Meet Kyle Michaels | film director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kyle Michaels and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyle, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I don’t think that an artistic career is a choice, I believe it chooses you. Since I was a preteen I was always writing down scenes for movies based on experiences I had with my friends. I saved them all in boxes. Since it was before lap tops were popular I have old grocery bags, restaurant napkins, college ruled paper, anything I could find had story notes on it, just in case I would forget it later. I have scenarios entering in and out of my head on a daily, of not moment to moment basis. That being said there is a time in every artists career when they make a decision to become a professional. That decision evolves over time, after a craft is honed and life experiences coupled with drive to be seen and heard pushed me to do pursue a creative career. I believe we are who we are and to be the best version of ourselves we need to be true both within ourselves and true to the limitations of what we are willing to do to take the risks and to do the work to become a professional. Of course, timing is important and relationships are an integral part in any career path,. When everything comes together, I had no choice, was ready and willing to pursue a career as a filmmaker.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a filmmaker, a writer and director. I feel that what separates me from others is the way I look at the world. All my life experiences have led to my point of view about people and the world around me. I’ve always have been very opinionated but not in a way that I would let everyone know with words. I would rather take those words, spin them around in my brain, rearrange them, put them in image form and create an emotional response in the audience. I try to take inspiration that comes from within me and bring it out to other people to take in. I have been pursuing my career for a long time and feel that I am finally coming to my stride both as an artist and a professional. It was not easy, as most things that are worth pursuing never come easy. It takes persistence and believing in yourself when others doubt you. After some time, the path opens up in front of you, but you can’t give up before the miracle happens. A career, just like life sometimes takes a windy path and you have to right the ship when it needs it and roll with the punches when the time is right. I learned that no one is as passionate about your pursuits as you are and that to be successful you have to bring that passion out in other people around you. People want to be inspired and it is my job to inspire them. I would love to share what has taken me a very long time to figure out. Your best asset is yourself and your experiences and what you bring to any situation. There might be times in life where you don’t know why you are where you are, or feel like you are treading water and ask yourself, ‘what am I going to do now.’ It is those moments that makes us all unique and it is that uniqueness that is our greatest asset. You just have to believe it and not let tainted expectations get in your way of your authentic self.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I always tell people who are visiting LA to go to the Venice boardwalk. It is a truly unique place. There are plenty of boardwalks, a ton of places that have shops and restaurants on the beach, and there are plenty of beaches. There is only one Venice boardwalk. It is an eclectic mix of out of towners, grungy locals, body builders, skaters, bike riders, surfers, basketball players, and circus performers all coming together in a sandy, sun drenched backdrop of Venice. There is a rich history that is truly LA and the people watching is fantastic. I would take them on a morning hike where we can see the ocean and maybe a coyote or a screeching hawk overhead. LA has a ton of great restaurants and it has become a foody town. I would take my friend to the down home, out of the way spots that I have munched through over the years. From the Thai spots in Hollywood, to the burrito spots in Boyle Heights to the burger spots in South LA and the Korean BBQ spots in Koreatown. There is so much culture here that in addition to the many museums such as the Peterson Automotive, to LACMA I would take them to a rock show at the Troubadour, Olvera st. and Union Station to the Botanical Gardens at the Huntington Library. Of course we would have to visit some gorgeous beaches around point Dume after a drive down PCH ending in boiled shrimp and clam chowder at Neptunes Net.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I gotta say its my big brother David. He was always such an adventurer. When we would go on hikes he would always find the cool bugs underneath a rock I didn’t pay attention to. He once convinced me to go down the LA river on a raft. This is not in current day where there are raft tours through Frog Town, this was over twenty years ago when it was a more dangerous proposition. He was the one that encouraged me to go to film school after my first year at college. He is my big brother and I always looked up to him. He pursued a career as an investigative journalist and novelist that has taken him to exotic and dangerous parts of the planet. His influence on me was to look at the world with wonder and fearlessness. I aspire to look at my career much in that way. As a creative you are a lightning rod for inspiration both from within yourself and with others. I credit him with lighting that fire underneath me to grab life by the horns and take things as they come and look around every corner. I’m not sure if I have personally thanked him for the creative encouragement that I am shouting him out for while writing this. Perhaps I can give him a call this week and thank him for being him and providing that guiding light for me to navigate the creative world with.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-michaels-124541281/