Michael J. Shapiro, a renowned trailer producer, transformed his career mid-stream to become a prominent filmmaker with a specialization in utilizing archival film footage. Shapiro's journey began at the School of Film and Television at Miami University, where he was classmates with Andrew Kuehn. The two friends later moved to New York, with Shapiro honing his editing skills at Kuehn's Kaleidoscope Film. Notably, Shapiro also worked as a NBC page at Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, a memory he cherishes fondly.
As a studio executive, Shapiro held the position of MGM's Creative Director, Worldwide Marketing Promotional Film Department, during the release of iconic films such as "2001: A Space Odyssey," "The Dirty Dozen," "Ryan's Daughter," and "Blow-up." He later served in the same role at Columbia Pictures before establishing his own trailer company, Saraband Films, where he personally produced campaigns for films like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "The Deep," "The China Syndrome," and "9 to 5."
In 1982, Shapiro founded Skyfire Productions, which developed campaigns for films including "Romancing the Stone," "Predator," and "The Fly." He received the first-ever Key Art Award for a trailer, "The Jewel of the Nile," in 1986. In the early 1990s, Shapiro began working as a segment producer for the Academy Awards Show, contributing powerful film segments to 13 of the internationally broadcast "live" events. He has produced the opening of the program on three occasions: "From Outer Space to Steve Martin," "Oscar's Diamond Anniversary," and in 2006, "Oscar City."
Shapiro's impressive work in the Academy Awards Show includes segments showcasing archival footage, such as: "Kirk Douglas Lifetime Achievement Tribute," "Shakespeare in the Movies," "Women Who Shaped the Movies," "The Great Cinematographers," "Physical Comedy in the Movies," "Cowboy Heaven," "Oscar's 70 Best Pictures," "Vintage Special Effects," and "Sidney Lumet Lifetime Achievement Tribute." He is widely credited with refining and perfecting the Academy Award's "In Memoriam" segment, which he has produced nine times.
In addition to his work on the Academy Awards Show, Shapiro was the Creative and Editorial Supervisor (Director) of "Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer," a feature documentary that explores the history of the movie trailer. He was also a co-producer on the Warner Home Video feature documentary "The Great American Song Book," which aired on PBS. Shapiro's documentary "David Lean: A Self Portrait" was produced while he was at MGM and broadcast on PBS.
Shapiro's most recent project, "Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer" (2009),allowed him to combine his expertise in archival film footage and trailer production. The feature documentary, produced for distribution to film schools and institutions worldwide, has received rave trade reviews and garnered significant attention in film and television circles.
