Michael was born in San Francisco and raised in Toronto, where he studied fine art, acting and theater directing before focusing his creative talents on filmmaking.
He attended
Ryerson Film School
and created two shorts,
"Clean–Rite Cowboy"
and
"Why Don’t You Dance?", which were screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, and nominated for two Genies (Canadian Oscars). This success led to a scholarship to attend the American Film Institute
in Los Angeles where his thesis film,
"Fine", won a Student Academy Award for "Best Director"
and was screened on Independent Lens.
With multiple award-winning shorts and years of film school under his belt, Michael launched a career in commercial directing. His work is defined by a subtle, observational comedic style with an emphasis on performance.
He has crafted memorable, award-winning spots including Samsung's "The Next Big Thing is Already Here" and "Wall Huggers", Science World's "Boardroom", Bud Light's Super Bowl spot "Sky Diver", and the recent "Uncomfortable" campaign for Timberland Pro.
Michael is currently based in
Los Angeles
with his
wife and two children,
and is repped by
Biscuit Filmworks
in the US and
Partners Film
in Canada. His first independent feature,
"The Threeway", and "Clean Rite Cowboy - Feature"
is currently in production.