To inquire about collaborations and discuss creative opportunities, please send an email.
mcoleman@colemanfilm.com
Michael Coleman is a Bay Area-based award-winning director and cinematographer and has spent over two decades behind the camera, crafting intimate films that explore the world of sound, music, and the artists who shape it. With a foundation in both filmmaking and sound engineering, Michael’s lens has taken him deep into the creative process.
Michael got his start as an assistant to legendary music producer Jack Douglas in Boston, documenting Aerosmith’s 2004 blues record Honkin’ on Bobo. The resulting film, You Gotta Move, offered a rare look inside the band’s studio sessions and was certified 4X platinum. That early project laid the groundwork for a career built on trust, access, and a deep love for creative collaboration.
Since then, Michael has contributed to an impressive range of projects across film, TV, and streaming. His work has been featured in films including director Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now: Final Cut, director Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE, director Chris Sanders’s The Wild Robot, director Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters, director Brett Morgen’s The Rolling Stones: Crossfire Hurricane, director Cameron Crowe and Producer Morgan Neville’s, Pearl Jam Twenty, director John M. Chu’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation, director Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, director J.C. Chandor’s, All is Lost, director Michael Bay’s, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, director Nimrod Antal’s, Metallica: Through the Never and Aerosmith’s multi platinum film, You Gotta Move.
In 2009, Michael launched the SoundWorks Collection, an exclusive and intimate video series focusing on individuals and teams behind-the-scenes, bringing to life some of the world’s most exciting projects. The SoundWorks Collection video series has featured interviews with directors Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Denis Villeneuve, Jordan Peele, Darren Aronofsky, Mel Gibson, Robert Zemeckis, Bradley Cooper, Brad Bird, Edgar Wright, Matt Reeves, Joseph Kosinski, Ron Howard and many other leaders in the film industry.
In 2016, Michael directed the short film, John Muir - Coming Home which was inspired by the writings of naturalist, author and early advocate of wilderness preservation John Muir. The film was featured on Sierra Club, Outside Magazine, San Jose Mercury News, and Film Convert including a special engagement at John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA.
In 2017, Michael directed his debut feature documentary, The Art of Listening, which is about the journey music takes to reach a listener’s ear, from the intent of an instrument maker and composer, to the producers and engineers who capture and preserve an artist’s voice. The film was produced with Sony Electronics and premiered at SXSW, followed by streaming on Youtube accumulating 1.8 million views.
Michael is currently in production on his next feature documentary.