New York woman, son start movie rental company amid pandemic

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The shutdown of movie theaters amid the COVID-19 pandemic led to Kasey Woods and her son starting an outdoor movie rental business.

Woods and her 18-year-old son, Treylin, started Movie Mayhem, a business that equips patrons with the equipment needed to create an intimate, yet socially distanced film-watching experience. It’s a to-go drive-in theater.

The aftershock of this pandemic has made finding and maintaining employment difficult for many people. Today’s unemployment rates mirror the rate of unemployment during the Great Depression in the early 1930’s, PIX 11 reports. 

Read More: Interest in Black-owned businesses increased 7,000 percent, study shows

This mother of three is not new to using what she has to sustain herself and her family. Ten years before COVID-19, she was launching her own public relations company, Mecca Made Media.

“I’m a serial entrepreneur. I totally believe in monetizing any and every idea I have,” Woods told WPIX-TV (PIX 11).

Movie Mayhem is only one of the three companies Woods started out of her home. Woods’ ability to continuously innovate has emboldened her son to think outside the box. The time of isolation became a moment for their creativity to thrive.

This family of Bronx residents turned the inability to experience some of the pre-pandemic joys into a promising business venture. Treylin wanted to go to a drive-in theater because, under social distancing guidelines, the typical movie-going experience was not an option.

The Woods family accessed this concern and realized they could cater a personalized drive-in movie experience for people at their homes or in other secluded outdoor spaces. 

“We said, you know maybe that’s something we can do in our own backyard and that’s when I started thinking about the movie screening company,” Woods said.

Read More: Coronavirus pandemic has eliminated almost half of Black small businesses

The Woods family ability to effectively fill a need has allowed for their business to garner much success, PIX 11 reports.

Movie Mayhem is available throughout the tri-state area. The flat fee of $500 includes movie rental, set-up and removal. Their equipment includes a 16 foot inflatable screen, sound speakers and lighting. 

“It’s not about who does it first, it’s who does it best,” Woods said.

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