Greg Michael, MFA
Assistant Professor, Department of Cinematic Arts
Phone: (626) 815-6014
Email: [email protected]
Greg Michael, MFA, has directed the second units on such Hollywood blockbusters as GI Joe: Rise of Cobra, Van Helsing, The Mummy Returns, The Mummy, The Scorpion King, The Time Machine, The Tuxedo, Marmaduke, Hotel for Dogs, and The Jungle Book, among others, and has directed such notable actors as Hugh Jackman, Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Dwayne Johnson, Kate Beckinsale, Guy Pearce, and Jackie Chan. He’s worked with numerous producers and directors, including Lorenzo DiBonaventura, Stephen Sommers, Gore Verbinski, Lauren Schuler-Donner, Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Scott Stuber, and John Davis.
Michael’s work has received accolades from the press, including Roger Ebert claiming Van Helsing’s black-and-white opening sequence “virtuoso,” the coach chase “extraordinary.” The Huffington Post’s Scott Mendelson called GI Joe’s Paris chase “breathtaking” and “fantastic.” The BBC said The Scorpion King’s opening was “well-choreographed . . . what you might expect from a John Woo film.”
Currently, Michael is developing a screenplay for Coram Deo Studios’ Russ Rice and Brad Silverman, (Grace Unplugged, No Greater Love). His most successful work as a screenwriter was Tri-Star’s hit family comedy, Baby Geniuses. He also associate produced the 2013 film adaptation of Dean Koontz’s bestselling novel, Odd Thomas, and has served as a jurist, panelist, and instructor for the 168 Film Project.
Education
- MFA, USC School of Cinematic Arts
- BS, USC School of Business Administration
Academic Area
- School of the Arts
Courses Taught
- CINE 101 – Christianity and the Creative Process
- CINE 119 – Introduction to Directing
- CINE 260 – Production I
- CINE 319 – Directing for the Camera
- CINE 415 – Advanced Television Production
- CINE 462 – Advanced Cinema Production
- CINE 499 – Capstone Project in Theater, Film, and Television
- THTR 371 – Intermediate On-Camera Scene Study
- SCW 519 –Directing for Screenwriters