About
Michael has over 30 years of professional experience in the television industry. His career spans the entire gamut of production experiences starting by working for the Cable News Network at it inception as a Video Journalist and working his way up the ranks of CNN to Field Sound Recordist, Long Format Post Production Editor and two time Emmy Award winning video tape editor , for his projects “Planetary Police” the UN as a police force and “In the Wake of Destruction” the Mississippi Flood of 1989. Eventually Michael combined his editing and audio experience, he gained from previous documentary and educational projects in his early years and his hard news field audio experience he gained with CNN, on productions like the Fall of Communism, in Moscow in 1992 when Pres. Gorbachev signed away the Soviet Union; Operation Restore Hope, in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993/1994,where he won his first National Audio Emmy, while being imbedded with the 1st MEU Marine Corps Unit and stationed through out the country for a month and a half, and in Indonesia for the People Bomb Documentary Series, and decied to leave CNN and join the Film and Video Unit of Turner Studios in order to work on more higher end productions.
Shortly after his transition to Turner Studios Michael Reff formed his own underwater production company. Having been a SCUBA diver for over 25 years, and having owned and operated his own underwater cameras and lights for several years he began producing ½ hr. Travel Guide documentaries for CNN, Turner Broadcasting, CNN International, and Airport Channel. His reports consisted of such fabulous dive destinations as Galapagos, Ecuador; Cocos Island, Costa Rica; Red Center, Australia; Roatan, Honduras; and Papua New Guinea. He arranged and conducted all of the interviews as well as wrote, produced and shot all the underwater footage for the Travel Guide pieces. Currently Michaels company is working on a off- roading documentary in Burma and China.
While his production business grew, he continued to grow in experience at Turner Studios and in 1999 Michael Reff was promoted from Production Sound Recordist to Videographer, then later to Sr. Videographer, and finally after winning 2 Emmy awards for his camerawork in 2003 and 2005, Michael was promoted to the esteemed position of Director of Photography .
In 2008, when Turner shifted its sales direction to include external clients , Michael took advantage of the opportunity and agressivly persuded such clients. Thereby bringing a tremendous amount of work back into Turner and created shooting opportunities for him across the U.S., as well as in Cambodia , for the UPS Corp, Rawanda and the Congo, for the Disney Foundation and numerous other locations. Finally after 25 years of Service for CNN and Turner Broadcasting, Michael has decieided to leave his full time position in order to grow his personal company “Deep Blue Imagery LLC” and become a freelance DP..
Beside being a International Award winning DP, Michael has a great love of teaching , writing for technical Magazines, still photography and has been a Rescue Certified SCUBA diver for over 30yrs. He is optimistic, energetic and has the great gift of constantly thinking creatively outside the box.
Credits
Companies Michael has worked for;
Gospel Music Channel, Turner South, Turner Broadcasting ,
TNT, NBA, NBA.com, NASCAR.com, Cartoon Network ,
Cartoon Network Latin America, CNN, UPS, BET,
Disney Foundation, Charter Cable, Telemudo, Atlanta Zoo,
Georgia Aquarium, CNN International, TCM, Bain and Company,
Chick-Fil-A
Projects Michael has worked on:
Reality
“Bushwacked “ Turner South
“Drumline” – BET
“Sunday Best” – BET
“Pay it Off” – BET
“RED Performance”
Commercial Credits:
“Without Grady” Ad Campagin – Won 12 awards
NBA -
Music related shows:
Concert camera – Dave Mathews Band,
Concert Camera – Soul Miners Daughter ( Sugar Lands first band)
BoomBox – Boomerang Latin America
Concerts and Bands shot included; Maroon 5, Fall Out Boy, Justin Bieber, Starship , Jason Derulo, LMFAO,
04/08/2014
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