Michael D. Witman

Born in Milwaukee, WI and raised in the neighboring suburb of Brown Deer, Michael D. Witman was curious since his childhood about the majestic world of film. From an early age of eight, he voiced to his mother his interest in being a stunt man. However soon after, as he began to grow, Witman realized the dangers in that choice and, to his mother's rejoices, decided against that particular career path. Still his interest in the film industry continued to persist throughout his young years. Throughout grade school and his years as a Boy Scout, Witman explored the industry through reading, research, and experimentation. With several papers and the loads of research that came with those papers, he found himself fascinated with the process behind the filmmaking. In particular, Witman was captivated as to how movies could trick an audience into believing things that were only possible in the imagination. Using visual effects and camera manipulation to control the audience's perception of the story being told continued to be key in the subjects of his writing and research. Through the Boy Scouts, Witman quickly became his troop's videographer, recording events on trips and editing them together afterward to record those moments for the troop. He was even recruited by the Milwaukee County Boy Scout Council to capture and present several council-wide events. After high-school, Witman attended Webster University for an undergraduate film production program. Throughout those years, he directed eight short films, and helped his fellow classmates with countless other films. He also found himself deeply involved in several organizations including the Media Association and Gorlok television, the campus-wide TV station. During this time and for several years after, Witman also worked as a volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. He graduated successfully after completing his final and most complicated short film, Red Ink, which was screened at over a dozen venues around the nation including the St. Louis International Film Festival and the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. Since college, Witman has moved to the west coast and currently resides in the Los Angeles area working in the film industry. He began working as a set production assistant and got the opportunity to be part of several larger features including Live Free or Die Hard and Eagle Eye. From his work as a PA, Witman quickly began working as an assistant director in the world of independent film. After racking up a resume of over 25 features and shorts, he took an opportunity to work in television as both a set PA and an office PA. Currently, Witman is the production secretary for the hit show, Modern Family. In the near future, Witman hopes to produce and direct his first feature length film in Los Angeles. He is currently in the stage of rewriting a script with the help of several writers, with hopes of bringing it to life and beginning a path to his true career goals of directing.