We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Dunker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.
Hi Michael, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
Failure. I have failed so much for so long that I’ve exhausted the idea I’m not good enough. I am what I am. I create what’s best on the day. As long as I progress, I improve and I take confidence in that.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
For the last 16 years, I’ve shot photos on commercials, music videos, and films. Through it all, I PA’d to make ends meet. I’ve shot Captain America, the greatest Quarterback in NFL history, one of Charlie’s Angels, and the little girl from E.T.. I’ve had lunch with The Most Interesting Man in the World, driven a truck to the gates of Area 51, and worked with Redford. Hollywood has been fun, but my goal was always to sell a script.
I’ve written dozens of projects including biopics about Mr. Miyagi and Amelia Earhart. I wrote & directed several award winning shorts. I was a quarterfinalist at Nichols. I’ve been in 100+ film festivals & screenplay competitions and nothing has sold, yet I persist. In the fall, my team & I are prepping my first feature, Love & Detroit, for me to direct, which It’s about finding love on the last day of your life.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Perseverance, humility, & humor. You’re going to fail. You gotta balance your ego. And you gotta laugh about it.
If you don’t have to do it, don’t. The journey is long and the battle is fierce, especially if you don’t know anyone. There’s no days off. You’ll work for free a lot. No one is going to care about your project more than you. The friends you make today are the friends that help you tomorrow and your only salvation is getting to make something you’re proud of.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Fundraising an independent feature. It’s brutal, so if anyone has 500k I can borrow and they don’t want it back right away, let me know. We’ll have a director’s chair waiting for you.
We’re applying for grants and incentives. We are looking for brand sponsorships. We have boots on the ground, but unless you have private investors, the struggle is real on your first feature. Our film is a love letter to Detroit, so we’re pushing this project into that arena and there’s some interest, but you gotta hustle. Had the Lion’s won the Superbowl, this project would be funded by now and yet I persist.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.photographybymichaeljohn.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/michaeljohndunker
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dunker-762495200/
