Meet Michael Hale | Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Musician, Educator

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

Hi Michael, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I find that no matter what I’m doing, be it filmmaking, music, or education, professionalism goes a long way. People want to work with professionals. You could be the best cinematographer or guitarist in the world, but if you’re a jerk, that’s what people will remember.

I’m also extremely chill. I’ll always be the last one to lose my cool if something starts going wrong, and it always does. Whenever the inevitable technical difficultly or setback happens, it’s best not to add to the stress by freaking out.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m a little bit of a jack-of-all-trades. I’m a film teacher by day, screenwriter by night, and touring bass player on the weekends, but for years, I was only a musician. I toured all over the states with a couple signed bands and rock cover bands. I wrote my first screenplay in my head while staring out the window of the band van on tour. Once my main band broke up, I finished my degree and earned a masters in film production. That opened a lot of doors for teaching, which I always wanted to do, and collaborating with filmmakers.

Here are the four questions I ask myself when I’m offered a gig: 1. Is the compensation better than average? 2. Is it a new experience? 3. Is the end result going to be amazing? 4. Is it fun? If I answer “no” to more than one of those questions, I’ll usually turn down the gig. I’m not going to take a job that pays a ton, but isn’t any fun. I’d rather work with friends for free.

What sets me apart? I’m a consummate student. I’m always striving to learn something new, but my approach is a little bit different than others. I’ve found most people focus on the new and trendy. I like to dive into the history of it. Who are these people ripping off? I want to study the first filmmaker or musician to do something new not the fiftieth band or person that ripped them off.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For food, we’re going for Indian in Decatur. The chicken 65 at Zyka is amazing. We’ll go for some late night pho on Buford highway. Holy Taco in Glenwood is another must for their bacon tacos.

For my musician friends, we’ll check out a show at the Tabernacle, Fox, or Buckhead Theater.

For the filmmakers, seeing a classic movie at the Plaza Theatre or the Tara, or we could rent one from Videodrome in Virginia Highlands.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My love of movies comes from my mom. We used to go to the dollar theater and watch the same movies over and over. When I first started playing bass, my dad showed me some pictures of him playing bass in high school. I was totally surprised. I had no idea he had ever played bass or was musically inclined. I guess I subconsciously got some bass guitar skills from my dad.

I’ve played with some amazing musicians and collaborated with great filmmakers and writers – too many to name. I love working with people better than me because it’s the best learning opportunity. Working with people not at my level is fun too because I get to fulfill the mentor role.

One book that changed my life: Steven Jay Schneider’s 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. I haven’t watched them all yet, but it’s film school in a book.

Image Credits
Andrew Burn