Michael Koerbel

A heart-driven storyteller, Michael was home-schooled for most of his formative years, and grew up in the Midwest. The oldest of four siblings, his extra dry sense of humor was largely misunderstood by his family, and resulted in him trekking to Los Angeles in search of meaning. When he discovered directing, specifically storytelling in advertising, the rest was history. You'll know when Michael knows something is interesting or funny, because you'll see the little twinkle in his eye turn into a full-blown smirk. He's been featured by Adweek, Apple, Creativity, Shoot magazine, the New York Times, CNN, The Guardian, PBS, NPR, and USA Today. Known as a pioneer for emerging filmmaking technologies with both narrative and advertising, he has spoken as a keynote guest at The Academy of Arts & Sciences, SAG, the DGA, TED, and SXSW. His commercial campaign Nothing Beats An Astronaut won the Cannes Gold Media Lion (2013), and his overall body of work is regarded as edgy and real, with hints of humor. And as a point of curiosity, he was the first filmmaker to shoot and edit an entire short film on his iPhone and the iMovie app just days upon it's release. The film is called Apple Of My Eye (2010) and was made as a side project while in film school at USC.