Mike Gasaway
Principal, Writer, Director
Mike Gasaway is an award winning Director with over 11 years of directing/producing experience in both live-action and animation.
His work spans across genres from horror to comedy, specializing in the visual aspects of filmmaking and storytelling.
The Short Story
Mike dropped out of the Bachelors of Architecture program at the University of Cincinnati, and entered into the field of animation. He spent some time working at Disney and Naughty Dog before becoming an Animation Supervisor for the film, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. He went on to direct 3 seasons of the same series before moving on to Supervise Direct on Back at the Barnyard. In 2008, his team of directors was nominated for an Emmy Award in two categories for outstanding performance, while the series won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program Special Class the following year.
Currently, Mike is directing his first live-action horror film, Beaten Path, alongside renowned producers from Jumanji and Dawn of the Dead. Beaten Path is the first installment of a four-film series called The Harbinger Tetralogy and plans to release late 2024.
The Long Story
Mike dropped out of the University of Cincinnati’s Architecture program in 1993 and shifted gears to pursue computer animation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His short film “Television Monster” gained attention at Siggraph 1996 and led to a job offer from Walt Disney Imagineering. Over three years with Disney, he animated for virtual attractions like “Hercules” and “The Pirates of the Caribbean,” and contributed to a television pilot showcased at Epcot in Orlando, FL.
Following his work on the video game “Jak and Daxter” with Naughty Dog, Inc., Mike relocated to Dallas, Texas, to join DNA Productions as an animator for “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.” Quickly, he was promoted to Animation Supervisor.
After completing the film, Mike became one of the directors for the Nickelodeon series “The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius“.
During his tenure, he directed over 16 hours of television, including three one-hour episodes and one hour-and-a-half special. Mike’s achievements at DNA included winning an Annie Award for Best Children’s Animated Series and receiving a nomination for Best Directing in an Animated Series. Additionally, he contributed to the development of potential series and features.
In 2006, Mike joined Steve Oedekerk’s O Entertainment. During his time there until 2009, he served as Supervising Director for “Back at the Barnyard,” directing 14 episodes and supervising 33. In 2008, Mike’s directorial team received Emmy Award® nominations in two categories: Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program and Outstanding Animated Program Special Class. The next year, “Back at the Barnyard” won an Emmy Award® for Outstanding Animated Program Special Class. In the same year, Nickelodeon premiered Mike’s hour-long special, “Cowman: The Uddered Avenger,” reaching the largest Nickelodeon audience ever up to that point.
In 2010, Mike helped produce “Planet Sheen,” a show he co-created at DNA Productions, with Keith Alcorn and John A. Davis as a show called, “Red Acres“. Serving as Co-Producer and Supervising Director, Mike collaborated with Show Runners and Executive Producers on the show’s visual style and character direction. After directing the pilot and supervising most of the first season, he transitioned into writing and directing live action.
Mike then moved to Pittsburgh, PA, close to where he grew up, where he began writing and directing live action features. The prequel to one of his features, a short film titled, Help Me First, was shot in 2015 and premiered at Fantastic Fest before going on to show at different film festivals
Mid 2017 brought Mike full circle back to Cincinnati where he’s been teaching animation while gathering funding for his films. He has completed pre-production on his first live-action feature horror film, Beaten Path, where he’s helming as well as being co-writer and producer. Although it’s been a long road, all signs are pointing towards a production on the horizon. The cast is being attached and the funding is commencing.