Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Wolfe.
Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, I’m Michael Wolfe founder of Wolfeden Media, hailing from North County San Diego!!! I started this journey of creativity 17 years ago when I was 13 and picked up my first guitar. Fast forward a couple years, and I was embedded in a up and coming local metal band (To Each His Own), where I got the opportunity to step onto my first music video set. I had always been interested with the idea of storytelling through visual mediums, but this was the first time I was actually hands-on watching these two passions of music and videography collide, and it really lit a fire within me to start dreaming with a cinematographic mind. But surprisingly, the band started gaining traction, and it would be almost ten years before I actually possessed my own camera. During the next 5 or so years, the band toured the country a few times but ultimately started to fade. I’m kicking myself for not being able to afford a camera during those times and not being able to document the travels, but after we disbanded, my mind and passion needed a new outlet, and I began diving back into the idea of creating visually. Luckily for me, one of my best friends and collaborators, Caden Avilla, had signed up for Video production classes at Palomar College and graciously let me study his schoolwork and material. Through this period, we brainstormed writing scripts, analyzed cinematography, and even tried to recreate scenes from films such as Pulp fiction and No Country for Old men using his family’s camera and any practical lights we could find around my house. To complete the class he had to produce 3 short films utilizing the schools’ camera and grip gear, and he brought me on to help produce and act in these films, which really granted me a wealth of experience operating on these smaller sets. After finishing these projects, we created a band and had hopes of continuing the visual arts in the social media age but had a downfall when we lost access to the camera. Fast forward one more time to the year of 2021 after the pandemic, when the US gov helped me finally accomplish my camera-owning dream through the form of a couple immensely appreciated stimulus payments. After all these years of not having a camera to mess with on a day-to-day basis, I had a major backlog of theoretical and creative ideas that I instantly dove into executing and started to develop my visual style. March 2022, I started taking on my first clients and have been learning and producing content in the music video, lifestyle, and event niche ever since!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been many struggles to get me up to this point. But I’ve always held onto the idea that It’s not the obstacle that defines you; it’s the way you conquer the obstacle that does. Some of the main challenges from the beginning was just being able to obtain a camera to start practicing and figuring out what route/niche to go down to try and build this into a career. It took quite a long time, but I always stuck with the idea of, no matter what, one day getting a camera and really getting laser-focused to build my skills. The niche aspect was a bit harder to traverse; it seems obvious now but took me a while to really commit to focusing on music artists-based visuals.
We’ve been impressed with Wolfeden Media, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Wolfeden Media, I specialize in video production and photography services, mainly focusing on music videos, lifestyle, and events, but also aiming to help anyone who needs a vision brought to life. What sets WDM apart from other production companies I’d say is my personal visual style which utilizes cinematic techniques stemming from narrative film sets, as well as my background in music, which helps immensely when speaking to artists about their vision and understanding where they are coming from. I’d say I’m most proud of producing content that hits the mark perfectly for my clients and seeing the progression of my skillset advance in this short amount of time in business. I’d love for the readers to know that Wolfeden Media is dedicated to helping develop a custom video production plan to bring their vision to life; no matter what the concept is, I always plan to work together to deliver dynamic, highly engaging video content, all parties can be proud of.
What makes you happy?
The pure act of creativity makes me happy. Whether it’s in musical, visual, or written form, the act of creating and embedding a piece of myself within it is always a surefire way to get my dopamine flowing.
Contact Info:
- Website: wolfeden.media
- Instagram: instagram.com/wolfeden.media
- Youtube: youtube.com/@wolfedenmedia
Image Credits
Wolfeden Media
