Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Greene.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a filmmaker in Austin, Texas. I grew up in San Antonio and gained a passion for filmmaking when I took a Video Production class at Communications Arts High School.
To me, movies have always had a power, a magic, that other mediums do not. I remember growing up watching films in our living room with my father and being moved by the intense emotion that good filmmaking can evoke. In my own films, I am always striving to connect with the audience in that same way.
I attended Baylor University to study film and music, then moved to Austin in 2009 to pursue my career. Since then, there have been many ups and downs, but I am very proud of the body of work that I have helped put out into the world.
I began my career at a news station in Austin and learned much working most production positions at the station. But mainly, I learned that corporate news was not the world for me. After I left, I pursued freelance film work, often circling back to jobs like lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons to make ends meet.
In 2015, I decided to dive full time into filmmaking and video production and have been doing so ever since.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
While I have had many privileges in my life, I would not classify my journey as a smooth one. Working as a freelancer is not the easiest life to lead. Pursuing my passion in film often left me wondering when my next paying job will come and often stressed over whether or not I would be able to pay my bills that month. Dealing with the unpredictability of the film industry also made it difficult to regulate the habits of my daily life and to find a balance between work, social life and all the other aspects crucial to a healthy existence.
In the beginning stages of my career, the most difficult tasks were building a portfolio of work and finding colleagues who trust me with their creative projects. But, with time, you meet those with whom you work well and in whose work you believe in. Film is a collaborative art. As I became better at networking, and grew more confident in my craft, I’ve built a solid network of people who trust in my storytelling and technical abilities and thus have achieved a more steady workload. But the job of building your network is never complete when working in this industry. And you never know when a new opportunity may present itself.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I wear a lot of hats in the film industry. I enjoy rotating between multiple roles – it keeps my creativity stimulated. I started my career as a film/video Editor and that remains my default role. But I often have many jobs in the post-production world, including Post-Production Supervisor, Colorist and the occasional Visual Effects (VFX) work. When I need to get out of my editing cave, I love to get a camera in my hands and do some shooting. I also do a fair amount of Live Directing and Technical Directing of live music, events, streams, etc. While there are many shows I am proud of, one of my favorites is yearly directing a stage at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco.
I am also a proud part of the Luck Reunion family for the last 12 years, working on a plethora of projects for them, either during their yearly festival at Willie Nelson’s ranch or on other brand projects – from editing a TV Show for Southwest Airlines to directing music sessions at the Luck Mansion during AmericanaFest in Nashville.
But I am most passionate about my work on feature films. I love taking what has been shot and finding interesting ways to tell the story. Some say a film is written three times – on the page, during shooting, and in the editing room. I am a thorough believer in this philosophy. Sometimes editing is finding solutions to issues that arose during shooting. Sometimes, it’s juxtaposing shots to create meaning where there was none before. And sometimes, it’s finding better ways to tell the story than what was originally intended, enhancing the work to make it a better film.
I have been heavily involved in three feature films that I am incredibly proud of. “Here We Are”, a narrative released in 2018, was the first feature-length project I worked on in which I had a lot of creative input. After shooting, I remained on the project to edit. My role grew as post-production proceeded and the director and I crafted the story and characters.
“Punk Rock Lottery” was a very different experience. This documentary about the punk rock scene in Austin was released in 2025. It took us seven years, working through the pandemic, to forge it into the film it is today – a highly stylized film that really captures the DIY aesthetic and ethos.
Finally, “Sell Out” is a narrative comedy that should be streaming on platforms by the end of 2026. It was filmed with a lot of improv and it was an interesting endeavor to sculpt the scenes in a way that allowed the film to flow and become the heartfelt and engaging story that it developed into.
Throughout the process of making each of these films, I also stepped into a producing role, helping to push the films over the finish line and into distribution. I continue to learn about the business side of film and hope to leverage that knowledge to help future projects find long term success.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Two books have been very influential in the way I think about filmmaking. The first is “Making Movies” by Sidney Lumet. It is a very insightful peek into intentional filmmaking and all the collaborative aspects which must come together to make a good film. The 2nd book is “In the Blink of an Eye” by Walter Murch, which really reframed the way in which I think about editing.
I’m currently a big fan of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere. I find the world building very intriguing and his stories captivating. I read his stories to fall asleep at night and listen to the audiobooks on long drives.
I also do my Duolingo Portuguese practice most days. I’m currently on a 432 day streak (with a bunch of streak freezes 😅), but have begun wondering about other avenues to improve my proficiency in Portuguese.
Finally, I’m always on the lookout for good story and character driven TV and film. It inspires me to continue creating. Recent shows that really spoke to me were Widow’s Bay and Severance.
One last resource worth mentioning is the companionship of other creatives in my field. Feeling the support of others who also strive to make their living making art helps me to stay inspired, to stay optimistic, and to continue forward towards my next project.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.MichaelRichardGreene.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michrichgreene
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PRLdoc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PunkRockLotteryDocumentary
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/selloutmovie
