Michael DeMattia was born in Washington, D. C. and grew up in Maryland. His father worked in production with touring artists in D.C. area venues.
He recalls when he was about ten years old and taking up his Dad’s offer to hang out on the job for the day. The touring act was Twisted Sister.
“I played on Twisted Sister’s drum kit!” That’s when Mike knew that he’d be following in his Dad’s footsteps.
He’s now the proud father of two boys, 3 and 7. “The kids mean the world to me. Making sure they’re taken care of and they’re happy is crucial to making all of this work.”
Michael is firmly entrenched in all things Frederick. “I love Frederick! I love the community and I love to be involved wherever I can.”
His involvement often comes through incredible creatives at MDfilms.
MDfilms Takes Client Satisfaction To A Whole New Level
There’s a lot of competition out there and that’s okay. Michael knows he delivers to a whole new level on creatives and production. What can you expect to get from MDfilms?
* The WOW Factor
* Outside The Box Creativity
* Unique Perspective
* Dedicated Detailed Service
* Availability
* Reliability
“I really want to make sure the people I work with feel like their project is the most important thing that I’m working on.
“They’re getting my full attention when I’m working with them. If I can give each client the attention to detail that they all deserve and I’m there when they need me, I can always answer the questions they have.”
Michael Took The Fast Track To Owning His Own Business
Mike hit the ground running as a business owner right out of high school — there was no time for trade school or college. “I wasn’t somebody who liked sitting in a classroom, looking at books and having someone instruct. I wanted to work outside the box.”
He was motivated and had his wish list prepared. “I wanted to make my own schedule. I wanted to make my own path in life with a career. That felt like the only way to do it.”
He started MAD Productions in 1998, servicing concerts, events and productions. MDfilms was added in 2004 to provide Post Production Services.
Just like the early days with his Dad, Mike is crossing paths with artists from the worlds of hip hop, electronic dance, rock ‘n roll and more. His passion is fueled by capturing and creating his clients’ visions.
The World of Performance Venue Creatives & Production
“It’s a mix between two areas — creative and production. It’s a really kind of crazy mix between both of those worlds.
“It could be work for a corporate client who needs animations or videos for a conference. It could be something for a brand and advertisement campaign.
“Sometimes, we work with touring artists that need visual content. We create visual graphics that play behind them during their shows.”
The Biggest Challenge Of Entrepreneurship
“The ability to stay driven, stay focused and stay creative. There’s a lot of things out there to distract. Everyone’s inundated with content and constantly trying to one-up everybody.”
And, then there’s fatherhood — “the balance of trying to be a Dad and then live this kind of different lifestyle than maybe a lot of parents at the PTA meetings I go to are experiencing.
“I’m the janitor and CEO. I’m there on the off-hours and the peak-hours.”
Advice Michael Would Give Himself If He Could Turn Back Time
“Slow down. Don’t always get caught up in the details. Try to enjoy every second of it because those moments that are really stressful that you think are the end of the world — you’re going to lose a client or you’re going to lose a job — sometimes, they’re the times when you learn the most.”
He goes on, “You end up gaining more from some of the negative experiences than you do some of the positive ones. Just try to relax and slow down. Realize that it’s probably all going to be okay in the end but it’s just how you handle the shortcomings more than the good times.”
Making A Difference Now With Sons Of His Own
When Michael became a father for the first time, he realized what it felt like to know his actions would have an impact on more than himself. “I never knew exactly how I’d feel,” he confided.
“It was kind of like a little box was inside of me that got unlocked when I had our first son. I feel like that was the moment for me where I felt like I was doing something more than just being an entrepreneur or owning a business.”
Today, raising two sons, “I feel like I have these two lives that I’m helping mold to be successful and good people in society — that are hopefully going to go out and do amazing things and help other people do amazing things.”
The Resource That Keeps MDFilms Clients In The Loop
Frame.io allows real time collaboration between MDfilms and the clients. “For us, it’s a great tool. This one is something that we really enjoy, not only for ourselves but for our clients.”
Michael explains, “When we put an edit or something for them to review online, they can watch it in real time and make comments. Within this portal, they can interactively review the work.
“When they’re done reviewing it, they can hit save. That information then gets dumped directly into our software and shows us all their notes in our timeline that we’re working on with the client.
“It not only gives us a better viewpoint of what the client’s trying to do, it also gives our clients more of an ability to represent their needs as far as edits and changes in a project.”
Michael Recommends A Short But Powerful Read
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Mike confides that he’s “always tried to do the whole self-help thing” and this particular book stayed with him more than any other.
“It has these four kind of ways that — if you can kind of wrap your head around them all — will kind of help you just have a better concept of not taking things personally.
“Realize that people are kind of in their own little world at times. You’ll be a lot happier person if you don’t take all this poison from everybody else.”
Stir Up Some Buzz With Michael DeMattia At MD Films
Looking for some original visual content that grabs attention and holds it? Want your graphics to stand out from the competition? How about boosting your brand with animation that propels action? Reach out to Michael right now to get it all rollin’.
* Disclosure: mdfilms does not create boring, cookie-cutter, run-of-the-mill visual content. Don’t even ask!
mdfilms.net – Fill out the contact form and get a response within 24 hours!
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Contents Provided by Frederick Advice Givers Podcast Episode #105: Eric Verdi Interviews Michael DeMattia
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