Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Sommerfield.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Matthew. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Ever since I was little I’ve been fascinated with making movies and the film industry. I am wired to create. Ever since I could hold a camera, I would make my own short (and sometimes way too long) films. I would rope my family and friends in on the projects that I would write, direct, film and star in. This passion for film and entertainment only grew as I got older. Though I was an avid baseball player, I left sports and began pursuing acting. I performed in several theatrical shows throughout high school and into college with organizations such as CYT (Christian Youth Theater) and GreenRoom Theater (an improv troupe based out of Huntley, IL). After college I performed stand-up in comedy clubs throughout the Chicagoland and New York area. I also ran my own comedy club out of Port Edwards in Algonquin, IL for a summer.
In the year 2012, I released my first theatrical film entitled, “A Shallow Grave.” This film was a project that I set out to complete to prove to myself and others like me that you don’t need to have millions of dollars and expensive equipment to make your dreams come true. I spent 3 months putting together a screenplay, 8 months in production, and 3 months in the editing room. Everyone I brought on was volunteer. I acted, directed, filmed and edited the film on a $0 budget. Some days I had a small crew and other days it would just be me, a camera and a microphone. Like old times! Though it may not be the best film in the world, I got it done. Now, it’s on Amazon Prime to watch for free and I have the experience under my belt, which led me to 6 years later starting my own creative digital agency.
After leaving my job as a Creative and Operations Director at my church, where I basically hit a ceiling, I decided to take the leap and go full-time for myself. I had several clients over the last 11 years that I did side work for. Several of them encouraged me to go out on my own because they enjoyed working with me and saw no problem in me doing this full-time.
So, that is what I did in January of 2018. I opened Sommerfield Productions. We are a full-service creative digital agency. As I said earlier, I am Wired to Create. I am here to listen to my clients. To understand what keeps them up at night and what dreams they have. Then to help them achieve those dreams by partnering with them in whatever way they need! I developed what I call “The Silver Screen Approach™” which, in essence, takes my knowledge of the process of creating a film and applies those same steps to leading a client through any given project. It has really helped those I have worked with, but it has also really helped my business to stay focused.
I have done a lot of work recently in the entertainment industry, specifically for independent films. My future goal is to be heavily involved in the creation of key art and film campaign art for independent and studio films and television shows. It is the perfect blend for me in balancing my love for filmmaking and my love for graphic design!
Outside of just being an entrepreneur, I am hugely passionate about Leadership and Business Development and gaining wisdom from others who have gone before me. People like Patrick Lencioni, Simon Sinek, Donald Miller and Gary Vaynerchuk, who I was introduced to by my business coach Barry Saltzmann. (Shameless Plug: If you own a business, you have to meet Barry! He is a genius and has changed the game for me and my business!)
My personal life: I am married to interior and home designer, Madison Sommerfield. We live in Crystal Lake with our two children.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The hardest thing for me and my family has been dealing with the economy crash of 2008. I graduated that year and finding a design job was next to impossible. Thankfully (through my own networking) I got a job with a startup video company right out of college. The difficulty however, was with the school loan issue! I grew up in the time when everyone HAD to go to college; at least socially. There was a ton of pressure. But for me, college was not necessarily the driving force behind my skill sets and abilities. I learned best in my internships and my own work in the programs, etc.
I am a strong believer that we need to do a better job teaching our high schoolers and younger that college (while great) is not the only option. If more companies would develop on-the-job training programs where employees could work themselves into a career without a college education, I think we’d see a lot more entrepreneurs come out of that arena.
Encouraging kids to develop their passions should be the first step. For some, college may be the route, but for me I was left with tens of thousands of dollars in school loans and honestly, started from square one in the business arena.
Please tell us about Sommerfield Productions.
Ever since I was a little kid I have been wired to create. Filmmaking has always fascinated me because I love the creative process behind it. I love seeing an idea go from conception all the
way to final product.
So, I started Sommerfield Productions to do just that. I breathe life into companies in three different ways. One: I make them look bigger. (Like I did for myself) Two: I modernize their image. Three: I increase their presence in the marketplace through visual storytelling.
A lot of my clients feel left behind, frustrated and overwhelmed when it comes to graphic/web design, video, photography, social media, etc… As a result, I developed a unique system to help them. I call it, “The Silver Screen Approach™.”
I have also created three customizable offerings that cover a range of budgets, to best serve the needs of my clients. The ‘Modernize Your Image Package,’ the ‘Tell Your Story Package’ and the ‘Promote Your Brand Package.’ The work that is included in these packages is really cool. It ranges from graphic and web design, video production and photography. But it’s really all about solving problems for my clients.
My work in the entertainment industry on indie films specifically is what I am most proud of. I am definitely in my sweet spot when I know I am helping someone else and their project look the best it can be! I love seeing others succeed and being a part of that process with them is life-giving to me.
I am currently working with the Niles PD on the #LipSyncChallenge. I saw the video where they were challenged by the Skokie PD and I had to help them with their rebuttal! We are working on it now and it’s going to be hilariously amazing!
I think what sets me apart from others like me is my unique perspective. The combo of taking the film and design industry and melding them together is fascinating! To me it’s not just about creating an amazing design or video. It’s also about listening. I have in the past and I have also seen too many people just spew what they do instead of just shutting up and listening. When you listen, you learn. You can empathize. You build trust in a way that will show throughout the creative process and final product. This is why people work with me specifically. I am interested in selling my services, yes, but I am more interested in what a client’s specific needs are, what keeps them up at night, or what their dreams are. Most of the time I can help a client because of how someone has helped me in the past, or how I’ve helped someone else in the past.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
This is a hard one for me. I grew up in a broken home. My parents divorced when I was in second grade. I remember pulling out of the driveway of my house knowing I would never be back and see my friends again. My dad had custody of me and my younger brother and sister. My mother would spend time in rehab from drug and alcohol addiction. Later, I would live back and forth between parent’s houses and friends’ houses. I think for me what was a game changer was community. My stepmom introduced me to a local theater group through which I found my friends and church community.
My mother had a horrible childhood and struggled up until her sudden passing in 2008 when she died in a car accident after hitting black ice. It was really my relationship with Jesus and the community I found through my church and theater friends that really saved my life from following in the footsteps of generations before me.
That being said…one of my favorite memories would be Christmases at my mom’s house. All I wanted one year specifically was a Santa Claus suit. The movie, “The Santa Clause” had come out and I was obsessed. I got the suit early one year and I put it on and woke up my siblings in costume on Christmas Eve.
Pricing:
- Manage Your Image Package: TOTAL: $500 – INCLUDES: PHOTO SHOOT (normally $250) – 1 hour photography session – All digital files NEW LOGO (normally $350) – New or redesigned logo – 2 concepts – 2 rounds of revisions – All digital files
- Tell Your Story Package: TOTAL: $1000 – INCLUDES: PHOTO SHOOT (normally $250) – 1 hour photography session – All digital files VIDEO Shoot/Edit (normally $1000) – 2-3 minute about video – All digital files
- Promote Your Brand Package: TOTAL: $2000 – INCLUDES: SOCIAL MEDIA (normally $500) – Profile photos/banners created – Up to four social media sites LANDING PAGE Design (normally $2000) – Custom designed one page scrolling website (Hosting and wix.com fees not included)
Contact Info:
- Website: sommerfieldpro.com
- Phone: 815-451-1239
- Email: matt@sommerfieldpro.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/sommerfieldpro
- Facebook: facebook.com/sommerfieldpro
- Twitter: twitter.com/sommerfieldpro
- Other: pinterest.com/sommerfieldpro
Image Credit:
All original photography and design by Matt Sommerfield
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