Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrian Wilson.
Hi Adrian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Adrian Wilson is a documentary Filmmaker, writer, and 3D Animator. Adrian was born in (Guyana) South America, moved to Orlando, FL, at age 16. He studied Computer science but at the end of the 2008 recession finding a job was extremely difficult so he became a DJ. During this time, he met photographers who allowed him to use their cameras from time to time and immediately fell in love with film and photography
Storytelling is something I’ve always enjoyed doing. Every time I see a music video, or a film, I’ve always said to myself, “If I was a director, I would have done it this way or that way!”
One day, I decided to write my own video concept to a song by J. Cole called Lost Ones. I invited a few of my close friends, and we filmed it at my house. The video received so much positive feedback — and over 20,000+ views on YouTube. I knew after that I wanted to pursue a filmmaking career
I’ve worked on so many amazing projects from with clients like Major League Soccer, Rosedale Center, Mall Of America, The Sanneh Foundation, Twin Cities Boys and Girls Club, E.A Sports, MyTalk 107 radio and many more. The work that I’m most proud of is my full-length documentary that was chosen for this year’s Twin Cities Film Festival. It’s called “A Letter To Bryson.”
During the 2020 uprising in Minneapolis, I filmed for 8 months straight, capturing footage of the epicenter of an international civil rights movement. The film tells the story of a black man laying witness to the events as they unfold, including stories and footage not seen anywhere else. This film is a visual letter to my 6-year-old son, Bryson, and I hope to show him one day.
The past two years have been particularly difficult on the Twin Cities. Our BIPOC communities are the most significantly impacted by hardship. We all need to rebuild physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Living in South Minneapolis, I saw how much my community was affected. I decided to create the “Twin Cities Toy Drive”. This toy drive is dedicated to raising toys, food and non-perishables for our BIPOC communities here in the Twin Cities.
I also wanted to bring the local business and the art community together, so every toy box was designed by a local artist and those boxes were placed in local businesses across the Twin Cities. Last year, we donated over 2,000 toys and 50lbs of food to different BIPOC organizations!!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge I face is myself. I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to my project and sadly, many projects/films never see the light of day because of my own anxiety about what people would think of it. I’m working very hard on getting better at that.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a lot more than just a filmmaker. I love working on other creative projects during my downtime. My main role is to bring the creative community together. I created the Twin Cities Toy Drive not just to bring toys to BIPOC communities but to use that platform to highlight our local artists on a bigger stage by connecting them to major companies to push their brand. During the pandemic, the art community was hit really hard, especially the full-time artists who are still struggling to navigate this new world after Covid. The twin cities is filled with amazing artist and bringing us all together is my numbering goal so my colleague and Ryan Stopera created an event called Open Screen, Open Screen is a free space for local creatives, filmmakers, graphic designers to come showcase their work for others to see and give constructive criticism with some and some networking in the mix.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I wouldn’t call it “bad luck” but the most significant thing that changed my life was being homeless for 3 months in Miami. Before I moved to Chicago, my life took a turn and I ended up sleeping on a random boat for 3 months and during that time, I built an amazing amount of mental strength. No one knew I was homeless, I kept my life looking normal on social media but in real life, I was sneaking onto someone’s boat across from the Fountain Blue Hotel told myself, “I can get out of this” and I definitely did and here I am as a successful filmmaker in Minneapolis, if I can get out of being homeless I can accomplish anything!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studiobryson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mradrianwilson/ | https://www.instagram.com/brysonstudios/
Image Credits
Matt Wales
Joe Dammel
