We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Hill. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.

Michael, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I initially started filmmaking as a means of pacifying my inner child and expressing myself in a way in which words could not fully suffice. In doing so, i was able to introduce a creative avenue that wasn’t fully accessible to those around me. My hope and prayer is that my unwavering faith and passion towards legitimizing and fully realizing my dream of curating a film industry in my town only reassures the creative underdogs of all backgrounds that it is undoubtedly possible to turn your aspirations into a reality. I want to leave behind a generation of passionate creatives who understand that the intent of the content created is not to solely “make money” or “follow a trend” but to rather invest in those before, after and with us. As creatives we inspire, we encourage and we enact change.

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 back background and context?

Filmmaking was a lateral progression from journaling. Being excessively compassionate as a child was met with some indifference in the form of rejection or bullying. Not being the most talkative kid resulted in my internalizing my feelings and thoughts which in turn would be repurposed into writing. Progressively, as my feelings became more and more complicated the means in which I needed translate that naturally had to evolve as well. What was once poetry turned into music and once more into film. With film I was able to utilize every aspect of my creativity such as cinematography, music production and writing to tell the stories that I wanted to tell. What sets my film company apart from others is that we understand the importance of branding and community involvement. We treat every production that we create much like its own phenomenon and brand it in a way that resonates with passive viewers in the hope that they convert to fans. We ensure that the cast-mates interact with the fans via digital Q&A’s and through self produced interviews and fun video challenges. All in all, we bring forth the promotional chops of Hollywood grade productions to the indie community. Overall, I am extremely proud of the genuine community we have started to build around our brand and how public our progression has been.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I initially wanted to be a solo singer / artist until God put it on my heart that although going that route seemed appealing and subjectively easy, opening up my talents to others and providing a platform for others was much more fulfilling. I can confidently say that God wasn’t wrong.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

One tip is TALK! Talking is such a simple answer but as I grow I start to realize the most complex issues really do require some of the simplest answers. Communication and transparency is key. If you communicate honestly what your intentions are, what you feel like does and does not work and so forth, you will in turn not only be able to weed out those who are unfit for the job but also create an environment conducive of honesty and respect. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

The second tip is be considerate. Showing that you care about people’s schedules and expressing your willingness to take those things into account when organizing films, events and meetings shows those working with you that you are with them. This tip alone makes your team more willing to work with you because they know that you will never do anything at the expense of their personal lives.

Last tip is walk the walk. It’s not a “me” thing it’s a “we” thing. The analogy of a fat coach pestering an athlete for not being “fast enough” for him to win a championship perfectly encapsulates why this tip is so important. Assign the work while doing the work. Leading by example shows your team that you are one of them and that rather than sitting above the work and bossing around, you are investing your time and efforts in the project as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.michillentertainment.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michill.ent/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mgkmovies
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/michillent
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeV3SMuC6QMbgfALo1z-WWQ

Image Credits
Nathan Butler