Meet Wilfred Dieter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wilfred Dieter.

Hi Wilfred, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always been an artist. I remember when I was 4 years old drawing on a piece of paper and coming up with an image I recognized. I outlined Mickey Mouse’s head and I was not referencing anything to draw it. I wanted to continue to draw recognizable things from then on. All through my school years, I was the artist who all the kids would crowd around to see what I was drawing. Of course, art class was my favorite class and I finished high school with the Art Guild Award which was not much more than a kick in the ass than a scholarship.

It wasn’t until the summer after I graduated high school, I took up the learning to play guitar. I had a friend from high school who taught me how to read guitar tablature and from there I taught myself the rest. I was learning music from bands like Metallica, Guns and Roses, and Extreme. Nuno Bettencourt was my biggest influence at the time. I wanted to become a shredder.

Then, I discovered Jimi Hendrix and my approach to playing guitar took a whole new direction. As I was learning to play more loosely and more improvised and searching for the ultimate tone I was still pursuing my visual arts at University level. I put my University student days aside when my soon-to-be ex-wife was costing me too much money to continue at school. I joined the workforce and had a band on the side. I was thrown into a band that wanted to play nothing but originals. I learned quickly to be a songwriter from then on.

Several bands later, I fell into a brand new theatre group called Nightwind Theatre and I auditioned to join. I had never done drama in high school since I was elbow-deep in the visual arts. It started as a boot camp course for stage acting and then into full production at the end of summer. The director of the group went off to pursue another career and the group ended abruptly.

I never tried to pursue an acting career after that but it was very helpful knowledge I learned. Shortly after that, I got a job working at CTV Broadcasting Station. I was on the production crew and learned about studio cameras and ENG cameras. VTR editing, Graphics, and Audio. I continued there for 3 and a half years until I got laid off. Not knowing what I wanted to do with myself I decided to go back to school and take Graphic Design at a local technical college. In the course, there was a photography section. I excelled at graphic design and photography and registered a sole proprietor graphic design and photography business as soon as I could.

Shortly after that, I was hand-picked by a low-budget local movie producer to join a committee for a local film festival in their inaugural year. I made a name for myself and somehow ended up in the low/micro-budget film industry. My first full-length feature, Nolan: Here Nor There, ended up being nominated and won some awards around the world in 2021. The same year, I got to work on a crew with Anderson Cooper on a 60 Minutes episode about the discovery of unmarked children’s graves at Residential Schools in Saskatchewan.

When COVID hit, I had a lot of time on my hands since my freelance job was running slow. I started writing music again and compiled enough songs for an LP album. The songs are being recorded and soon will be registered and released to all the streaming services as soon as possible. I am playing all the instruments and vocals minus the drums. Drums will be done by a session drummer.

Today, I have a documentary called “I Plowed the Sacred Soil” that I shot last year about to make its first local premiere this weekend. I was the DP on the documentary. Also, I have been shooting a series of ‘rant’ short films that will be released before winter hits. The series has no name at the moment.

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?
In the music industry, I had always struggled to keep a dedicated group of guys together. Every time we started getting noticed, someone would quit. I’ve been in 8 bands throughout the years and most of them I was the founder. Where I live there’s a lot of talent but zero dedication.

This is one reason I will be coming to Nashville soon and possibly looking for a place to live. It’s also the same thing in the movie industry in Saskatchewan. Years ago, our Premier cut the Film Tax Credit for our province and the film industry deteriorated.

I get more gigs by myself as a solo act than I ever did in a band situation. Having to balance my Graphic Design and Photography business with my music and movie career can be tricky at times but having all those avenues I can keep the creativity going.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My proudest moments: A great Nashville story I have is meeting Marc Alen Barnett he invited me to Bobby’s Idle Hour, and I had the privilege to perform on Bobby’s Idle Hour stage with a bunch of hit songwriters and Grammy nominees and winners, they got to hear my songs.

Being nominated several times and won some awards at several independent film festivals around the world for my debut as director of Nolan: Here Nor There, winning a songwriting contest I co-wrote in less than 24 hours to write and record a demo of it to submit for the contest.

Being a cultural liaison and crew member for Anderson Cooper on a story locally near me. What sets me apart from others is I’m a monster when it comes to the arts. Someone said to me if I’m a Jack of all trades, I say I’m trying to be a Master of all trades in the art world.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have growing up.
My favorite childhood memory is my trip to Disneyland when I was a kid.

I saw more than Disneyland but also went to Knotts Berry Farm and Universal Studios. San Diego Zoo and Seaworld. It was also the first time on a jet. Universal Studios was what got me interested in how movies are made.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ignitemediacanada.wixsite.com/wilf-dieter
• Instagram: @ignitemediacanada
• Facebook: Ignite Media
• Twitter: @ignitemediaca
• Youtube: @ignitemeida8469