Michael O. Banowetz

5170 Quitman St.                                                                                                                                                                      Phone:  303-477-055
Denver, CO  80212                                                                                                                                 E-Mail:  michaelbanowetz@comcast.net

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

9/82 to present:                                   Lighthouse Productions
                                                              Post facility, producer, director, writer, editor, graphic artist, owner.

Freelance film/video production.  Credits include producing, directing, writing, editing, and shooting films and videos while offering post-production off-line/on-line facilities with special effects and graphic design, clients including Disney, National PBS, ESPN, the Discovery Channel, the Colorado Rockies, Starz!, Animal Planet, TCI, Warren Miller Entertainment, Outdoor Life Network, HGTV, Fine Living, Quiznos, 9-KUSA, Gannett Productions, Green Peace, Up With People, World Cup sporting events, National Stroke Association, Denver International Airport, Sailing and Cruising World magazines, and many others. 

1/96 to 3/98:                                         Great Scott Productions   
                                                              Series producer, editor.

Series producer and editor for "Hollywood One On One," a weekly, 1/2 hour, multiple Emmy-winning, local, national and international television series.  First freelance, then as a KUSA employee, then after the show moved into a new facility, the writers handed me scripts and I delivered almost 300 completed shows exercising final on-air approval:  editing on many systems (linear and nonlinear), supervising other editors, designing opens, picking takes, overseeing graphics, supervising on-line, trimming the show to length, picking music, mixing audio, running chyron and stillstore, doing timing and cue sheets, etc..  I also delivered a 15 min. version of the show weekly and many other projects. 

6/94 to 1/96:                                         KUSA Productions
                                                             Producer, director, writer, editor, cameraman.

Series producer and editor for "Hollywood One On One."  I also wrote, produced, and edited many national and international interstitials and promos, edited an episode for the Cable Ace winning series, "How The West Was Lost," for The Discovery Channel, and an Emmy-winning concert special for Up With People.   These are only a few of the many award-winning projects and happy clients I served.

5/89 to 12/91:                                      Alpine Film Productions
                                                             Producer, director, writer, editor, cameraman.

Duties included some shooting and producing all post-production:  handling all writing, editing, post direction and scheduling, on-line and sound mixing/music composition supervision for 12 volumes of "Sailing Quarterly," a 60-70 minute video magazine composed of 6-8 shorts, using computer-controlled editing and EDL management.  Stories included documentary, promotional, travelogue, instructional, commercials. 

9/87 to 5/89:                                         NYC Department of Transportation
                                                              Supervisor film/video unit.

Duties included supervising film MFA's on staff and numerous free-lancers with as many as 15 films/videos in concurrent production, overseeing all projects from initial concepts, budgets, scripts, shooting schedules, shot lists, etc., to final on-line edit, functioning variously as producer, director, writer, editor, and camera/sound man.  Documentary, public service spots, training, promotional.

EDUCATION AND HONORS:

GRADUATE:  Columbia University, New York, NY.  M.F.A. in Screenwriting/Directing, 1988.  Two merit scholarships.  Studied with Martin Scorsese, Brian DePalma, Milos Forman, and many others.

UNDERGRADUATE:  Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.  Honors Graduate, B.A. in English, minors in Philosophy and Creative Writing, 1985.  Graduated with Honors and Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa, G.P.A. 3.97.  Two Creative Writing Scholarships, Elks Leadership Scholarship, Kiwanis Citizenship Scholarship, Ben Delatour Scholarship, and Finalist Boettcher Scholar.

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS:

2007 New York Festivals Gold World Medal, Best Documentary, 2004 National Emmy Nomination , 2002 National Emmy nomination, two 2001 Tellie Awards, 2001 Teddy for Outstanding Outdoor Adventure Documentary, 2000 Teddy Award for Outstanding Outdoor Adventure Series, 1995 Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment Program,  two 1995 Emmy nominations, 1994 Cable Ace, 1994 Cine Golden Eagle, 1994 Silver Medalist New York Film Festivals, three 1994 Emmy nominations, 1994 C.B.A. for Best Children's Programming, three 1993 Emmy nominations, 1993 Alfie, 1992 Cine Golden Eagle, 1992 Tellie, 1992 Blue Sky Award, Finalist 1989 Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Six screenplays:  “Boulder,”  “Fantastic Phantoms and Frauds,” “Felines,” “Love Thy Enemy,” option lapsed, “Raincoat,” and “The Lightkeepers,” Finalist 1989 Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  Three feature treatments:  “She Was Born To Fly,” option lapsed, “Rimfire,” “Pound 17,” both purchased by Animal Planet.

“Dream House,”  2006-2007, weekly series for HGTV, editor.

“American Shopper,” 2006-2007, series for Fine Living Network and associated broadband packages, post facility.

“Haulin’ House,” 2006-2007, weekly series for HGTV, editor.

“Rezoned,”  2006, high definition series for HGTV, producer/writer, editor, graphics, post facility.

“Food Competition Series,” 2005-06, high-definition series for The Food Network.  Editor.

“Dream House:  After Katrina,” 2005,  high-definition special for HGTV, 2007 New York Festivals Gold World Medal, Best Documentary.  Editor.

“Offbeat America,” 2005, high-definition series for HGTV.  Editor.

“My First Place,” 2005,  high-definition makeover series for HGTV.  Editor.

“Destination Wild,” 2005, high-definition pilot for Fox Sports.  Editor, graphic artist.

“Beach Week,” 2005, 12 hour-long high-definition specials for The Travel Channel.  Editor/writer.

“Out of  Control Christmas,” 2004, hour-long special for HGTV.  Editor.

“The Dalton Highway,” 2004, hour-long high-definition documentary for OLN.  Writer, editor, motion graphic artist/facility.

“In A Fix,” 2004, hour-long makeover show for TLC.  Producer, writer, editor, post facility.

“Surprise By Design,” 2002-2004, daily hour-long, Emmy-nominated show for The Discovery Channel.  Head editor/producer.

“Superior Beings,” 2004, hour long Emmy-nominated special on challenged athletes, financed by Disney, airing on ESPN.  Producer/editor/motion graphics.

“Combover:  The Movie,” 2004,  feature-length documentary.  Consulting producer/editor.

“Pop Sci Adventures,”  2003, 30 minute pilot for National PBS series.  Editor.

“If Walls Could Talk,” 2003, weekly series for HGTV.  Editor.

“Ski Gear and Beyond,” 2003, half-hour show with 6 minute vignettes for Outdoor Life Network.  Motion graphics artist/facility, editor.

“Busted,” 2001-2002, weekly hour-long series for Animal Planet.  Online editor/facility, special effects and graphics artist/facility including application of FilmFX to make the series appear as if shot on film.

“Warren Miller’s Global Adventure,”  1999-2002, a series of hour long documentaries for Outdoor Life Network.  Winner of two 2001 Tellie Awards and 2000 Teddy Award.  Editor, graphic artist/facility, on-line facility.

“Breed All About It,” 1999-2001, weekly series for Animal Planet.  Producer, writer, editor, graphic artist/ facility.

 “Modern Masters,” 2000-2001, weekly series for HGTV.  Editor.

“Vet School Confidential,” 2001, weekly series for Animal Planet.  Producer/writer, editor.

“Cold Fusion,” 2001, yearly Warren Miller feature film.  Special effects--FilmFX to match video to filmstocks.

“Secret Gardens,” 2001, weekly series for HGTV.  Editor.

  “Wilderness Semester,” 2000, an hour long pilot for a reality based television series.  2001 Teddy Award.  Editor, graphic design/facility, post facility. 

"Emergency Vets," 1997-2000, 1/2 hour, weekly series for Animal Planet.  Producer, writer, editor.

  "Hollywood One On One," 1992-1998, a weekly, 1/2 hour, multiple Emmy-winning television series, airing locally, nationally and in over 40 foreign markets.  Series producer, editor of almost 300 completed programs.

“Academy Awards Preview,” 1998, an hour-long special previewing the Oscar race.  Producer, editor, post facility.

 "Hollywood Profiles:  Tom Hanks," 1997, 1/2 hour pilot for an entertainment/documentary series.  Producer, editor.  

"Starz! Interstitials," 1994-97, over 60 stories and spots for national and international broadcast.  Producer, writer, editor.

"As Long As The Grass Shall Grow," 1994, a 60 minute documentary for the Cable Ace and Cine Golden Eagle winning series for Discovery ,  "How The West Was Lost."  Silver medalist, international documentary, N.Y. Film Festival.  Editor. 

  "The Denver Partnership Awards," 1994, 6 five minute stories.  Producer, director, writer, editor.

  "World In Motion," 1994, a 60 minute, Emmy-winning, concert television special.  Editor.

  "The Colorado Rockies:  The Road to the Big Leagues," 1994, a 14 minute recruitment tape for the National League baseball club.  Editor, post-production supervisor.

  "The Day The Wall Came Down," 1993, a 17 minute documentary.  1993 Alfie winner.  Editor. 

  "Women of Courage T.V. Spots," 1993, 30 and 15 sec. spots for national PBS.  Producer, writer, editor.

  "Women of Courage," 1992, a 60 minute documentary on women pilots in WWII airing on National PBS.  1992 Cine Golden Eagle, Tellie, Blue Sky Award.   Associate producer, editor, cameraman. 

  Sailing Quarterly," 1989-92, twelve 60-70 minute video magazines, containing 6-8 shorts each.  Producer, director, writer, editor, post-production supervisor, cameraman.

  "Frankenstein, the "Mad" Painter," 1991, a 30 min. documentary.  Producer, director, editor, camera.

  "Saving the Williamsburg Bridge," 1989, a 30 minute, 16 mm. documentary.  Co-producer/director/writer, editor.  

REFERENCES AND PORTFOLIO: 

 References, writing samples, creative reels, and further credits are available on request.

 

Lighthouse Productions