Matt Wisniewski
Age: 23
Graduation Year: Dec. 2009
Major: Journalism
Whether it’s because you’ve been sleeping at the capitol or your chem lab was canceled, Gov. Scott Walker’s repair bill has been the main topic of conversation for many UW students. With the number of people pouring into the capitol increasing every day, many students and faculty have joined the protest to “kill the bill.” One such staff member, filmmaker Matt Wisniewski, created a video of his footage of the protestors. With over 150,000 views for his first video, he is now receiving national recognition for his work.
You said you were an academic staff member at the UW – what exactly do you do at UW?
I’m an associate media specialist for the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. I do graphic design, web design, photography and videography for the center.
Can you tell me a little about your background? What inspired your passion for photography?
I grew up in Sun Prairie, Wis. Both my parents were academic staff at the UW. I knew since I was very young that I was going to be a badger. I initially came to the UW to be pre-medicine but didn’t enjoy it. My sophomore year I took Journalism 101 and started taking photos for the Daily Cardinal after I saw a flyer looking for photographers. I wasn’t one but learned quickly and loved it.
You truly captured the emotion of the protests. How long did it take you to capture all of the footage for the “Wisconsin ‘Budget Repair Bill’ ” videos? What types of things did you see while you were shooting?
Around 10-12 hours of shooting went into each of the first two videos and another 4-5 hours of editing. What has really astonished me about the protests so far is the diversity of the protesters. Elementary students, middle school students, high school students, undergrads, graduate students, young and old public workers, private sector employees, nurses, teachers, doctors, iron workers, firefighters, cops. It’s amazing how everyone has come together for this cause. It’s truly the most inspiring thing I’ve ever been a part of.
How did you go about editing the protest videos? How do you choose which clips to use?
I pick the song first. Then I find a good rhythm. Then I just go through my clips and find good footage, emotion footage, or things that go well with the music. I generally spend a lot of prep time figuring out what the best clips are, but I just didn’t have time for these videos.
How do you pick a song for your videos?
Totally by impulse. I go through my iTunes library until something really catches me. I was originally going to use “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire for the first video, but it just didn’t feel right. When the song ended, “Rebellion (Lies)” started, and I knew that was the right one.
Why did you choose to create these videos about the protest? What story are you trying to get across?
I created the original one to show my friends from outside Madison what was going on. I did not expect it to blow up like it did. Once the first video crossed 50,000 views, I decided to make another.
Your first video has over 150,000 views and the second one has around 40,000 views, and I’m sure that number is growing. What types of responses have you received for your videos?
I’m getting at least a hundred emails a day from people all over the country supporting our cause. You can see some of the responses here: mgwisni.posterous.com
Do you plan on creating another video about the protests?
Between my full-time job and protesting, I don’t have much free time. I might make another if I get the time to edit it together, but right now I’m not sure.
Check out his videos at http://vimeo.com/mgwisni