There's an old saying, "To make it in Hollywood, you have to come from someplace else" . . .
. . . that may be true, unless you happen to be HD camera engineering whiz, Michael Bravin.
Michael was born and bred in California; and the second of four children. His father is a psychologist and his mother owned a children’s clothing store. A mischievous and energetic youngster, his nickname “Michael the Menace” was apparently well deserved. Mom and Dad gave lots of encouragement, and the Bravin brood all went on to successful careers in the legal and other professions. Bitten by the TV Bug!
Michael had a carefree childhood, and he trained as a still photographer in his teens. A straight-A student, he was on the pre-law track at UCLA in Westwood a suburb of Los Angeles, with a major in Political Science and a minor in English. Landing a job as production assistant on an NBC Sports shoot in his freshman year, Michael went on to cover events like the ’77 World Series in his spare time.
 | Michael had lost his taste for law and literature by graduation. He took some technical courses at Pasadena City College. (Editor's note: DSC Labs has a soft spot for PCC and enormous respect for Gerald Finn, Director of the College’s TV department, with whom we have worked for many years.) In 1981 Michael started his first full-time job In the television production business at California Communications Inc. in Los Angeles. After only three months he was promoted to General Manager and helped double the company’s annual sales in high-end post production and special effects. By the mid 1980s, CCI was the first 1/2” BetaCam facility in Los Angeles. Bravin the TV producer in College. |
Wanting to learn everything he could about digital production, Michael joined Abekas in 1987 where he was involved in developing hardware for television and digital post effects. It was an exciting time in the industry and Michael recalls meeting George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg and Robert De Niro while “babysitting” equipment backstage at the Oscars. Michael was struck by how “regular” these people were, albeit “all dressed up and very nervous.” Moving on up . . . -
Michael joined Burbank's BandPro Film and Video in 1994. Amnon Band had started the company in the mid 80s as a reseller of film-style accessories for video, and camera rep for Sony. Today BandPro is the largest Sony Professional/Broadcast dealer in the world, with satellite offices in Europe, Israel and Asia.
Michael wears several hats at BandPro, as the company's Chief Technology Officer and HD Specialist. In these challenging roles. Michael has a finger in many pies, such as new product development, overseeing the company's IT systems, and heading its technical and sales support staff. A Translator between two Worlds -
Michael loves introducing artistic and creative people to the latest tools for digital cinema. In a given year, he’s involved with oodles of neat HD practitioners and projects. Working with the world’s leading digital producers -such as ILM on the Star Wars series and Robert Rodriguez on his Spy Kids movies - keeps Michael on the leading edge of technology. His tremendous knowledge of all aspects of production helps him “bridge the gap” between the creative and technical sides of the industry, and also makes him a fabulous resource for technical and other types of information.
As a True Camera Guru -
Michael enjoys creating leading edge technology, too. Within the last several years, he’s worked with Carl Zeiss to develop lenses for digital cinematography. Michael was the expert on the camera side in the design and development of premium DigiPrime lenses, and more recently, DigiZoom, the new compact zoom lens designed for handheld and Steadicam use. Experienced cinematographers like DigiPrimes because they “just feel right,” and BandPro is marketing them exclusively worldwide.
Michael likes to work hard and to have fun, not taking himself or the world too seriously. Gregarious and enthusiastic, he’s a practical person who tells it as it is. Michael doesn’t “do” hype, and one his favourite maxims is, “The difference between good marketing and good engineering is that you never have to explain good engineering.” Consequently, he’s the first person many people call when they have a technical question about production or post. | 
Testing prototype DigiPrimes for HD in Europe, 2002 |
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Michael enjoys traveling, and he spends a couple of months every year on the road. Searching for him on the internet produces a fantastic list of the many events at which he appears, both in the US and abroad. He loves Germany and Japan “because the culture, people and food are so different.” After hours you could find him sampling beers and visiting friends in Europe, or shopping for next year’s electronic gadgets in Asia. At home, he enjoys bike riding and sailing. Michael is an avid nature photographer and an enthusiast for interesting architecture.
The Michael most people know. |
Michael’s “Take” on the Future
What does Michael see in his crystal ball? The market for HD is expanding rapidly, especially in interlaced formats. Networks are hungry for content and digital HD is faster and cheaper to produce. The demand for movie and commercial production is also increasing. As for visual effects, digital HD has the advantage because images are captured as data. Michael predicts that digital imaging will be the preferred choice for production in ten years. “Although film may still be used, it will be as an artistic choice only.”
This all means that, for at least the next decade, Michael Bravin will be a very busy fellow. |
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