Michael is a partner the the production company 180 Degrees and is an Emmy ™ award-winning Writer, Producer, Director of Photography, and Editor with more than twenty-five years experience in filmmaking and production.
Michael recently served as production supervisor on the Netflix/BBC series "Wrestlers" which he also assisted the BBC in developing. He served as co-producer on the feature film "Under the Eiffel Tower" staring VEEP alum Matt Walsh, Gary Cole and Reid Scott and as producer and director of photography on the film “Pleased to Meet Me” staring John Doe, Academy Award nominee Aimee Mann, and Grammy™ winners Loudon Wainwright and Joe Henry. The film enjoyed a short theatrical run followed by an 18 month run on Netflix. Michael also served as primary camera operator on the PBS Frontline documentary “Prison State” and as DP/Director on the KET documentary "Violins of Hope." His work has been seen on national and international networks including Discovery, History, A&E, The Documentary Channel, iTunes, Netflix, and has been represented at major domestic and international film markets including Cannes, Berlin and Toronto. His most recent screenplay "Still Perfect" won awards at both the Cannes Screenplay Competition and the American Movie Awards.
Michael was recently named a “Champion for Kids” by Kosair Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital Foundation. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville, is currently pursuing an MFA in screenwriting from the Nauslund-Mann School of Creative Writing at Spalding University, is a former appointee of the Louisville Film Commission and is also a decorated combat veteran of the U.S. Army.
Unique traits: Still plays soccer two-to-three times a week (when not in production).
Music Therapy Budget: $1M - $5M | Drama ⋄ Comedy Mica Roman used to be a rock star, but now she's an aging and cynical one-hit-wonder who finds herself broke, homeless, and on probation in her old hometown where she must confront the wreckage of her past and a group of spunky senior citizens to find forgiveness and reconnect with her love of music.
Wrestlers
(
Television
by BBC/Netflix
Production Supervisor The Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville, Kentucky, use to be a glorious grad school for young wrestlers with hopes of a shot at a career in professional wrestling, yet things aren't like they used to be.
Body Swap
(
Film
Cinematographer
Under the Eiffel Tower
(
Film
Co-Producer
Little City Beautiful
(
Documentary
by 180 Degrees
Director of Photography
Prison State
(
Documentary
by PBS Frontline / Mongoose / Daniel Edge
Camera Operator One year in America's most incarcerated neighborhood.
Catching a Killer
(
Documentary
by 180 Degrees
Director of Photography
Grief and a Giving Heart
(
Film
by 180 Degrees (Documentary and News)
Director / Producer / DP Kara Mallick's nine-month-old daughter Karlie was murdered. Three years later we follow Kara from Kentucky to Chicago so she can meet the little boy who received her daughter's heart. Using expert medical testimony and heartbreaking personal accounts we explore the epic tragedy of child abuse and the bitter joy of organ donation through the story of one woman struggling to come to terms with her grief and giving heart. Written by Anonymous
Undead Survival
(
Film (short)
by 180 Degrees (Action, Comedy, Horror and Short)
Producer / Director Reality is dead when an ex-Special Forces survivalist, a has-been producer and an incompetent network television crew produce a weekly reality program in a world overrun by zombies and cannibalistic TV executives.
Pleased to Meet Me
(
Film
(Drama)
Producer / DP Rocker Pete Jones (legendary "X" front man John Doe) is in trouble. He's solo in his personal and professional life and he can't seem to finish his long-awaited album. Threatened with bankruptcy and a lawsuit from his label, Pete turns to his lost love and former producer turned radio reporter Laura Klein (Academy Award nominee Aimee Mann) for help. Together, they form an eclectic group of musicians who have never met to create a band, for one day and one day only. Their 24-hour experiment will be recorded by Laura for the syndicated radio show "World Café" and provide her an opportunity to establish a life out from under Pete's shadow. For Pete, it's a chance to re-mix his personal and creative life, provided he can get his ego out of the way. For the unknown band, it's a time to see if they have what it takes to realize, or say goodbye to, the dream of making it in the music business. Picked by more than a million listeners as one of the best segments ever to air on Public Radio ... Written by Anonymous
Century of Flight: 100 Years of Aviation
(
Television
(Documentary)
Editor Add a Plot »
WWII Sub Rescue
(
TV Movie
(History)
Producer This is the story of a daring rescue of 40 American civilians trapped behind Japanese lines during WWII
Into the Lighthouse
(
Film
by Blackfish Films (Documentary and Short)
Producer / Director From Emmy[TM] Award-winning producer and director Michael Fitzer comes "Into the Lighthouse," an eye-opening, sometimes brutal documentary about teens walking a tightrope of self-destruction. This rare and uncensored look inside the secret world of drug addiction management focuses on day-to-day life inside one of Kentucky's only adolescent drug and alcohol treatment centers. From 17-year old Josh who will do anything to leave the center and begin using drugs again to 16-year old Tate who struggles desperately to stay out of jail, these kids make sure their voices are heard and their experiences are understood. Using candid one-on-one interviews and cinema verite style... "Into the Lighthouse" takes an extraordinary look inside some of the most sensitive adolescent treatment methods in use today. In addition, the overall film illustrates with raw veracity, the affects of drug and alcohol abuse on America's youth population. 2000 �© Blackfish Films, LLC Written by Michael Fitzer
Winner Takes All
(
TV Movie
(Action, Crime and Drama)
Miscellaneous Crew In 1978, two rapper childhood friend turn to the quick and easy life of crime to support their needy parents. But after a foiled robbery, one of them is jailed while the other flees, changes his name, joins the military, and grows up to become a narcotics agent. 10 years later, the agent becomes embroiled in an assassination plot for a powerful Mafia boss headed by a corrupt drug agent. The two friends must find a way to come together to stop it. Written by Anonymous
Frontline
TV Series
Camera and Electrical Department
Screenwriting 2nd Place Drama Category - Cannes Screenplay Awards
(2016)
Screenwriting 2nd Place Overall - American Movie Awards
(2016)
Gold Addy
(2015)
Gold Addy
(2014)
Judges Choice Addy
(2011)
Gold Addy
(2011)
Service to America Award - National Association of Broadcasters
(2001)
Emmy Award - National Association of Television Arts & Sciences
(2001)
Best of Show - Tambay Film Festival
(2001)
Judges Choice Addy
(2001)