Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike ‘MJ’ Schilling.
Hi Mike ‘MJ’, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I was five years old, my great-grandfather brought me into his living and sat me down. He then strung up a 3’x3 projection screen and pulled out a Kodak 8mm projector. I watched him with wonder as he fed the film through the movement onto the take-up reel and flipped the ‘forward’ switch. It was merely a family film he shot in the 50s, but I was mesmerized. That was my introduction to the power of an image. After that, I knew using a camera to tell a story is what my soul was meant to do in this world.
I spent my adolescence running around with my Canon AE-1 in hand at all times, never letting the dream of telling visual stories fade away. After Highschool, I went and earned a BFA in Film & Television Production from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. While attending and post-graduation, I have been working tirelessly in the industry in the lighting department. I was even mentored by Chris ‘Chicken Legs’ Strong, who is an industry legend and long-time David Fincher collaborator. Primarily my work has been as a Gaffer, but now I have shifted my focus and work as a Cinematographer.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I began my career working out of the San Francisco Bay Area in the mid 2000s. Slowly I made connections to friends and clients in Los Angeles. Starting in the spring of 2007, I began working several days a month in LA. Usually, I would come down and crash on a friend’s couch for a few days before heading back to the Bay Area. In the fall of that year, I decided to take the leap and move to Southern California. Anyone familiar with the industry will tell you that was impeccable timing. That November, the WGA went on strike. I suddenly found myself bidding for work against Titans in comparison. Big-name union Gaffers were taking every small non-union job. Being the ‘new kid’, I couldn’t compete. I didn’t have a huge lighting truck or business. Nor did I have a roster of veteran crew looking for whatever work there was. It was months and months of barely getting by. Every young, new person like myself were hardly even able to get student film jobs. I recall at one point living on only two packs of instant ramen a day. I came so very close to giving up and moving back in with my parents to start my life over. I was fortunate enough at the time to develop some very close & strong friendships with other young crew members. We shared as much of the work as we possibly could to keep each other on our feet. It took the industry a long time to recover from that WGA strike. Myself and those few friends that were able to hold on have continued on in the business to become very successful in our own right.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m constantly exploring new ways to be inspired with light and color, whether through a renaissance painting or digital artist. My extensive background in lighting has led me to working with clients like Fox, Amazon, and Netflix, shows such as ‘American Horror Story’, and the film ‘6 Balloons’. I’ve also had the opportunity to Camera Operate on several productions such as the upcoming Avatar 2 & Avatar 3 sequels. I’m continually on the hunt for more interesting, collaborative, and character-driven works that aim to make a difference. I want to continue to contribute my voice in aiding other artists get their opportunity to be seen. I am always striving to help those voices that have been kept at bay get the opportunity to be heard. I feel there are infinite creative voices that can help shape the way we see the world. Part of any art form is to breakdown boundaries, and I feel morally obligated to be part of that adventure.
What’s next?
For now, I’m seeking to find more collaborators that share similar values and creative openness. Whether it’s other Cinematographers, Directors, Writers, Producers, or other creative crafts; I feel like there are always opportunities to learn from other artists to help expand our minds & skill sets. I pray one day, I will have the opportunity to pass on the wisdom from my experiences to the next generation of filmmakers.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michaeljschilling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxelement/
