Growing up as the son of a photographer, Michael Gracey began shooting and developing film from an early age. The visual prodigy left school to become the youngest employee at world famous Academy Award winning post production company Animal Logic

In 2002, Michael’s directorial debut won the ARIA award for best music video. He has since won an ARIA an additional three times and has worked with a wide range of artists from the Sugababes and Alesha Dixon to Natasha Bedingfield and Will Young. SourceEcreative described his work as: “All are song and dance extravaganzas, with the [Will Young] ‘Your Game’ video being an astonishing mix of theatrics, dancing, effects and animation so deftly pulled off you’ll scratch your head as to how it was done.”

Michael has also directed several ads for brands like Evian, Fiat, McCain, Marks & Spencer & Lipton, which featured High Jackman. His acclaimed commercial work has received numerous accolades including BTAA, Creative Circle and Midsummer Awards. His groundbreaking T-Mobile “Dance” spot won 3 Lions at Cannes and 2 Clios, including a Gold for Best Direction. His Evian “Roller Babies” commercial has become the Guinness Book of World Records’ most watched online ad with over 63 million hits worldwide.

Along with his commercial and music video pursuits, Michael is attached to a number of feature film projects. In March 2013, it was announced that Michael will direct ROCKETMAN, the biographical musical film about Sir Elton John. Michael is also booked to direct Fox’s The Greatest Showman on Earth starring Hugh Jackman, and is collaborating with Disney and Jim Henson Productions to develop MUPPET MAN, a musical about the life of Jim Henson, the creative genius behind THE MUPPET and SESAME STREET franchises

It is this general proficiency across multiple disciplines that distinguishes Michael from other directors. His creative depths are truly limitless, as he has proven time and again that he is as comfortable in a theatre as he is behind a camera or managing complex animations projects.