Michael Muffins is a master at finding the secret ingredient to make a visual presentation rise like a souffle. His forte is ARTISTIC CONCEPTUALIZATION - on screen and before a live audience. His substantial, and wide ranging body of work encompasses the fine and performance arts, music video and motion picture imagery, logo design, motivational teaching, comedy and educational films, executive management, image consultation, and college lecturing. He is not a hired hand. He has never been "on staff" as an artist. His clients actively seek out his expertise and advice. When legendary music video director Julien Temple asked Michael to create paintings for Tom Petty's Into The Great Wide Open, Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway had to match their action to Michael's art - not the other way around. When he is invited to contribute to his clients (including, but not limited to, CBS, NBC, ABC, Warner Bros., Showtime, Disney, Universal, Paramount, FOX, MTV, IBM, MATTEL, IAMS, American Express, VISA, XPrize, Jello, Avon, Lenscrafters, Home Depot, Mercedes, Nissan, Suzuki, Ford, Cadillac, Toyota, Lexus, Kia, Tommy Hilfiger, Max Factor, Werthers, McDonalds, Sony), it is not merely for production illustration or design. These clients view him as a source of that special moment, that creative approach, that striking piece of business. They say, "Muffins will find a way to make this look special!"
"Into The Great Wide Open"
In his early twenties, Muffins was a singer/performance artist and innovator in a local Los Angeles scene which evolved into the music video revolution. He was known for trailblazing visuals (Bette Midler hired him to devise her "look" for the The Rose), and he was discovered (in 1979) by the legendary music mogul Neil Bogart who signed him to Casablanca Records. His 1977-1978 performance videos were a precursor to the iconic "platinum punk" imagery - years later - in the 1982 MTV video explosion. His comedic 1978 video performance "singing into a light bulb" inspired the riveting 1986 "light bulb microphone" scene in Blue Velvet.
YEARS BEFORE MTV EXISTED - NEIL BOGART
PREDICTED A "MUSIC VIDEO" REVOLUTION
2018
1977
MUFFINS ORIGINAL VIDEO 1977-1978
Shortly after signing Muffins to the first "music video" recording contract written (in 1979), Neil Bogart lost control of Casablanca Records to PolyGram executives who felt that "video would never mean anything to the record business." And Bogart died in 1982 - before Muffins was free and able to accept his invitation to join him at his new Boardwalk Records label.
The iron-clad Casablanca music video recording contract did not prohibit additional commitments to network television. So, in 1981, while Muffins battled pressure from his new bosses to soften his image (and become "sort of a New Wave Glen Campbell"), he produced a live musical show - featuring his performance art videos - at The Improv in LA. The result? ABC execs loved what they saw - and signed Muffins and Columbia Pictures Television to an on-air commitment for a sit-com: "The Michael Muffins Show."
However, at the end of a year-long development deal, ABC execs felt the Columbia writers had not adequately translated the "Muffins Magic" into a standard situation comedy format. So, just as both the Muffins recording and situation comedy projects hit the wall, MTV (fueled - in part - by new "platinum punk" music videos by other artists) proved that the late Neil Bogart had been right all along about the power of music video (and the striking video imagery Muffins had been creating five years before MTV). It was then that the fledgling music video branch of the recording industry began to seek out "that Muffins guy - who knows how to do this stuff." As the demand for video imagery mushroomed, Muffins' evolving career took off in that direction (Illustration/Conceptualization/Design).
However, throughout his professional life, he has never been limited to just that. He is always in creative mode. As a result, his ENTIRE BODY OF ARTISTIC WORK is IMPRESSIVE - and ONGOING ...
CLICK the following LINKS - TO SEE what he means when he says, "MORE TO COME":
"Halfway Home" (12/25/2018 - AUDIO)
(Conceptual VIDEO - Currently in Production)
for: "Michael Muffins 'ALIVE again' 2019"
"Love Me" (10/15/2018 - Rehearsal AUDIO)
for: "Michael Muffins 'ALIVE again' 2019"
