We recently connected with film and tv producer Michael W. Gray and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I happen to be on the complete crazy edge of this risk vibe. Meaning….I take the risks every time! haha. Some people think I am crazy and some, see the genius in the crazy. I always try to see the value in the intersection of art and commerce and will take a risk with time, resources, money if I can see through all the fluff and get right into that intersection vibe. I left a lucrative marketing agency I ran to dive into the film business with basically no experience.

Michael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am currently a film and tv producer and also do some youth sports performance coaching. I came onto the independent film scene with the feature documentary film FIGHTVILLE. We were making a film about the underbelly of mixed martial arts (MMA) in America. Visiting what it’s like for MOST of the people who want to make it as a fighter and those odds against them, bashing them in every day. We came upon a striking up-and-coming fighter who was unknown but we had a sense about him……this was/is Dustin Poirier. Through our shoot and telling this story, he kept winning fights and by the time we felt good about the cut of the film, he had been signed by the UFC itself! A miracle for him and for us. We premiered the movie at the South by Southwest Film Festival and the film was acquired for global distribution and played around the world. Dustin has since become one of the most famous and sought after UFC talents.

I took this success and met TONS of people. I was always asking questions, taking meetings and looking to expand. My brand is RELENTLESS because that is what it takes to really get ahead…….being totally RELENTLESS. I followed up with a successful horror film Darkroom then a slew of critical and commercially successful films including A Birders Guide to Everything with Sir Ben Kingsley (TriBeCa Film Festival), Jamie Marks Is Dead with Liv Tyler, Judy Greer, Cameron Monaghan (Sundance Film Festival), BODY (Slamdance,) HERE ALONE (TriBeCa Film Festical Audience Award winner), Long NIghts Short Mornings with an all star cast (SXSW Festival) and the feature film What Breaks the Ice with mega star Madelyn Cline and Ozark star Sofia Hublitz. I have several completed films and tv pilots in the shopping & distribution process and a slew of new projects in development including American Summer which I will direct this spring.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

In any of the many projects I work on, I always have the same goal. To reach and move an audience. In artistic endeavors which are commercial in nature, you have to create for an audience. Movies and TV need a lot of manpower, time and money to create and you will not a get second chance if something isn’t hitting the cross section of art and commerce. It has been so so fulfilling to be at all of my premieres and screenings and and have audiences laugh or yell or cry and then applaud and ask questions…..MY Job has been done!! of course all projects get judged on revenues too haha.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Creative arts as a business is a bit feast or famine. Many will do other jobs to make ends meet until their time comes or they give up. Many give up. A person with a “normal” job likely receives a steady salary, maybe benefits etc and has a specific job they do. That’s a broad assumption but basically true. Someone who is a creative artist is creating their own work usually. Sometimes the pay is minimal in hopes to land the next larger paid gig. Sometimes it can take 2-5 years to get a project going to finally be paid on it. BUT……if/when it hits, there is a windfall to be had. The other key difference is that there is a deep passion in the creative person to make their story come to life. We almost want to explode because we want to get the story out of our heads onto screens. We take pride in the finished product and really want the audience to not only consume the project in a revenue sort of way but also in an emotional way. It’s the greatest honor to affect an audience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.americansummermovie.com
• Instagram: @relentlessmwg
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelwgray/

Image Credits
Michael W Gray on set with Oscar Winner Sir Ben Kingsley
Michael W Gray at premiere with UFC’s Dustin Poirier