MICHAEL PAXTON on Filmmaking
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Michael Paxton, Producer/Writer/Director
BIOGRAPHY
Michael Paxtongrew up in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. Pursuing a career inphilosophy, he obtained his B. A. at Albany State University. In his final yearof college, he minored in cinema studies and film production where he found histrue passion. He soon moved to New York City and became an award-winninggraduate of New York University's Graduate Institute of Film and Television.His thesis film--FORBIDDEN FRUIT--won Best Screenplay, Best Editing, BestProduction and Best Actress at the First Run Film Festival in 1988.
Upon moving toLos Angeles, Michael embarked on a career in the theatre and in animation. In1989, he produced and directed the award-winning world premiere of a play byAyn Rand—IDEAL--at the Melrose Theater in Hollywood. In 1991, he adapted anddirected a dramatic presentation of Miss Rand's futuristic novelette, ANTHEM,to sold-out houses at Hollywood's Lex Theatre. At the same time, he was awriter for the Walt Disney Company’s Feature Animation department during THELITTLE MERMAID in 1989. He then moved into production on a number of animatedfeatures, including ROVER DANGERFIELD (with Rodney Dangerfield) for WarnerBros. and BEBE'S KIDS for Paramount. In 1995 he was the Assistant Director onthe live-action/animated feature, THE PAGEMASTER, for Turner Pictures. In 1997,he brought his experience in live action film, animation and theatre to thefeature documentary AYN RAND: A SENSE OF LIFE, which won him an Academy Awardnomination and a Golden Satellite Award for Best Feature Documentary. He hasjust completed another documentary, A PLACE IN THE CIRCLE, which is about theBlack Native American experience and was selected to screen at the 2000 HollywoodBlack Film Festival.
In addition towriting and directing films, Michael has authored 4 books: AYN RAND: A SENSE OFLIFE--THE COMPANION BOOK and 3 children’s books for Disney based on theirclassic animated features (CINDERELLA, THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER and THEARISTOCATS). He has also co-produced the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack toA SENSE OF LIFE and worked as a dialogue coordinator for Creative CapersEntertainment, Inc. on numerous Disney CD-ROM games and animated storybooks forchildren (THE LITTLE MERMAID, MULAN, WINNIE THE POOH and TARZAN). Mr. Paxtonwas a Visual Effects Supervisor on STUART LITTLE 2 and was the AssociateProducer on THE LION KING 1 ½ for Disney. Most recently, he is the AssociateProducer on BIONICLE 3: WEB OF SHADOWS for Miramax.Finally, Mr. Paxton is developing anumber of feature film projects for his company, Copasetic, Inc.
Please visit Michael Paxton's most beautiful Sense of Life website forinformation and merchandise, including the Collector's Edition DVD of theAcademy Award nominated film Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life.
