Alumni
Andrew Michael Ellis
Director of Photography, Director, Cinematographer
Hi, my name is Andrew. I use filmmaking to help make the world more beautiful.
Through documentaries, narrative films, and commercials, I try to bring a poetic, compassionate look into the most pressing and complex social issues of our time. I've made films in 30 countries, and I love creating cinematic narratives in the most rugged of environments.
My films have been featured at Sundance, SXSW, CNN, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, and TIME Magazine. In 2016, while working as the Director of Photography at MediaStorm, I was named “Multimedia Photographer of the Year” by Pictures of the Year International.
Next to filmmaking, my biggest passion is teaching. During most productions around the world, I mentor young filmmaker during the process. I love teaching on set, but I've also enjoyed teaching filmmaking at colleges such as NYU, Vassar, and Columbia.
Nomadique is an arts collective I co-founded which hosts monthly dinners and pop-up art exhibitions in Brooklyn.
HELIX is a video platform I also co-founded that's dedicated to creating and distributing dance on film.
As a formerly incarcerated person, Michael struggled for work, and found purpose in being a husband, father, and activist. But 7 years since his release from prison, the cost of Michael’s activism is evident.
As the U.S. prepares for the final drawdown of soldiers from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Soledad O’Brien and MediaStorm take an intimate look at two veterans as they struggle with the transition from war to home.
Rebecca Torosian has a hard time explaining what she does. "I'll just tell this person like I'm a mind-body coach and if they want to know more they can ask me," said Rebecca. What she is, is a sexual surrogate.
Michael Thomasson has devoted his life to video games. It’s been his passion and his obsession for more than three decades. He owns over 11,000 unique game titles for more than 100 different systems.
California’s Central Valley produces more than half of America’s produce. But the summer of 2015 marked the fourth year of what has become a monumental drought.