STORY Adds Director Rich Michell

CHICAGO—Director/Director of Photography Rich Michell has joined STORY for national representation in advertising. A versatile talent, Michell combines storytelling skill with deep experience in product and tabletop cinematography. His credits include such diverse brands as 3M/Scotch, General Mills, Target, Subway, UnitedHealthCare and Wendy’s.

Michell comes to STORY following a long run with Twist, Minneapolis, a company he co-founded. There, he developed a strong national and regional client base. He directed more than a dozen commercials for 3M through Grey, NY, many combining performance, product and humor. One recent spot features a Post-It note sticky enough to hold a terrier off the ground.

"The art direction and choreography of each spot is defined to fit the function and design of the product,” Michell says. “In the process, we developed a graphic and playful style that highlight the individual products and create a cohesive design for the variety of 3M brands.”

In a spot for the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival, a boy turns his apartment into a make-shift movie theater: he adjusts a window to provide a “letterbox” view of the apartment of a quarrelling French couple across the way.

STORY executive producer Mark Androw notes that Michell’s work exhibits a clean aesthetic, meticulous composition, strong use of light and color, and elegant camerawork. “Rich is a gifted craftsman,” Androw says. “His work stands out for its beauty and elegant execution. He also has a great sense of humor.”

Trained as a fine artist, Michell began his career as a camera operator and cinematographer. He broke into directing through tabletop work, but soon expanded into performance-driven storytelling. His work has been featured in such publications as How, Creativity, Shoot, and AdWeek.

In discussing his move to STORY, Michell called it an opportunity to expand his horizons. “STORY is well represented around the country,” he says. “That was important to me.” He adds that he is especially interested in increased access to the Chicago advertising market. “Many of the best restaurant and packaged goods accounts are based there,” he says.
STORY is represented on the East Coast by SuperPowers (646) 633-4578; in the Midwest by Melissa Thornley (312) 752-5369, in the Southeast by Miller + Associates, (954) 563-6004; in the Southwest by Gossip!, (214) 288-2813 and on the West Coast by Yvette Lubinsky (310) 827-2626 .

For more information, visit https://www.storyco.tv/