Tony Mucci is an emerging writer and director from New York City. Accumulating over 2 billion views across all his work, he’s directed music videos for artists like Justin Bieber, Juice WRLD and Drake.
Tony joins us on Close-Up Culture to talk about his directorial debut, MONEY TALK$, which will premiere at Tribeca Film Festival on June 14th.
MONEY TALK$ follows the journey of a $100 bill through a web of strangers. What inspired you to use money as the central character in this story?
I think a story centered around the concept of MONEY is automatically interesting because it’s incredibly relatable and personal. As humans in modern society we need it to survive, it’s just numbers and paper but it basically acts like fuel in the gas tank of daily life. It’s defined how we trade and support each other. That’s why we have careers and “work for a living” and etc. They say money is the root of all evil and it certainly can make people do almost anything. I believe nothing reveals one’s true character quite like money!
Since I can remember, I’ve always been searching for a good movie idea. As a kid, I started off making lego stop motions and would write scenes and make epic battles between my mini-figures.
For Money Talks, The genesis of the idea comes from my beloved Italian grandmother. Every year since I turned about 8 she would give me $100 in a birthday card for my Birthday. I’ll never forget when it started, because $100 was a lot of money then. I took my friends to the toy store thinking we’d buy everything, but the money disappeared fast. I remember realizing how quickly value changes depending on how it’s spent.
But it wasn’t till my 17th birthday when once again I got $100 in a birthday card from Nanny — we had a conversation, wondering where this bill had been before it ended up here, the lives it touched, the places it’s been, started to spark a story in my head. Then my Nanny said “you know, 90% of money has cocaine residue on it” we laughed at the truth of the little fact and I was instantly hooked. The idea that money doesn’t only carry value but memory. Right there I knew Money Talks was going to be my first short film.
The film explores themes of complicity and connection through currency — what do you hope viewers take away about human nature and society?
I hope the viewers just enjoy the story and feel some kind of personal reflection about the money in their wallet. I believe how you view money, how you choose to spend it is entirely personal and unique to you. But I believe how you earn your living weighs a price on your soul. What you do with your money says a lot about you and about how you choose to contribute to human society.
The film is a 1981 period piece in the great American city of New York. It showcases Capitalism at its extreme, Reagan was just elected, it’s the height of the Cold War, and every vice was normalized for price. MONEY TALK$ is about the interconnectedness of strangers— a boy depends on a pimp and a mom depends on a prostitute, all through the common dollar. It’s an attempt to appreciate the contrasting role of money in all our lives, some buy toys, some buy sex, some want the status it rewards, most need it for survival and few just like what they do for work.
I love the concept of a flawed system, especially one that everyone takes a part in. I hope they question what are the flaws and possible sins of this Money system. We all know Money is how we “level up”, protect ourselves, get better healthcare, higher status, better living, but without it life becomes torment. I hope they learn about themselves and how they view money and what truly is the value of it?
You’ve directed massive music videos and worked on video games — how did those experiences shape your approach to directing MONEY TALK$?
My love for and work in video games definitely influenced my style when directing music videos. I love the aesthetic and graphics of video games. I like to cross bleed all my interests into anything I’m creating and I love gaming. I think video games have pushed the boundaries of technology and substantially improved the visual effects and animation world of the film industry. Working in motion capture and game development softwares like unreal engine have opened my eyes to what’s possible. A video game is like a pocket dimension or universe you can just hop into at leisure. I even believe that video games are the most extreme and potentially highest level of the storytelling experience. Video Games and Movies are similar but so different. For example, A really good movie — you may see it a few times and dedicate 9+ hours of your life to it, but a really good video game— you will play it all the time and dedicate 100+ hours to it. I love gaming fiction and hope to bring my favorite games stories to the big screen. I will always thread my love and knowledge of video games into whatever I’m creating.
Working in music videos definitely helped me a lot. It was the first time I ever got to expand, work with a crew and a budget and lead in the execution of a specific vision together. Music Videos gave me the fast paced Director, Producer and creative experiences I needed early on. It taught me so much about filmmaking and allowed me to experiment with wild ideas and visual effects. I think it’s a great way to get your boots wet as a director especially when you are young. You get to earn that Director Title and make it official.
I believe music is 50% of the movie experience. Once I realized that there are basically like little music video moments in every movie it helped me translate my knowledge and experiences into narrative storytelling. Music in film evokes emotion, helps us transition from one scene to another, It influences the edit more than anything. I believe A film is – or should be – more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what’s behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.
This is your directorial debut in film — what was the biggest creative challenge you faced moving into this medium?
I definitely believe in learning from just doing it and taking action. On MONEY TALK$ we faced many challenges but the biggest challenge was filming such an ambitious idea in only 6 consecutive days and under the restraints of a small budget. Time is money. That statement is especially true when filming a movie. My Cinematographer Cory Burmester and I have wonderful synergy and I have been preparing him for this project for years so we were able to work fast and get every shot on the list. Specifically, the most challenging moment was filming the parking lot scene, with the gun in the mouth. We only had one hour due to the sunlight dying. But we pulled it off.
You co-wrote the film with David Mazouz, who also stars in it. What was that collaboration like, and how did you divide the writing and creative process?
Well this was the first script i’ve ever written, back in my freshman year of high school and i was able to rewrite it a few times over the years. So this has been something simmering in my mind for about 10 years. But I never felt fully confident about MONEY TALK$ the screenplay until I started working with my best friend David Mazouz. David is an incredible actor with a lot of experience and I already wrote him into film as the character “Franklin” about 7 years ago soon after I met him. Overtime, I liked his voice and could tell he knew how to write a script that reads well but most importantly I trust him and respect his dedication to his craft. I think we compliment each other, I like people who point out things or perspectives I may not see. I am a more visual writer — I think about the edit, how the shots are going to cut together and how the camera moves within a scene, the lighting, the colors, etc.
This is why I love making storyboards, concept art, pre visuals and shot lists, but these things are very different to screenplay format. Because of all the preparation and my rough drafts, David and I were able to bang out the Shooting Draft for MONEY TALK$ in just 2 weeks and soon after we began filming. Stanley Kubrick once said it took him about a year to write a script alone and he never was sure about it. But only a few months when working with a writing partner and you were able to have an ongoing conversation about what ideas are best. With that said I am a big believer in never turning down an idea even if it seems horrible, because exploring can ignite to another idea.
How did you work with the actors to create such intense and authentic performances, especially given the diverse backgrounds of the cast?
MONEY TALK$ was my first time working with actors on a narrative project. Most of the cast have been my good friends for years and I am very grateful for that. It’s great when they trust the vision and you can start the conversation about who that character is going to be, early. The characters reveal themselves in your research, pre-production, and live in the script. This is where you get a good idea of what you want the actor or actress to do, say, look, and feel like as the characters. I think the casting is crucial and when I get that spark for the idea I immediately start casting the characters in my head and even write it with them in mind. You got to play off your cast’s individual strengths and appearances. I like to start the conversation with the actor or actress as soon as possible so we are not wasting any time on set and then my notes can be quick and subtle. It’s their job to show up on time, know the text and have an idea. I view it as a collaborative journey and partnership, the more time you spend refining the characters with your cast the better the final outcome.
When you film you do it pieces and only you as the director can see that when looking at the shots. It’s your job to create that image of that completed puzzle in your head and connect it all. I’m a big believer in shooting and writing for the edit. I think filmmaking is an editor’s medium, this will allow you to operate more efficiently and direct actors with a more clear vision in mind. You may not know exactly what you want but it’s important to know and trust what it is you don’t and adjust accordingly. On set you gotta move fast and be efficient but what’s most important is that you are happy with what you are getting.
New York itself almost feels like a character in the film — how did you approach capturing the city’s atmosphere and tension on screen?
Growing up on Long Island, I always dreamed of making it happen one day in the big city. New York has an inspiring energy to it, it has always felt larger than life to me, — it’s gritty, electric, unpredictable. There is a reason why all the best superheroes, villains and fictional characters live in New York. I wanted the city to feel like it was breathing alongside the characters, an epi-center of human existence and a prime example of capitalism based society. January 20th 1981 was historical and a different time for New York City, 42nd street and 8th avenue was movie theaters as far as the eye can see all playing porn. The idea of everyone living on top of each other from different backgrounds complements the film’s concept well. It was also the most violent year in the city’s history, life was different and I think its very important to look back. MONEY TALK$ is a love letter to New York films from that era, like Martin Scorsese’s MEAN STREETS, TAXI DRIVER and Francis Ford Coppola’s GODFATHER.
We shot in Manhattan, the Heights, Brooklyn and Queens all on location with real people in the background, minimal setups, recorded real audio from the streets and used natural light whenever possible to ground the story in authenticity and is why we printed on film. I enjoyed leaning into the noise, the movement, the chaos — that tension of early ’80s NYC where anything could happen at any moment. It’s the great American city of NEW YORK. The great melting pot, the big apple! It’s not just a backdrop; it’s part of the film’s heartbeat.
Looking ahead, do you see MONEY TALK$ expanding into a feature or series? And what stories are you eager to tell next?
Yes! I believe MONEY TALK$ works well as both a feature and a series. I have written outlines for both and a fleshed out scriptment for a MONEY TALK$ feature film. I’m feeling very confident about it. I got so many ideas I am currently exploring and want to in the future of my storytelling journey. David Mazouz and I are in the process of writing my first feature film, a true story and an idea inspired by my childhood. I also have three other short films in development, 2 in the can being edited and one In pre-production that I plan to film in September this year. I am aiming to complete all these short films by the end of this year so stay tuned!
For more info – Money Talks | 2025 Tribeca Festival | Tribeca
So fire so cool!
I saw this film at Tribeca last week – it was incredible! Tony Mucci is definitely a young talent to look out for. He will go far!