We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Caradonna. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.

Michael , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I have over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry and, starting out in front of the camera many moons ago, that was, and still is, the biggest risk of my life…

I won’t bore you with the details leading up to getting my first acting job, but after growing up in Oklahoma, I passed on a career in the US Air Force and as a nurse, getting my first acting role in a film titled Foreign Student in Virginia, of all places. After that small role, I was cast for two other smaller roles, acquiring the acting bug. With the little money I earned, I bought a 1972 VW bug and drove from Virginia to Los Angeles, stopping off to say hello in Oklahoma of course, and continued the big risk.

I integrated into Young Hollywood life in the early 90s and had minor acting successes on TV shows like Party of Five and roles in a few independent films, but I quickly moved behind the camera where I continued the risks.

Working my way through the river of projects, from a production assistant working on commercials and TV series to director of photography on feature films, I stayed busy, always on the cusp.

As DP and camera operator jobs began requiring “Owner/Operators” for employment of the projects I worked on, I slid nicely into production management and line producing, utilizing my scheduling and timing skills, developed running camera crews, and budgeting experience, continuing my career once again in another area of entertainment.

It was on a film in Oklahoma, where I eventually worked on numerous films, that I moved into the AD (assistant director) department. The Director and First AD, did not get along very well and I was called into run the set as the First AD, finishing out the last day. I quite enjoyed it. Knowing there was a whole lot more to being an AD, then calling out “Roll Camera”, I studied everything I could and learned the industry scheduling programs and began taking jobs as the First Assistant Director.

Seems the career was on a nice path. In between the management and AD gigs, I produced a feature film titled Blood From Stone and had made real connections to continue to produce quality films and series, then April 2020 came along.

Between and pandemic and the duel strikes of 2023, my career came to a screeching halt. No one was investing in independents because the streaming services had made it impossible for anything less than Studio projects or A-List led films to make any money. Working as a First AD and production manager took a hit as well, since the budget level of films I worked on fell into the ‘less than Studio projects’ category.

So here I am, still risking it all to keep alive in this business that I have survived in for over 30 years. In that time, I found my best friend and partner and we have an amazing daughter that is off to her own adventures entering college. That stated, I would never change a thing regarding my decisions in life.

I have been an actor, a production assistant, a camera operator, a stunt person, a director of photography and a producer. I have also, been shot at by Taliban, got killed first in the Sharknado films, jousted out of a Mini Coop, and had lots of fun and experiences along the way in so many amazing locations around the world.

Am I scared for the future, yes I am, but with the state of the world and this economy, it’s complicated when trying to switch careers or find a new path, so in the meantime, I continue the path in the entertainment industry.

Continuing the risk(s), that I started back in 1993…

Michael , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As a Producer, working on primarily independent productions, I have learned to manage budgets that sometimes seemed impossible, but was always able to bring in a finished project successfully. I have organized production hiring, filming permits, location agreements and payroll.

As a Production Manager and First AD, I have overseen and managed productions and events of all sizes, most recently managing an 85 person crew and over 30 performers during a 70 day production schedule that I created. Skills utilized, but not limited too are script and production breakdowns, strip board scheduling for easy reference and understanding, crew management, including hiring, discipline and main point of contact. I make sure I am approachable to all I work with, everyone should be comfortable in the workplace. All of this helps with the ultimate goal of bringing the event or production in on time and within budget.

Building a reputation as a people’s manager, I am confident in my abilities to be the person who listens and understands what everyone on my team needs to get their job done. Communication, attention to detail and organization are just a few of my major strong points that go along with my experience. I began building my work ethic as an Airman in the United States Air Force Reserves and have taken that discipline with me everywhere.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As a young camera operator, I jumped on to a documentary that filmed in the war zones of Afghanistan. What the %$#* was I thinking?

I spent 6 and half weeks in various areas of Afghanistan, but 11 days out of the 6 weeks, stands out the most. I was in a heavily armed based called COP Michigan (command outpost) and we were close to another dangerous area called the Korengal Valley and not far from the Pakistan border.

We were under constant fire and RPG attacks that happened throughout the day and night. One shot would come in from a hilltop and the US army would unleash hundreds of rounds in return, never knowing if anyone was hit…

I was shot at, blown up, knocked into walls and all while focusing a camera and not having a weapon.

I had no idea what I had gotten myself into and was certain I was not going home alive, but I did.

There has never been a project or location or problem on set that I couldn’t face, since nothing compared to producing a project and focusing a camera while being shot at by the Taliban…

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Society needs to get back to understanding that creatives and artists are what drives us all. Everyone on this planet reads books, watches television, admires photographs, studies art, enjoys films and even loves watching reality and non-fiction real world productions.

Artists and creatives need a place to develop their skills just as an athlete needs to train. Athletes and creatives are a lot a like.

If schools and learning institutions focused equally on art classes, acting classes, photography, painting and literature as much as they do with sports and athletics, you would see a whole new group of humans who can be proud of what they do and who they are.

Stop taking funding and resources away from art classes and begin to recognize that we are all creative and we are all artists and should be able to express it and have the means and openness to, well, create…

Contact Info:

• Website: https://michaelcaradonna.com
• Instagram: @actiononcamera
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/michaelcaradonna