Meet Moriah Burchfield | Commercial Set Dresser

We had the good fortune of connecting with Moriah Burchfield and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Moriah, how do you think about risk?
I believe risk is absolutely essential for any growth in your life. I look at risk the same way I try to look at fear. Is this something worth walking through the hardness of, for the unseen side of glory beyond the discomfort? If the answer is yes, then I try to try.

Risk is not easy. It can be painful and cause heart palpitations… but I’ve always craved a grand adventure since I was a little girl. I wouldn’t be in Dallas right now had I not leaned into the fear and responded to a text from my friend asking me to come try it out in Texas as a production assistant and work on commercials. I wouldn’t have the incredible friends and work family that I now have. I wouldn’t have the career opportunities that I now have. I wouldn’t have the learning opportunities that I now have, had I not taken that step of faith and said yes.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a set dresser and I work on advertising commercials that shoot in Dallas, Texas. For me, it’s been a long road to work in the industry I’ve always dreamt of. I graduated from a small film school at Western Carolina University in 2016. I left film school feeling disenchanted and lost. I held a myriad of jobs unrelated to my field until I moved to Dallas in 2021. I’ve worked as a cleaner, server, barista, substitute teacher, receptionist, repair technician…. the list continues.

During that time, I always knew there was more that was meant for me. I never felt a fire in my bones when it came to my work. I would get glimpses of it…. anytime that I had to be creative or troubleshoot or even learn a new skill, I could feel it but it was never encapsulated in any of the jobs that I had.

When I moved to Dallas to try the film industry for the first time professionally, I was incredibly homesick and completely out of my element. I only knew one person in Dallas (that was my roommate Ariel) and the film industry is pretty intimidating when you’re coming in fresh. I didn’t know any of the lingo and I was stepping into a pretty established work family as an outsider. But I knew I had to give myself the time to really give it a try. As many days as I cried from homesickness or frustration from not knowing how to do something, I was developing a strength and resilience I never knew I could have. Eventually, the friendships developed, I became more confident in my work, and then opportunities began to present themselves and I grew in my skills and knowledge.

I would say that the pursuit of purpose is worth the heartache that comes with it. Even if you end up in a place you never expected to be, what you gain from chasing passion with excellence, far outweighs the plight of pain on the way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to Trompo. The. Most. Amazing. Quesadillas. You’ve. Ever. Had. In. Your. Life.

Then we’d hit up the Dallas aquarium to see the sloths and the penguins!

It’s not a trip to Dallas unless you go to the Winspear Opera House and see the retracting chandelier before a performance.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout has to go to my friend and roommate Ariel Ortiz. I met her in 2017 at a film school intensive in LA. We kept in contact over the years and she persistently asked me to come to Dallas to try working in the film industry. Eventually, I said yes and she’s been instrumental in my success.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moriah.burchfield.399

Image Credits
Rene Cole Brig Johnson Emily Miles Ariel Ortiz Morgan White Mayra Cruz Maxine Haynes