Meet Michael Street | Cinematographer & Director

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

Hi Michael, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
I believe the single most important decision I made was to educate myself. Along my journey I put myself through a Bachelor Degree program at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and a Master Degree program at the prestigious American Film Institute in Los Angeles. For me the path to becoming a cinematographer was unique. I was invited to a music video set and I immediately fell in love with the entire process. I enjoyed the team work that goes behind making images come to life. On that day I knew I wanted to be the person behind the camera. I spent the next year working as a production assistant and a grip on a variety of productions. I eventually worked my way to Best Boy Electric on some low budget features. I then decided to go to the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and receive an education on how to work with cameras on a professional level. At the Academy of Art I won several awards, in particular the William A. Fraker, ASC Technicolor Award and a Special Achievement in Cinematography for the short film PEARL CHANG. The next year I was featured in Kodak Magazine’s Next Generation for the film noir short DARK DESERT HIGHWAY. I was also nominated for a Golden Tadpole at the world renown Cameriamage Film Festival. At the Academy of Art I was taught the true fundamentals of cinematography, and I understood the technical side of the craft. However I felt I lacked skills in visual storytelling. So after graduation I moved to Los Angeles and I attended the American Film Institute. At AFI I experienced artists and professionals at the highest level educating the next wave of filmmakers. I developed a talent to breakdown and express stories through a visual language. I have always felt if you love something with passion, then dedicate yourself to that passion. For me it is the art of visual storytelling and creating stories.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Since 2018 I have been working as a cinematographer in the feature film space, both scripted movies and non fiction films. In 2024 I have a few movies which will be released. On Tubi January, 13th is the feature PREPARE TO DIE. This is a fun, little action movie starring Ryan Padilla, Michael Madson, Rampage Jackson and Lorenzo Llamas. It is a revenge story co-written and directed by Jose Montesinos. Later in 2024 is the documentary 35000 WATTS. This is a movie about the history of college radio. The movie focuses on bands from the 1990’s when college radio had it’s biggest influence. The documentary features Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO, Joey Santiago of THE PIXIES, and Alison Wolf of BRATMOBILE to name a few.

Also coming in 2024 is the horror movie SPIN THE BOTTLE, featuring Justin Long, Ali Larter, Tanner Stine, Kaylee Kaneshiro and Tony Amendola. The movie was directed by Sundance Alumni Gavin Wiesen. We had an amazing ensemble of actors, and we created some amazing images! This is an entertaining horror movie I can not wait for people to see it! This was the third horror film of my career and my favorite so far! It was an experience of a life time to work with these talented people.

During 2023 I expanded my role as a filmmaker and I started producing social media branding as well as e-commerce advertisements. This has allowed me to stretch myself as a cinematographer into a Technical Director, and I oversee post production; including editing, sound design and color. We have taken our productions into the podcast sphere as well. This has filled my time in between feature films with commercials and other media projects. Our work can be found at HEARD STUDIO as well as STREET ARTIST PICTURES. We have a whole team that allows us to take projects from development all the way through post, and to deliverables for the clients. It has been a fun and creative process that is just getting started!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have friends and colleagues from out of town who always want to visit Los Angeles. If they are foodies I always recommend amazing places in downtown Los Angeles. PERCH is one of my favorite restaurants. I love the rooftop atmosphere for a drink before dinner, and then go downstairs for an amazing meal. If people are more interested in the food truck scene I always suggesting checking out the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles. Besides the great breweries like ANGEL CITY, there is the SMORGASBORD on Sundays. It is one of the most amazing food truck scenes I have ever scene! They have more food options then anyone could imagine, with a huge parking lot full of trucks. It is a great place for food options. If visitors are more on the outdoorsy vibe, I recommend Griffith Park. I love to hanging out near the Old Zoo, or walk up to the observatory. There are so many great hikes around the city, as well as in the Santa Monica Mountains. And of course we have the beaches. If you want to stay near the city, the beaches north towards Malibu and south near Santa Monica are always great to enjoy the sun. And not too far from places like AVIATOR NATION or REEL INN for good seafood!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give credit and recognition for the organizations, the individuals and the education institutions along my journey. I have always found inspiration through the American Society of Cinematographers, the Academy of Art, and the American Film Institute. I feel as a collective those resources gave me the inspiration and the tools to master my craft.

There are so many individuals who have supported me over the years, as well as opened my eyes to creative endeavors. I want to thank Tia Lui for the support, Matt Siegel for the mentorship over the last few years, as well as Stephen Lighthill from AFI, Jonathan Fung who taught me the bare bones of cinematography and teaching me how to shoot on film, Jessica Young for showing me that constant experimentation and growth as an artist is how we thrive. I would also like to thank Ken Paul Rosenthal for allowing me to ‘show the hand of the filmmaker’ in my work. Overall I just want to thank all the cinematographers, photographers, painters and artists who came before me, inspired me and continue to inspire others.

Lastly I want to thank some of the filmmakers who have supported me and collaborated with me over the years. I have learned so much from these individuals and they make the creative process so much more enjoyable. Thank you Den Levy Dagerman, Selina Ringel, Gavin Wiesen, Tim Cruz, Steven R. Monroe, Allison Burnett, Jose Montesinos, Rob and Letita Capili. Thank you all!

Website: http://www.streetartistpictures.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetartistpictures

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-street-cinematographer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/streetartistpix

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@streetartistpictures/featured

Image Credits
Profile image: Allen Chodakowski | Getty Image: Araya Doheny | On the set of TOUCH: Ben Cox | Images from PREPARE TO DIE: Michael Street