Mike Cicchetti is a Brooklyn-based Freelance Filmmaker, operating professionally for over 4 years. He has dabbled in all aspects of film production, from writing and directing to music composition and video editing. He has won awards for the varying projects he has participated in, including Best Cinematography and Best Short Film.
Tell us about your career before you found filmmaking.
Mike Cicchetti: I had started my move into visual storytelling with Photography in high school. We had to cap our Senior year with an internship or project of our choosing, and I went in the direction of shooting shows in New York City at venues like Webster Hall.
How did you start your journey into filmmaking?
Mike Cicchetti: Once I got to college I majored in Film Production and made my first 2 films my freshman year. From there I started expanding into different roles within production and fell in love with Cinematography and Directing.
Can you talk us through your creative process?
Mike Cicchetti: When I go into crafting a film, my first step in the process I write out character descriptions and personality traits. I find that the most captivating aspect of any story is the relatability to the characters involved and I strive to flesh out and develop the ones I center my stories around, even if half of those details don’t make it to the page or the screen.
What part of filmmaking excites you the most?
Mike Cicchetti: I love the collaboration. Working with people who see the world differently from me, bringing a perspective that can counter my own, enriches the work we end up doing in the long run.
How has Covid impacted your career this year?
Mike Cicchetti: Covid has stalled a lot of the progress I had been making in my career. On the plus side of it, the break from my normal routine has allowed me to expand on my other interests, primarily music performance and composition.
What are your latest projects?
Mike Cicchetti: I’m currently working on recording music and updating my work portfolio.
What do you hope people watching this film walk away with?
Mike Cicchetti: I hope they come away with introspection and a better understanding of themselves and the people around them.
Can you tell us about some of your other films and your artistic collaborations?
Mike Cicchetti: I’ve worked with a lot of performers and artists for live events, including a series of burlesque productions for Snack Theater and shooting videos for musicians.
What are your best projects to date?
Mike Cicchetti: I’m still really proud of our work on Innocence (Co-Directed with Writer/Actress/Producer Miranda Jean Larson). Not only was the story timely and the festival run successful, but to work as closely as Miranda and I worked, and to assist in telling someone else’s story rather than craft my own, was one of the most rewarding collaborative experiences I’ve been involved with. I’d since replicated that same experience with Director/Producer Erica Mann’s State of Independence documentary as her Cinematographer.
What can we look forward to seeing from you in the next chapter of your career? Can you tell us about any future project(s) you have planned?
Mike Cicchetti: Right now there are a few projects that I’ve been involved with at Assistant levels that I’m very excited to share once completed. I also have some independent video projects I’m working on as well as new music on the way. Once life goes back to normal, I’ll be working on my next film.
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