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  • Biography
IMDbPro

J. Michael Dawson

  • Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
  • Producer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
J. Michael Dawson is a producer in film, television and online media, focusing on commercially viable and brand centered entertainment. The founder of Lifeforce Entertainment, a digital media company, he has produced five original web series, including the hit show Men's Room, and launched Canada's first online broadcast network, LifeforceTV.com.

In 2005 he created the Toronto Film Challenge, Canada's largest film competition. Executive Producing and hosting over 2500 filmmakers, the event has become a staple in the Toronto film community, awarding local filmmakers over $100,000 in prizes and enabling their work to be adjudicated by some of Canada's most distinguished actors, directors and producers.

After spending several years on set as an assistant director, Michael has gone on to produce a variety of projects including the short film Heir Apparent, the latest music video Laces Out for the hit band U.S.S, and the feature film The Shrine for Brookstreet Pictures. The Shrine recently won the Best Canadian Feature award at the 2010 Fantasia Film Festival.

Michael is an active member of the Canadian Media Production Association, and an alumnus of the Vancouver Film School. He hosts an ongoing meet-up for web television professionals in Toronto where he resides, while developing new projects for film, television and the web.
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    Known for

    In the Rough (2011)
    In the Rough
    TV Series
    • Producer
    Heir Apparent
    Short
    • Producer
    • 2007
    The Shrine (2010)
    The Shrine
    5.5
    • Producer
    • 2010
    Robert Englund and Trevor Matthews in Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (2007)
    Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
    5.9
    • Second Unit or Assistant Director
    • 2007

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Second Unit or Assistant Director



    • I, Martin Short, Goes Home
      7.2
      TV Movie
      • first assistant director
      • 2012
    • Vivica A. Fox, Corey Haim, Jefferson Brown, Jordan Madley, Tony Nappo, Carlo Rota, and David J. Phillips in Shark City (2009)
      Shark City
      4.0
      • first assistant director
      • 2009
    • Body Language (2008)
      Body Language
      5.2
      TV Series
      • first assistant director (2008)
      • 2008–2010
    • Prom Wars: Love Is a Battlefield (2008)
      Prom Wars: Love Is a Battlefield
      5.3
      • first assistant director
      • 2008
    • King of the Camp (2008)
      King of the Camp
      2.9
      • first assistant director
      • 2008
    • Eric Roberts, Gary Busey, David Carradine, Bolo Yeung, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Oleg Taktarov, and Cung Le in Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter (2007)
      Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter
      5.4
      • second assistant director
      • 2007
    • Left for Dead (2007)
      Left for Dead
      4.1
      • first assistant director
      • 2007
    • Robert Englund and Trevor Matthews in Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (2007)
      Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
      5.9
      • first assistant director
      • 2007
    • The Business (2006)
      The Business
      6.9
      TV Series
      • first assistant director
      • 2007
    • Your Beautiful Cul de Sac Home (2007)
      Your Beautiful Cul de Sac Home
      6.0
      • first assistant director
      • 2007
    • Cursing Hanley (2007)
      Cursing Hanley
      7.6
      Short
      • first assistant director: reshoots
      • 2007
    • Found Objects
      6.6
      Short
      • first assistant director
      • 2007
    • Sixty Days
      8.6
      • first assistant director
      • 2007
    • Olivier Gruner and James Lew in The Circuit III: Final Flight (2006)
      The Circuit III: Final Flight
      5.2
      Video
      • second assistant director
      • 2006
    • 5ive Girls (2006)
      5ive Girls
      4.4
      • first assistant director
      • 2006

    Producer



    • Eva Amurri, Jon Dore, and Donald Faison in Stag (2013)
      Stag
      4.0
      • producer
      • 2013
    • Cold Blooded (2012)
      Cold Blooded
      5.5
      • line producer
      • 2012
    • The Seder (2011)
      The Seder
      6.8
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2011
    • In the Rough (2011)
      In the Rough
      TV Series
      • producer
      • 2011
    • Apocalypse Story (2010)
      Apocalypse Story
      6.4
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2010
    • The Shrine (2010)
      The Shrine
      5.5
      • producer
      • 2010
    • A Hindu's Indictment of Heaven
      7.1
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2009
    • Men's Room
      7.0
      TV Series
      • producer
      • 2008–2012
    • Heir Apparent
      Short
      • producer
      • 2007

    Director



    • In the Rough (2011)
      In the Rough
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2011
    • Men's Room
      7.0
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2008–2012
    • Heir Apparent
      Short
      • Director
      • 2007

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official sites
      • Company Site
      • Official Site
    • Other works
      Founder of the Toronto Film Challenge

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