Last month, The Sunset Project was honored to announce Will Meinzinger of Alpena, Michigan as one of six Sawyer J. Boyd Creatives Grant Recipients for 2024!
After the awards ceremony, we sat down with Will to discuss his unique story, why he applied, and what he hopes to utilize his funding for!
Can you introduce yourself quickly to those who may not know you already?
My name is William Meinzinger. I work on music production, videography, and photography projects. I live in Alpena, Michigan.
How would you describe your creative pursuit to someone unfamiliar with it?
For music, I can’t actually play an instrument too well. What I do is the composing side of music. I work in a professional digital audio workstation and use parts of music theory to build quality tracks. All of the melodies, drum loops are all created and written to convey various emotions to the listener. My personal favorite is the electronica genre, which consists of calmer orchestra-style instruments with hints of electronic flair to it.
For videography, I record and edit videos. From cinematic short films to comedies to commercials, there is so much that you can do with videography. The recording process consists of finding unique angles to shoot from and getting the perfect lighting. The second half is to combine shots in editing softwares to make a fantastic production.
Photography is something that is very underrated. It is similar to videography with lighting and angles, but with still frames, you can still tell a story in each capture.
What or who inspired you to pursue a career in this space?
I delved into videography and photography during my freshman year of high school. I took a digital media class to try something different, and it was one of the best choices of my life. I fell in love making content and just being creative with it.
Another inspiration of mine is my good friend, Nick Lusardi. Nick loves trying new approaches to filming and music production. He has me on board with many of his projects and he always has an inspiring mindset when it comes to creative endeavors.
Can you share a memorable experience or milestone from your creative journey?
I was in a business club in high school and one of the competitions was to make a video about a historical site in our area. I chose to do Rockport. I stayed up for hours editing to get it right. I proceeded and competed in BPA states. My presentation and video were top 3 in the entire state of Michigan. After this, I knew I had to take on more projects.
How have challenges or setbacks shaped your approach and vision?
Writer's block can be more than just writing. Some days I struggle to come up with unique ideas for my projects. For music production, I end up shuffling playlists with songs I’ve never heard to try to find inspiration. One approach I tend to take is let the environment shape the way you create things. I create not just unique sounds, but the mood of my environment around me.
How do you envision your creative passion evolving over the next year?
I expect myself to work on longer and high quality passion projects. A lot of my videography and photography projects were originally for clubs and school assignments. Now after graduating high school this last June, I am exploding with ideas to create high quality projects.
How do you plan to utilize your grant funding to further your creative journey?
I plan on getting a professional camera to boost the quality of my videos and photos. Cameras offer different settings than a phone does for photos. Shutter speed can be adjusted freely with high quality cameras. I can also use it to make music videos as well. I have rented a camera from Alpena Community College for my photography class and it really makes a difference.
What advice or message would you share with someone looking to pursue their own creative dreams?
Take care of your motivation. Always take new approaches to keep things fresh. Doing the same stuff over and over again will burn yourself out. Having deadlines will make yourself push towards your goals. Most importantly though, never give up.
Are there any social media profiles, websites, or other resources where our readers can follow your journey and/or support your work?
My main social media platforms are Instagram and Youtube. My YouTube has more professional work and my Instagram is more personal, but still has my creative stuff on it.
Youtube: @wzinger
Instagram: @williammeinzinger
Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience,
dreams, or the impact of The Sunset Project on your creative pursuits?
I am so grateful for The Sunset Project. Getting awarded the Sawyer J. Boyd Creatives grant has boosted my motivation tremendously. Having a non-profit organization that focuses on creativity and mental health is phenomenal to have in North-East Michigan. I can’t wait to see what I can create within these upcoming years.
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