Michael Dinetz

Michael Dinetz was born and raised in the suburb of Cherry Hill, located in southern New Jersey. Michael has always had a passion for art, whether it be sculpture, painting, drawing, or even cooking. For most of his early life, he dreamt of a career in animation. As it neared time to attend college, he saw the animation industry switching direction and heading more toward computer generated graphic work. Having little interest in this direction, he switched tracks and chose to pursue a degree in industrial design at the Art Institute of Philadelphia.

In his second term at the Art Institute, Michael discovered special make-up effects, a discovery that would change his life forever. Upon graduation from the Art Institute, degree in hand, Michael left the east coast for Hollywood. There he would attend the Joe Blasco make-up school with the goal of expanding his knowledge of make-up and special make-up effects.

After intensive study at the Joe Blasco school, coupled with private research and study outside of class, Michael graduated, and dove head first into a successful career as a Hollywood make-up and effects artist.

Michael has worked steadily in various aspects of make-up and effects since starting his career, often department heading the shows he works on. That work has ranged from small commercials and TV pilots to film work that has taken him halfway around the world to China.

In 2007, Michael chose to expand his business and to form Haunted Dreams Effects Studio, a full service make-up and effects company capable of handling projects anywhere in the world.

Since that time, Michael has also worked on the first Chinese made sci-fi creature film, an innovative Taiwanese animatronic puppet TV show, and several Hong Kong action films. Latest projects include Ghost of the Imperial Palace, a psychological horror film shot on location in China, for legendary filmmaker Roger Corman, and The Demon’s Rook, a mind bending horror film, shot on location in Atlanta, Georgia.

Michael brings a unique blend of artistic skill and technical knowledge to this craft, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible in low budget film, and what can be achieved on a tight schedule.

Other credits include but are not limited: The Demon’s Rook, Ghost of the Imperial Palace, Snow Blade, Wan Ming Shiguang (Your Lifetime), The Blood Bond: Shadowguard, Killjoy 3, Puppet Master: Axis of Evil, The Dark Forest, The Witch, Two: Thirteen, Fear House, Swishbucklers, The Legend of the Mountain Witch, Marco Polo, Manje, First Strike, Costa Chica: Confessions of an Exorcist, Broken Fists, Hallow, Awaken the Dead, Zombies Ate My Classmates, Jake’s Closet, Marrow, and The Crusader.