Director Mike Morelli Signs With More Media

Nov. 02, 2022

Multimedia production company More Media, which makes films and content for some of the largest brands, studios, and advertising agencies in the world, welcomes director Mike Morelli and his imaginative, madcap visual storytelling to their roster. This is Morelli’s first commercial signing.

Morelli’s passion for filmmaking goes back to his childhood, watching "bad" 80s movies on VHS. Noting their exaggerated and cheesy effects, Morelli viewed their flaws as accessibility, and reason enough to try and make his own films. In high school, Morelli was already winning awards for spec commercials and music videos. In the years since, he’s developed a distinctive style, anchoring absurdist stories in psychedelic and surreal visuals, which touch on the camp of the 80s that first inspired him.

Morelli said:

"More Media has such good taste and a keen eye for talent, immediately I felt like my style would find a home there. I’m extremely excited to be joining the ranks and to be able to work with some of the coolest people in the business."

Morelli said:

"I grew up on guys like Michel Gondry and Jonathan Glazer, where they often implemented a lot of visual effects in their work. However, no matter what they were doing, the concept was the central driving force behind the piece. Similarly, I like to root my visuals in hard concepts."

 

In this vein, he’s created music videos and spots for an array of artists and major brands, including a particularly memorable short for the makeup brand NARS. In the short entitled "Stick of Me," Morelli portrays a woman twisting up her new tube of lipstick to reveal oddly a miniature and elated version of herself, squeaking hello at the camera. This sort of clever, unexpected work, which flouts tradition and puts a smile on your face, is classic Morelli—and exactly what More Media was attracted to. 

Blaize Saunders, Executive Producer at More Media said:

"When Mike reached out to us with his work, we were blown away with his level of skill in effects, film making, and video manipulation. It was innovative, thoughtful, and highly creative. [CEO + Executive Producer] Stephen Buchanan and I knew we’d found someone we like to have on our team."

 

In addition to his commercial work, Morelli’s made music videos for chart-topping electronic group Louis the Child and released a feature film, SHITHEAD, which has garnered him a list of impressive recognitions, including the Audience Award at ARFF Paris and Best Screenplay at the Maverick Movie Awards in 2019. 

Most recently, Morelli has pushed the envelope and explored the potential of new technologies in film, a passion he hopes to bring into his work at More Media, a company known for its innovative and eclectic repertoire. His short film "The Vanishing American Dream," shot using groundbreaking stereoscopic-3D volumetric capture techniques, won Most Creative VR Film at CineQuest 2021. Shortly thereafter, Morelli released a viral short called "Tweaker’s Delight," another trippy, colorful triumph of virtual reality and generative art, and a culmination of his many experiments with Volumetric Video, 360 Cameras, to Artificial Intelligence.  

Morelli said:

"At More Media, I’m looking forward to creating some groundbreaking content. I’d like to keep pushing the boundaries of the medium of filmmaking, to continue raising the bar and exploring what new possibilities lay ahead."