Written by Lindsey Esplin
Michaela Angelique
Michaela Angelique is a camerawoman with a perpetual smile and can-do attitude. Born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia Michaela loved the visual arts from an early age. She started drawing in elementary school, and soon after her eye for color and knack for framing helped her fall in love with photography, which she still pursues today.
After graduating from high school Michaela sought to further develop her artistic abilities by attending Bina Nusantara University’s Visual Communication Design Bachelor of the Arts program. She thought she would pursue a career in advertising, but during her sophomore year she took an audiovisual class and found her true calling when she made her own short film. Michaela fell in love with everything from the artistry of visual storytelling to the atmosphere on set.
In her senior year she began interning at Square Box Cinetech, one of the top TV commercial production companies in Indonesia, and there she heard of New York Film Academy. But there were several obstacles between Michaela and film school, the smallest of which may have been the Pacific Ocean. But even an ocean, a language barrier, and not knowing anyone wouldn’t stop Michaela from pursuing her dream.
Six months later Michaela had made her way to California where she had to find a place to live, a car, a job, start school, and make new friends. But with her upbeat personality, fierce determination, and belief in her own abilities Michaela was soon excelling in all areas.
Michaela graduated from New York Film Academy in 2011 with her M.F.A. in Filmmaking. While in school she shot “Voice in Silence,” which won a Best Shorts award of merit, and was an official selection of the Life Film Festival in 2012. Since graduating Michaela has been working nonstop as a freelance camerawoman.
As one director of photography says, “Michaela’s dedication and passion to her craft is unquestionable.” Because of this she has worked on several different projects: TV pilots, music videos, feature films, and shorts in a wide spectrum of genres. Recently a feature she shot, ANITA HO, won an award at an international film festival, and several of the TV pilots are being pitched at major studios. Her ambition and dedication make her stand apart from other camerawoman, and she is consistently admired by her fellow crewmembers. As one camera assistant says, “Michaela is always on the top of her game. Two steps ahead of everybody.”
Because of her undying passion, devotion to her craft, and dedication Michaela is a filmmaker to watch out for. Her work can be seen on www.michaelaangelique.com.
