We recently connected with Sean Wenning and have shared our conversation below.

Sean, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I think that I had a gut instinct about visuals and story, which got me a few successes in the beginning, but now that I am trying to take a step up I am having to learn more technical skills which has been difficult. I think that the best way to move forward is to have a REALISTIC goal for yourself given your available resources and make steps to reach that goal.

At my core I’m a writer that’s what I prefer to do, but I have had to make strides in the directing side of things recently which has been…humbling. But once you are able to see where you are lacking you’re able to move forward and make strides to move past those obstacles.

The best advice I can give on that end is to over-prepare. Always come to set armed with the boards, shortlists, treatments, or ideas in your mind. Things will always go wrong, but if you know your plan then you will be able to effectively re-route when obstacles arise.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I am a director for film and video. I have done everything from short form documentary, music videos, digital training content, marketing and commercial video, and narrative short form content. I help other brands and individuals tell the story that they have set out to tell. The way I got into this line of work is I had a story I wanted to tell, and while writing it I was drawn to write it for a visual medium. I’d always loved movies and television as a youngin’ but had never seen it as a viable way to make a living. Not sure what clicked, but I guess I just couldn’t not do it.

I got my first job out of college directing, photographing, and editing digital content for a corporate company. I’ve been able to learn a lot of technical skills through the people I have worked with there, and it’s always good to be the least experienced in a room so that you are constantly learning.

I just really love film and the visual arts as a whole and there’s something about being able to express yourself with an image that really resonates with me. The way each person would go about taking a picture of a door being opened are all so different, and I think it’s awesome to see how others do things differently than you. Your decision on how to photograph the door can tell us a lot about who you are as the photographer and your style or feeling on what may be behind that door.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have stories I want to tell because I am a writer before anything else. Everything I do is to move closer to being able to make those little stories in my head pop on the screen. I would also like to not be one of the “starving artist” stereotypes. I want to make things I love, and I want to have at least a little bit of work/life balance.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think that those that are not creative will never understand the leap you have to take at one point or another. Eventually you will have to take big risks in pursuit of the life you want, and I think those who are not creative may never understand that.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanwenning_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.wenning.1
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-wenning-69a2b7170
• Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user117110532

Image Credits
Bailey Gower