"Michael has been a part of my career since the very beginning, and I couldn't be more grateful to have learned from someone so experienced and genuinely kind. Whenever Michael is involved in a project, you know it's in good hands. He consistently hits incredibly tight (sometimes arguably unrealistic) deadlines without ever sacrificing quality. He's a true self-starter who can take a project and run with it, no handholding or constant check-ins needed. But beyond all of his impressive professional qualities, what stands out most is the kind of person he is. Michael genuinely cares about the people around him and wants the best for everyone he works with. Any team would be lucky to have him!"
Michael M. Kadrie
Creative Director | Producer/Director | Writer | ActorMichael Kadrie is a filmmaker, writer, producer, director, actor, podcast host and creative storyteller who has spent his career finding interesting ways to turn ideas into stories people want to watch.
At the center of Michael’s work is a simple belief: every great project starts with a great idea, but it’s how that idea is told that makes people care. His background spans filmmaking, writing, directing, producing, creative direction, animation, motion design, branding, and post-production—giving him the unusual ability to see both the big creative picture and understand what it takes to actually bring it to life.
As Senior Video & Motion Creative Lead at Apple Box Studios, Michael has helped develop and produce nearly 1,000 projects for clients ranging from startups and nonprofit organizations to national brands and global corporations. His work has taken him from the earliest stages of concept development and scriptwriting through directing, production, editing, animation, visual effects, and final delivery. That experience has also earned multiple Telly and MarCom Awards along the way.
But entertainment has always been where Michael’s creative instincts naturally lead.
Through Zoetifex Entertainment, he develops original film, television, and animation projects as a writer, producer, and director, assembling talented artists and collaborators around each story. His approach combines traditional filmmaking and storytelling with emerging creative technologies—including generative AI—to visualize ideas, develop proof-of-concept material, and find new ways to bring stories to the screen.
Michael’s creative background didn’t begin behind an edit suite or in an agency. It started in music, theater, acting, comedy, and performance—experiences that still influence the way he writes characters, directs performances, develops ideas, and approaches storytelling today.
Whether he’s developing an original film, directing a production, writing a script, building a creative team, or helping someone find the story hiding inside an idea, Michael brings the same thing to every project: **a distinct creative perspective and the experience to turn that perspective into something real**.
Career Objective
To serve as creative director/producer for companies that will allow me to utilize my creative, communication, leadership and management skills, and to benefit those who are focused on continued improvement of their creative product, organizational growth and the success of their clients.
Career Highlights
• Creative leader, writer, producer, and director with extensive experience developing brands, campaigns, films, video content, animation, and visual storytelling for organizations ranging from startups and nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies.
• Led creative development and production of nearly 1,000 video and motion projects during 15+ years with Apple Box Studios, spanning concept development, writing, directing, editing, animation, visual effects, and post-production.
• Multiple Telly and Platinum MarCom Award winner, with additional recognition including Florida Flagler Awards.
• Co-founded and grew Atlas Design Group to more than 100 local and national clients across more than a dozen industries within six years, while building and leading multidisciplinary creative teams.
• Created What’s My Story for Evangelism Explosion, developing the original concept and website for a global storytelling and evangelism initiative.
• Developed creative campaigns and branding for nonprofit organizations including Gateway Rehab, the Parkinson Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, Human Coalition, Evangelism Explosion, and Coral Ridge Ministries.
• Writer, producer, and director of original film, television, and animation projects through Zoetifex Entertainment, collaborating with artists and production talent with experience at major studios including Disney and DreamWorks.
• Early adopter of generative AI for filmmaking and visual storytelling, using emerging tools to develop cinematic concepts, previsualization, and proof-of-concept material for original film and television projects.
• Developed creative concepts and campaign work for national brands and organizations across entertainment, technology, healthcare, education, tourism, financial services, nonprofit, and other industries.
• Longtime creative-industry advisor and speaker, including service on the Pittsburgh Technical College Advisory Board and participation as a WebAwards judge.
Demo Reel
Last Updated 2024
My latest Demo Reel that is a diverse display of my career’s work. A lot of my career is in here. Freelance work, Atlas Design Group, Zoetifex Entertainment, Apple Box Studios and The Chronicles of Christ. All are represented in the minute and a half reel. For a better look at some of these projects, I invite you to check out my Animation and Video Portfolio.
If you have any questions about my work, or you have a video project that you need my help with, please feel free to Contact Me.
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