Meet Michael Martin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Martin.

Hi Michael, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started making films as a kid. I took my parent’s miniDV recorder with me everywhere and forced all of my siblings to make Star Wars movies in our basement. Those are likely the first “films” I ever directed because I was bossy AF.

As I grew older, I never considered being a filmmaker as a “job”. The Star Wars flicks became a fun childhood memory and nothing more. I come from pretty blue-collar parents and directing videos just never entered my radar of employment.

This is the part of the story where I contradict all of that previous set-up and earn a Bachelor’s of Fin Arts. Yeah. It doesn’t make much sense to me either.

After college, I did what most people with a degree in Arts do and got a job at a pizza place. To this day, I love the service industry and food in general. Those years are more formative to my filmmaking than I ever imagined. Foodservice can be a respectable long-term career but I knew I wanted something different and I was given an opportunity to take an internship with a post-production facility in KC.

At the interview for that internship, I told them I had experience editing videos (see: Previous Star Wars films). I left out that they were mostly shirtless 8-year-old boys fighting with broomsticks. So they gave me the job. That was a Friday. I was to start on Monday. I spent the weekend furiously googling “how to edit videos” and started my career as a professional filmmaker thanks to my time at YouTube University.

A few years later the company, I worked for was bought out by a local KC advertising agency called Barkley. I spent 5 years with that agency and met some of the best people I’ve known in KC. I gained more skills as a director and shooter. I was able to work on nationally known clients. I even directed Paul Rudd. Wow. Look at us. Who would have thought?

I was feeling pretty successful and got curious about what it might be like to freelance or be out on my own. In 2018, a politician, Jason Kander, was looking for a documentarian. The timing was right. The motivation was there. I put in my two-week notice and took one of the largest leaps of faith in my entire career. I had no savings. I had no safety nets. I turned down a good salary to survive on my own. It was HORRIFYING.

Jason and I spent about 6 months traveling the country and making a docu/vlog series on YouTube about voter’s rights and the democratic process. I traveled to 2-3 cities per week filming and editing non-stop. This was the most productive period in my career. We created 2-3 fifteen min videos every week. It was boot camp and I grew more in that time than anything I’ve experienced to date.

During my time with Jason, I also established a small production company, TwoSeam Films. I knew the job with Jason wouldn’t be forever and I wanted to gain other clients on my own. TwoSeam has been around almost 5 years now and we’ve done work with a wide variety of clients all over the country. When Jason stepped away from our project I was able to transition to running the production company and focus on my directing career.

Some of my most notable pieces of the last few years are jobs that I’ve done as a writer and director. Locally, I’ve written and directed almost every Boulevard Brewing commercial since 2018 and we are beginning a new round of spots for this summer.

I’ve established some partnerships with other production companies as a director and writer. Together we bid on larger productions. They work with me as a comedy and docu-style director on larger jobs. Recently, I worked n Atlanta Georgia with two members of the Braves for Papa John through one of those companies called Dictionary Films.

My career has really started to pick up some steam. I feel incredibly honored, lucky, and privileged to be able to say that. 2022 has been a busy year thus far and I’ve got a few commercials planned for the summer. I am writing and directing several comedy spots and finishing some documentary-style work for a national whiskey distillery.

My production company is growing and have my gigs as a director. The pandemic caused some growing pains but I’ve always been the type of person who adapts to EVERYTHING. I can thank my roots in the service industry and my blue-collar family for those values.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge for all of us has been the pandemic.

Obviously, everyone has had to make some sacrifices and change their plans. For me, this meant taking on jobs that were not necessarily what I wanted for my career but keeping my rent paid. That can be a humbling process. My partner is also a full-time student and she has made some of the same sacrifices for both of our careers. I would not be here without her support and effort.

Other than the obvious pandemic I try not to focus on obstacles That sound like BS but I honestly try my best to not see anything as an obstacle. I have so many other things that work in my favor. I acknowledge all of the privileges I’ve received in my life and I am aware that my career could be much harder if I didn’t look like I do or identify the way I do.

That doesn’t mean it’s been easy but it means I get the luxury of saying things like “I try not to see anything as an obstacle”. That’s my choice and I choose to see how lucky I have been.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The work I do most frequently is comedy. I mostly make commercial films about real people in absurd situations. I also use my affinity for “real people” filmmaking to do docu-style work for brands or short films. I try my best to see film, art, writing, and creativity as down-to-earth as possible. I like to avoid the terms “Art” or “Film” with a capital letter. This means I try not to put anything on a pedestal.

I tend not to make “sexy” commercials that have GORGEOUS idyllic shots of overly beautiful aesthetics. That type of work is incredible and I’m jealous of people who can make it but I just don’t see the world that way. I see all the little flaws or tripping up the stairs or spilling a drink on yourself as “real”. Those are the moments that mean the most to me.

I can be a very serious person and making comedy is a way for me to cope with being in my head too much. The last comedy spot, I made was about Quirk Hard Seltzers from Boulevard and the entire premise was based around gigantic fruit people having fun on a summer day. The difference for Quirk is that they use real fruit so I pitched the idea to Boulevard as, “What if the REAL fruit was ACTUALLY real fruit!?” They loved it and we made it.

Everything I love is absurd and laughs at itself as much as it can because that’s the type of person I strive to be. I try not to take myself too seriously. That helps me be less “in my head” but I’m not perfect at it, yet…

What matters most to you? Why?
Food and jokes. Food is the best thing people have ever created laughing at shit is what makes life worth living.

Some of my favorite memories in life are always around a good meal with good people. If heaven exists it’s just a huge-ass meal with all the best people to talk to forever. And you get to eat as much as you want and you never feel sick.

Contact Info:

• Email: mikemartinkc@gmail.com
• Website: www.mikemartin.tv
• Instagram: @michaelmartinkc
• Twitter: @michaelmartinkc
• Other: www.fullmeasureshow.com

Image Credits
Brian Cummings https://briancummings.com/