© Matthew James Beier 2010
Matthew Beier is a photographer, aspiring novelist, aspiring screenwriter, video hobbyist, and painter living in the Minneapolis area. Since as far back as he can remember, Matthew has been fascinated with visual art and storytelling, especially when they go hand in hand. Born in Duluth, Minnesota, he fostered a knack for these art forms at a very young age, whether by painting with watercolors to deal with his emotions or by drawing pictures to deal with the stories tumbling through his head (and sometimes writing their narrations with the help of his mother).
After learning to read in first grade, Matthew lost himself in the worlds of The Boxcar Children, Encyclopedia Brown, My Teacher Is An Alien, Goosebumps, and every other epic, adventurous, or mysterious story he could get his hands on. When he was nine years old, the film adaptation of Micheal Crichton's Jurassic Park (and, subsequently, the novel itself) changed Matthew's life forever. After seeing the film and reading the book the following year, Matthew developed a passion for storytelling that branched in two directions: writing and movie making. He started making dramatized home movies with his siblings and friends at age twelve, when his parents were finally able to buy a Sony Handycam; during other spare moments, he began writing fiction, dreaming that he might someday be able to string enough words together to make a novel.
These interests influenced Matthew's study of photography and writing in high school and led him in 2003 to Chapman University's School of Film and Television in Orange, California. There, he spent three semesters studying screenwriting, film production, and English before spending a final semester abroad at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, where he studied popular media and art history. New Zealand also offered Matthew a fantastic opportunity to hone his photography skills, which he enjoyed far more than school.
After Los Angeles lost its appeal for Matthew in 2005, he relocated to Minnesota to focus on a career in novel and screenplay writing. Apart from working toward getting his novels published, he currently works a day job in downtown Minneapolis while also operating a side photography business, which began with the purchase of his first professional grade camera in 2006. The business has allowed him to afford the equipment necessary to be creative in all the ways he likes, whether it is through writing, filmmaking, photography, or graphic and web design. He lives with his partner in Ramsey, Minnesota.