Greg Michael, MFA
Assistant Professor, Department of Cinematic Arts
Greg Michael, MFA, is a professional filmmaker, screenwriter, and assistant professor of cinematic arts whose career spans more than two decades in Hollywood and higher education.
Michael has been a second-unit director on major studio productions including The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, Van Helsing, The Scorpion King, The Time Machine, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. He has directed action, performance, and visual-effects sequences with actors including Hugh Jackman, Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kate Beckinsale, Guy Pearce, and Jackie Chan. His screenwriting credits include the TriStar Pictures comedy Baby Geniuses.
Drawing on this industry experience, his teaching centers on visual storytelling, directing actors, production leadership, and collaborative filmmaking. He teaches students to understand cinema as an integrated storytelling system in which story, performance, cinematography, editing, sound, and production design work together to create meaning and illuminate enduring truths about human experience.
He is also the creator of Cinégraphe, a publication exploring the craft, language, and meaning of cinema through essays and film analysis informed by Hollywood production and classroom experience.
Michael is a member of the Directors Guild of America, and holds an MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and a BS from USC’s School of Business.
Education
- MFA, USC School of Cinematic Arts, 1989
- BS, USC School of Business Administration, 1985
Credentials/Certifications
- A member of the Directors Guild of America
Academic Area
- School of the Arts
Expertise
- Film Directing
- Screenwriting and Narrative Structure
- Visual Storytelling / Cinematic Language
- Second Unit Directing and Action Filmmaking
- Faith Integration
Courses Taught
- CINE 101 – Christianity and the Creative Process
- CINE 119 – Introduction to Directing
- CINE 260 – Production I
- CINE 260 – Cinema-TV Production I
- CINE 280 – Writing the Short Screenplay
- CINE 285 – History of Film
- CINE 316 – Production Development Workshop
- CINE 317 – Cinematic Design
- CINE 319 – Directing for the Camera
- CINE 385 – Screenwriting Portfolio
- CINE 415 – Advanced Television Production
- CINE 416 – Capstone Production Development
- CINE 462 – Advanced Cinema Production
- CINE 494 – Production Capstone
- CINE 499 – Capstone Project in Theater, Film, and Television
- THTR 371 – Intermediate On-Camera Scene Study
- SCW 519 –Directing for Screenwriters