VFS In-Production Bootcamp | Creating the Modern Sitcom w/ Michael Spiller

MICHAEL SPILLER: Producer, Cinematographer, & Award-Winning Director 

With a BFA in Film from SUNY Purchase, Michael got his start as the DP on the first season of HBO’s Sex and The City. He launched his directing career in season two, directing seven episodes before moving to LA to pursue directing full time. His credits include more than 20 episodes each of Modern Family (for which he won an Emmy) and Scrubs, as well as multiple episodes of Superstore, Black-ish, The New Girl, The Middle, Cougar Town, Don’t Trust the B in Apt 23, Big Love, and Ugly Betty. He was also the Executive Producer/Director for all six seasons of The Mindy Project and recently wrapped the final season of The Sex Lives of College Girls. 

Single-camera comedies have become a staple in contemporary television. Series like The Office, Arrested Development, and Modern Family have truly put this genre on the map by crafting memorable story worlds featuring a more cinematic, realistic look & feel (compared to traditional, multi-cam sitcoms), with an emphasis on strong character development. 

Among the greatest directors of modern single-camera comedies is Michael Spiller! Following VFS’s inaugural In-Production Bootcamp where he led participants through the making of an original sitcom scene – from the writer’s room to on-set – Michael now returns to VFS for the ultimate follow-up: The Art of Single-Cam Comedy. Writers, Directors, and Actors – this is your opportunity to work directly with an Emmy-winner to create an unforgettable TV comedy scene and gain unparalleled industry knowledge and experience for your career! 

Note: If you’re a cinematograper and/or would prefer to participate in an observatory capacity, register as an ‘Observer’ during checkout. 

Saturday, August 23 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. PDT | VFS Film Campus, 151 West Cordova Street 

Sunday, August 24 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. PDT | VFS Film Campus, 151 West Cordova Street 

Cost: $150 

Registration required.

Host or Publisher Vancouver Film School