Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Sneed II.
Michael, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a retired professional overseas basketball player, and Creative Director & Videographer of Sneedie Wonder Productions, a creative content production company.
Since I was a kid, drawing and basketball were the activities I naturally loved since the first day my father put a ball and a pencil in my hands. It has always been basketball and the visual arts that I chose as hobbies and pursued as passions. The process of viewing different types of art and then getting that initial feeling of amazement from something that someone else has created will always stick with me. I aim to give that same feeling through my story-telling of the athlete, on-and-off of the court. This art is something that has continued to inspire me ever since I’ve put the ball down and picked up the camera.
As I grew older and went to high school, I stopped drawing as much and let basketball become my main focus. At that time, I was really into movies and music videos. I watch would them during my free time, looking for creativity and inspiration. I would record movies and music videos and watch them over and over again to see the crazy effects or to try to understand the director’s vision. Unknowingly, I would be doing the same thing in my future.
After college, I began traveling more frequently for the game of basketball and I started to see the world and the things in it differently. On Christmas 2010, my grandmother gave me a small digital camera. I thought at the time how amazing this was because I had never thought about owning a videocamera. Soon after, in 2011, I decided to film and collect footage of my family, friends, and basketball journey. I found myself capturing those moments overseas and with my daughter that I couldn’t fully explain in words, but wanted to share with my family and friends.
I decided I wanted to put the footage together that I had collected over time, but there was one problem… I didn’t know how to edit the footage. I received help from my girlfriend, who had knowledge of how to create and edit short films, and she showed me how to piece together the footage. In 2012, my first short film, “Sneed Chronicles”, was released and this motivated me to get serious and create more visuals in the future. In 2014, I was able to get a DSLR camera and really focus on the craft as I continued to travel the world through the game of basketball. My dreams and vision got clearer in 2017, and Sneedie Wonder Productions was opened for business.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I struggled with the preparation process in the beginning and I also struggled with telling clients “no”. I had to learn about the details that go into preparing for photoshoots, video shoots, bridal prep, and etc. If you are not prepared for the job, it can and will be overwhelming. People will also tend to take advantage of you if you are not well prepared. In the beginning, I ended up giving discounts because I was not as prepared as I should have been. I also struggled with telling clients “no”, and understanding my worth. Sometimes, I would take on a lot of projects and not realize how much time the entire editing process would take. I don’t like letting people down, and as much as I would love to do all of the jobs for potential clients, I soon realized that I must have a healthy work/life balance in order to remain creative.
Sneedie Wonder Productions – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I create visuals for businesses, athletes, entrepreneurs, and music artists. I specialize in photography, videography and filmmaking where I create a wide range of customizable content for sports, real estate, interviews, music, and documentary use. My love of capturing athletes in competition mode and telling their stories is the most popular of my company’s content.
What sets me apart from others is that I have a genuine interest in the client’s vision, their story, and who they are as people. I become invested in my projects. I think it’s important to understand the client and their voice before going into any project. It helps me bring their vision together and create a product that they maybe couldn’t fully see in the beginning of the process.
I’m grateful for the steady growth of my company that I have experienced in this short time. I think this is due to the genuine relationships I have built with people from all walks of life. Starting from nothing and building off of a true love for art has created a solid foundation for me to continue to grow. To have music artist Rick Ross, and expert and celebrity jeweler, Johnny Dang, share my work is a blessing. I’m very grateful for all the support I have received to make this company a reality.
Currently, moving forward. My companies goal is to create documentaries and short films on athletes, artists, businesses and etc. I enjoy capturing the raw and authentic stories of others. We all have a story to tell. You never know who could be inspired by one’s story.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as having a vision and a plan and continuously evolving and persisting through it until it becomes a reality. I think the true indicators of successful individuals are passion, consistency, and determination. You have to believe in yourself for others to ever do the same. Throughout my life, through the good and the bad, I always want to be better than yesterday. I think it’s healthy to take a step back every now and again to reassess the path for you to get what you want out of life. Change is hard and uncomfortable, but it is necessary to become a better version of yourself and eventually evolve.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sneediewonderproductions.com/
- Phone: 8326094311
- Email: sneediewonderproductions@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sneediewonderproductions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sneediewonderproductions/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/user10786930
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