publicity for 29 features and 28 of them have gotten distribution because the filmmakers helped every step of the way. Every year’s better than the last. We’re all still working and I’m very proud of everyone.”
If you want to connect with Matt and see more of his work, check out the links below:
