Director Michele Atkins Signs with LA Production Company Spittn Image
Michele Atkins’ joins the roster of Directors at Spittn Image. At the height of the evolving landscape of female representation in filmmaking, Michele highlights the significance of collaboration.
Michele's career began behind the camera, where she honed her skills in working her way up from a PA to producing and directing. She gained experience shooting news pieces and public access television before ultimately moving to Los Angeles. It was there that she climbed the production ladder, having the opportunity to work alongside renowned directors like Zack Snyder and Joe Pytka. Her big break came when she directed a sponsored short film for Levi's, which garnered attention and led her to be signed by Kaboom.
Throughout her career, Michele has worked with brands like Gundersen Healthcare, Prezi, T-Mobile, and Fidelity on the commercial side, while also being the recipient of the Academy of Motion Picture Nicholl Fellowship in 2016, a highly coveted fellowship given out by the Academy of Motion Picture. She was awarded for one of her feature screenplays titled, Talking About the Sky. A script that was championed by Academy Award winning actress, Eva Marie Saint.
She emphasized the importance of collaboration, particularly the relationship between producers and directors. “Melissa is an example of someone who gets it, she’s an excellent communicator and listener,” she praises Spittn Image co-owner, founder and Executive Producer Melissa Ciampa for her exceptional communication skills and her ability to understand the needs of both clients and creatives. Michele's experience working on various projects have shaped her approach to directing, allowing her to anticipate the needs of her team and the story.
"Knowing both sides of production has informed me to be a better director," Michele shared, highlighting her proactive & curious nature, always seeking to move projects forward and foster a creatively productive environment on set. In Michele’s future of directing, she hopes to explore projects driven by emotive music and real-life, human stories and inspire nuanced performances, "If there’s a genuine story to be told, that’s where my sweet spot is because I’m a story-teller at heart.”
With the increased presence of women in leadership roles within the industry, we’re seeing more and more fully female-led teams. There is a unique communication dynamic and collaborative spirit that emerges on those sets, "there seems to be room to grow with one another.” reflects Atkins.
“So much progress has been made in creating inclusive environments.” adds Ciampa. “That’s not to say that every set we work on should be females only, if anything I want to harp on the importance of not only having female representation but also fostering healthy collaboration among creatives, regardless of gender.”
Michele’s got her eye on some big brands to hopefully add to her already impressive reel of work and resume, “I admire many brands’ efforts in telling human-centric stories in campaigns, this is a place in which I thrive.” adds Atkins.
Michele’s journey from production to directing showcases her dedication to storytelling, a keen focus on creating inclusive environments and a passion for compelling narratives. The opportunity to collaborate with Melissa and the Spittn Image team through their shared vision for the future promises to bring more diverse and humanistic stories to the forefront.
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