Mike Gallagher – Taking his Creativity from Film to the World of Marketing

#96 - As Mike Gallagher spent his teenage years filming his friends skateboarding around the Metro Vancouver area, someone took notice. A high school teacher recognized Mike’s aptitude for film and developed an independent study course that allowed Mike free reign over the school’s media equipment. It didn’t take long for Mike to become hooked and as he approached graduation he applied to the Art Institute of Vancouver’s Digital Film and Production program. The plan was for Mike to live out his dream of working in Vancouver’s continually expanding film industry.

The early years of Mike's career as a production assistant were a GRIND. Long hours, inconsistent work schedules, and low pay doing the work no one else wanted to do certainly wasn’t glamorous but Mike looked for opportunities where he could learn from those around him. He was watching and he was learning. Once he had a few years of experience under his belt Mike knew he was ready for something more so when he got a call for his next PA gig he said ‘no, what else have you got?’ The answer to that question was the props department and it was there that Mike got to flex his creative muscles while continuing to learn from expert prop masters – true veterans of the industry.

Over time, the lifestyle of the film industry began to eat away at Mike’s personal life and he saw a potentially complicated future in the family lives of many of his colleagues. After a particularly difficult night on a set in below-freezing temperatures, he realized he needed a major change and the next day he called his parents to let them he was moving home because he was going back to school. That decision propelled Mike into a new career that has given him the opportunity to work on video game franchises like Electronic Arts’ NHL and UFC titles and allowed him to rub shoulders with athletes like Connor McDavid, P.K Subban, Connor McGregor, and Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson.

How did Mike do it? Listen to his Career Crossroads interview to find out.

Find Mike online on LinkedIn or at www.mikegallaghermedia.com

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