Mom, son launch movie rental biz
Pair from Wakefi eld startd business as an alternative to drive-in movies
BRONX TIMES R 6 EPORTER, SEPT. 11-17, 2020 BTR
Return to
SCHOOL
2020
Our Back to
School Pledge
Health and safety always come first.
Students will be learning 5 days a week,
no matter what.
Learn more:
schools.nyc.gov/returntoschool2020
BY JASON COHEN
Wakefi eld resident Kasey
Woods did not let COVID-19
stop her from being successful.
During the pandemic, the
entrepreneur launched three
businesses, including one with
her son Treylin Lewis.
Woods, 38, has operated
Mecca Made Media a public
relations fi rm in Manhattan
for 10 years. In the spring, her
daughter London, 11, wanted
to go to a drive-in movie for
her birthday and Woods recalled
looking at her like she
was crazy.
“We live in the Bronx, we’re
not going to a drive-in movie,”
she said.
But this sparked an idea.
Not knowing much about
this fi eld, Woods wondered
if she could bring movies to
people’s homes.
She spoke about this with
Lewis, who is tech savvy and
the duo began researching how
much it would cost to buy a
projector screen. She used her
stimulus check and purchased
a 16-foot infl atable movie
screen, a 4k HD Bluetooth projector,
two Bluetooth speakers,
an onsite set-up technician and
three halogen work lights.
From this, they launched
Movie Mayhem and provide
movie and gaming nights at
people’s homes.
“We’re kind of introducing
the concept of backyard
movie screening to people,”
Woods said.
Next, she used her experience
in public relations to market
Movie Mayhem on Facebook
and word quickly spread
throughout the tri-state area.
Some people played movies
they own and others downloaded
or streamed them.
However, Woods noted that if
people are attempting to play
movies via the Internet, the
Wi-Fi often does not reach
the backyard.
They did the fi rst few shows
for free to get the glitches out of
the way and since then, it has
been smooth sailing.
“It’s one of those things that
you see a need and start and
try to fi gure out how to make it
all make sense,” she said.
Having her son as the cofounder
of the company was important
to her, she said. Woods
said she has tried to teach her
kids to be ambitious and start
their own businesses. London
created a lipstick line and now
Lewis has this.
At just 18, Lewis, a freshman
at Howard University, is
learning about fi nancial literacy,
booking, marketing
and accounting.
“It’s exciting for me and my
mom to have our business,”
Lewis said.
Lewis told the Bronx Times
he enjoys working with his mom
and people are often surprised
that someone so young founded
the company.
Since launching Movie Mayhem
in June, there has been
positive feedback and they
are booked every weekend
in September.
“Everyone loves it,” Woods
said. “People love supporting a
woman or mother, especially a
woman of color. We try to make
it an experience, so they literally
just have to come and show
up and we do everything else
for them.”
She noted there are two other
companies that provide a similar
service, but unlike them, Woods
does not charge a travel fee.
Looking forward, Woods said
that even if movie theaters begin
to open at a certain capacity,
there will still be a demand for
Movie Mayhem.
Additionally, since fall and
winter are around the corner,
Woods is now looking into
YMCA locations, churches and
other venues that could host
events where people could socially
distance and enjoy movies
or gaming inside.
“People need to know they
can do it,” she said. “Anybody
can come up with an idea and execute
if they really want to.”
Kasey Woods and her son Treylin Lewis who started Movie Mayhem stand
in front of the 16-foot projector. Photo by Jason Cohen
/returntoschool2020