Michael Schroeder
Michael Schroeder is a young man who did the impossible but didn’t know at the time it couldn’t be done, so he went ahead and did it anyway. He spent two years in College and another two years wandering around Europe – came back home and found a job as a stunt driver one day. He put $35 in his pocket for doing just that and considered himself lucky.
The cameraman shooting the sequence, saw potential and today Michael is on his way up the motion picture ladder. Back then he took a chance. Talked some investors into starting their own Production Company and he bought a truck, camera, lights and grip equipment, etc. After a few minor movies in Utah he took Horatio Alger’s advice and went ‘West, young man’. It has been eight years since he said Hello to California and has never had a dull moment since. Starting as a script copier, sometimes working all night for the studios, he slowly but steadily learned as much as he could about how movies were made. He became assistant director on movies like ‘Flicks’ and ‘Josiah’ and producer of ‘One Dark Night’. His first movie cost less than $1 million and grossed $17 million and he was on his way. He was Second Unit Director on ‘Revenge of the Ninja’, then ‘Torchlight’, ‘Lust in the Dust’ and many others. His name can be seen listed in the credits. He has filmed ‘Easy’ by Columbia Pictures, ‘Shy People’ by Cannon and a truly big one. ‘Mortuary Science’, all released in 1988. Three scripts, which he penned are in the hopper waiting to be produced at this time. His incentive and encouragement has been from Steven Spielberg and Alan Tukula, personally and as he looks back to his school years he doesn’t hesitate to thank Shirley Wing for her guidance and inspiration. He recalls, she was never too busy to listen and was always open minded about his far out imaginings. He muses on his upbringing and is sincere when he praises his father and mother for their efforts. With a flourish of bravado he is proud of his Porsche, his $6500 a week salary and his acquaintances in the movie business. He insists that studying constantly on all the ins and outs of movie making keeps him under pressure and whenever he needs to get away he heads back home to Idaho, and Payette in particular, for rejuvenation. His trips here give him the confidence he needs to rededicate himself to his life’s ambitions. Then he heads back to the world of illusion for yet another battle in the competitive business of entertainment. Again, we have a Payette graduate, who left his foundation to go on to do big things. Welcome home, Michael, anytime. You are one more star this town has given to the world out there. Shine proudly for those of us you have left behind. |
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