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Hey, I'm Michael Alan!
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michael Alan Herman is an award-winning writer from St. Joseph, Michigan. He is the writer behind James Franco’s horror film THE MAD WHALE in collaboration with Elysium Bandini Studios, and has written for CBS, Tiktok and Spotify to name a few. Michael is an Austin Film Festival semi-finalist, a Sundance Lab second-rounder, and the recipient of the $10,000 Jay roach scholarship for excellence in cinematic writing. He has collaborated with James Corden (THE LATE LATE SHOW), Max Greenfield (NEW GIRL), and James Franco (THE DISASTER ARTIST).
My Projects
Projects I'm Supporting
Exuvia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania• Film Short
Drama
A 90s teenager's growing maturity puts her at odds with her best friend the summer before high school.
This project got the green light!
Walter, Grace, & The Submarine - A Midwestern RomCom
Grand Rapids, Michigan• Film Feature
Drama, Romantic Comedy
Over the course of a weekend, two young artists bond over odd parents, odd senses of humor, and religious trauma.
This project got the green light!
Reopening
New York City, New York• Film Short
Documentary, Drama
In Bay Ridge, Brooklyn during the Covid-19 PAUSE order, several small business owners find creative solutions to keep their doors open.
This project got the green light!
QUEUE
Athens, Georgia• Film Short
Drama, Sci-Fi
A woman suffering from nightmares murders a psychologist in order to ask for an identity from an Artificial Intelligence.
This project got the green light!
Later Gator
Sag Harbor, New York• Film Short
Drama
Best friends since childhood – Baird and Noah's relationship changes forever after a fateful day at the ocean.
This project got the green light!
Dick Bunny
Los Angeles, California• Series
Comedy
A British children’s book character comes to life in the bathroom of a sleep-deprived mom.
This project got the green light!
Red Hand
Tempe, Arizona• Film Short
Drama, Mystery
A young Navajo girl experiences her older sister's disappearance, including her family, they face challenges with the legal authorities.
This project got the green light!
Use Your Words
Maplewood, New Jersey• Film Short
Drama
A friendship between two lonely mothers is plunged into jeopardy when a painful event from one's past comes to light.
This project got the green light!
Life at Sandy's
Tvedestrand, Norway• Film Feature
Drama, Horror
A grieving American stuck in a small Norway town finds solace in a sitcom with characters that slowly pull her into their sinister TV world.
This project got the green light!
Knee High
Des Moines, Iowa• Film Feature
Drama, Family
When sudden loss disrupts his rural life, Cal must choose between saving the family farm, or pursuing an unknown future with his son.
This project got the green light!
MATARON A PEDRO
San Juan, Puerto Rico• Film Short
Drama, Thriller
In 1930s Puerto Rico, a Black Harvard-educated lawyer faces off with the white Chief of Police and governor over island-wide strikes.
This project got the green light!
The Dinner
Dallas, Texas• Film Short
Horror, Thriller
Crystal brings her boyfriend home to meet her overbearing mother, only to realize she would need to protect herself from her mother.
This project got the green light!
Helping a Stranger
Tempe, Arizona• Film Short
Drama
A young homeless man named Jack is taken under the wing of an older man named Lewis. They form a father and son relationship, but not all re
This project got the green light!
Spooky Society
Savannah, Georgia• Film Short
Teen, Horror
In Savannah, Georgia - America's most haunted city - a group of teens come together to create an amateur paranormal investigative vlog.
This project got the green light!
Black Veil (Slasher Short Film)
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Comedy, Horror
Two besties working the closing shift at a bridal boutique must face their own commitment issues… and the veiled killer waiting to strike.
This project got the green light!
Golden Boys
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
A tender little comedy about what male friendship can be, brought to you by none other than the fumblings of trans boys.
This project got the green light!
The Queer Agenda: A Great American Road Trip
Seattle, Washington• Series
Documentary, Talk-Show
A group of moms and two of their queer adult children drive across the country to get a glimpse at the realities queer folks face.
This project got the green light!
Love in the Evening Films
Dallas, Texas• Film Short
Drama, Romance
Although forced to separate due to life’s unexpected challenges, two young lovers seek their way back to each other five years later.
This project got the green light!
The Grief Counselor
Statesville, North Carolina• Film Short
Drama
An Army Veteran juggles life as a grief counselor while battling her own demons and trying to reconcile a relationship with her husband.
This project got the green light!
It Happens at Night
New York City, New York• Film Short
Horror, Thriller
Following the disappearance of her child, young Laurie is asked to watch over the home of the widowed mother.
This project got the green light!
Carry That Weight
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Crime, Drama
The death of a woman weighs heavy on two strangers
This project got the green light!
The Moon, The Sun, and The World
New Haven, Connecticut• Film Short
Drama
Over a night of reading tarot, two estranged friends explore what remains of their relationship.
This project got the green light!
Caro Simone (Dear Simone)
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama, Romance
An unwanted pregnancy leads a struggling novelist to shake up her love life and pursue a journey of self discovery.
This project got the green light!
Ankorr 643
London, United Kingdom• Radio & Podcasts
Sci-Fi, LGBTQ
A brand-new Sci-Fi Podcast, following the story of Irvin Botkin as he works on creating a chip his father never finished.
This project got the green light!
Play Date
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Comedy, Drama
A young girl learns the cost of friendship.
This project got the green light!
Rent
Los Angeles, California• Theatre
Musical
Help us welcome audiences back with our own take on this beautiful story of love, community, grief, joy, and finding each other in the dark.
This project got the green light!
Fogtown
Portland, Oregon• Series
Comedy, Mystery
A handcrafted mystery TV series full of laughs, adventure, and heartfelt Sherlock Holmes riffs – all made with finger puppets!
This project got the green light!
The Awkward Stage
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma• Film Feature
Drama, Comedy
Lost in an educational wasteland, a middle school reject falls in love with a sculpture.
This project got the green light!
Cellar Door
Huntington, New York• Film Short
Drama, History
Take it easy, but take it.
This project got the green light!
The Visitant
Florence, Alabama• Film Short
Drama, Horror
When a young woman inherits her family home, she must make up for the ghosts of her family's past or continue her family's secret.
This project got the green light!
Gentle Boy
New York City, New York• Film Short
Drama
A young African American tries to navigate through life ~ and come to terms with a painful upbringing ~ through his photography.
This project got the green light!
Crayons - A Short Film
Orlando, Florida• Film Short
Drama
A vignette in the life of a young, creative African American boy named Zion as he learns to use art to cope with the pressures of society.
This project got the green light!
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The Albatross Cafe
New York City, New York• Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
When a woman’s best ‘Judy’ asks for his spare keys back, she is sent on a whirlwind journey to the liminal land of the single, aging woman.
This project got the green light!
Twister
Dallas, Texas• Film Short
Comedy, Drama
Tornado sirens sound while two sisters walk to school. Trapped in a storm closet for 15 minutes, Monica must be the mother she's never had.
This project got the green light!
Can't Sleep
Toronto, Canada• Film Short
Action, Thriller
A kid is forced to get a job babysitting, unaware of the danger and destruction that someone with a sleeping condition can cause...
This project got the green light!
The Magic Ticket
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama, Shorts Program
After trying to get a meal at a fancy restaurant, a homeless female veterans finds her voice for the first time in many years.
This project got the green light!
ANIMALS
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama
Recently moved from the USVI, 21yr old Jordan’s perspective is forever changed when he’s pulled over by the LAPD with his white roommate.
This project got the green light!
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I Want You to Live the film
Tempe, Arizona• Film Short
Drama, Teen
A story following an Asian-American teenager in her journey of loss and grief after losing her parents.
This project got the green light!
Modern Shaman
Minneapolis, Minnesota• Film Short
Comedy, Drama
A modern shaman named Modern Shaman has a spiritual quarter life revelation: to embark on a wild path of being a performing artist.
This project got the green light!
Friend Divorce
Los Angeles, California• Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
A platonic rom-com that explores female friendship in all of its joys and heartbreak when two best friends break up.
This project got the green light!
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Strawberry
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Horror, LGBTQ
After the death of her abusive ex, Nova connects with his girlfriend - only to realize some spirits have a hard time staying buried.
This project got the green light!
New Me - Web Series
Austin, Texas• Series
Comedy
An inexperienced college freshman struggles to find herself in a world where social media pressures the narrative of young women.
This project got the green light!
Unstoppable the Music Video
Savannah, Georgia• Music Video
Fantasy, Musical
A coming of age story with two girls, destined for magic and greatness find the magic within themslves.
This project got the green light!
Little Anna
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama
A teacher receives an odd new student, finding eerie similarities between them when the girl's father fails to pick her up from school.
This project got the green light!
First Time Caller
San Diego, California• Film Short
Horror, Thriller
When Jansen finds a new hobby in an old ham radio, he tunes into a twisted game where the hunt is on and the listeners are part of the show.
This project got the green light!
Going Out Swinging
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama
A boxing trainer’s journey to see his fighter succeed. He regrets a deal with organized crime betraying his fighter to save his own life.
This project got the green light!
Murder Camp
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Comedy, Horror
When two serial killers show up on the same night to serial kill some camp counselors, they must confront their changing friendship.
This project got the green light!
HAMLET
New York City, New York• Theatre
Drama, Experimental
Daring to put impulse before perfection, eight actors embrace process by devising Hamlet in one week.
This project got the green light!
VITRA’S STREAM PROOF OF CONCEPT
Chicago, Illinois• Film Short
Family, Other
A grieving girl prays to see her Mom again. God answers her prayer, sparking spiritual warfare between the forces of good and evil.
This project got the green light!
Sweet Rhythms
New York City, New York• Film Short
Drama, Family
A Japanese father and American son run a candy stall at a food festival. They use a rhythmic cutting performance to attract customers.
This project got the green light!
"The Bright Side of Life" or "How To Not Be Nervous"
Los Angeles, California• Film Feature
Drama
Everybody always says to be yourself, but what do you do if you ain't no good?
This project got the green light!
Sight Unseen
Sacramento, California• Film Short
Thriller, Mystery
In the wake of one of her premonitions, a blind realtor puts herself in danger to prevent a fatal incident in a house she sells.
This project got the green light!
Astray
Tempe, Arizona• Film Short
Drama, Horror
While seeking to develop his magnum opus, a reclusive painter finds himself horribly inspired by the family tragedy that unfolds before him.
This project got the green light!
Always in Bloom: Amara
Teaneck, New Jersey• Film Feature
Drama, Musical
When Amara's medical concerns are dismissed, her family must take matters into their own hands to prevent a repeated tragedy.
This project got the green light!
I Really Wish I Spoke Tagalog
Boulder, Colorado• Film Short
Drama, Shorts Program
A Filipino-American man inarticulate in Tagalog goes home to care for his Lolo. He tries to learn Tagalog to connect with his culture..
This project got the green light!
HOUSE OF KA - A supernatural horror / mystery
Ann Arbor, Michigan• Film Feature
Horror, Mystery
A young Victorian aristocrat struggles to save her father from a mummy's curse.
This project got the green light!
Four Nights and a Fire
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama, Experimental
An Ojibwe young man must keep a sacred fire burning to guide the spirit of his father to the afterlife.
This project got the green light!
Gather the Suspects
Boulder, Colorado• Radio & Podcasts
Comedy, Mystery
Gather The Suspects is a cozy mystery audio drama set in Wales during a very boring apocalypse.
This project got the green light!
Blueberry Pancakes & Blank Pages
Austin, Texas• Film Short
Comedy, Drama
A young scriptwriter makes her big break into Hollywood, but now faces the struggles of living up to up the expectations
This project got the green light!
Daughter of Wands
Portland, Oregon• Film Short
Drama, Shorts Program
At a skatepark in Oregon, 17-year-old Cass finds herself in need of the protection she so cruelly denied her sister, Ruby, earlier that day.
This project got the green light!
MOONIE - The Web Series
New York City, New York• Series
Comedy, LGBTQ
MOONIE is the sitcom about the little somethings, poking fun at the microaggressions of everyday life for a group of Black queer friends.
This project got the green light!
Year 31
Los Angeles, California• Series
Documentary, Experimental
12 avant-garde, short films using abstract imagery + movement to investigate the connection between hair, culture, gender + identity.
This project got the green light!
Last Days of Summer
Indianapolis, Indiana• Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
It was a neighborhood where nothing exciting ever happened... that is until Summer, the girl next door goes missing.
This project got the green light!
Call for Cassie
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama
When her lover’s wife comes for a massage, a Chinese mother and masseuse Cassie battles between her conscience and her desires.
This project got the green light!
Hammerjacks: The Rockumentary
Aldie, Virginia• Film Feature
Documentary, Music
The implausible, unhinged history of the world-famous concert venue in Baltimore, MD.
This project got the green light!
Lightweight
Los Angeles, California• Theatre
Comedy, Drama
A complex young woman attempts to survive anorexia while maintaining a debilitatingly positive attitude in post 9/11 NYC.
This project got the green light!
Where the Dog is Buried
Ann Arbor, Michigan• Film Short
Comedy, Drama
After a man accidentally runs over a dog, he and his wife argue over hiding it from a violent neighbor and if they’re fit to raise a family.
This project got the green light!
Dino Hart
Medford, Oregon• Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
As a local Don’t Say Gay bill passes, 12-year-old Dino is forced to confront a surprising truth about their long-lost father.
This project got the green light!
Ana and Mia
Houston, Texas• Film Feature
Drama, Horror
Two lonely girls form a strong bond and begin pushing each other into eating disorders, causing them to sink deeper into a delusional world.
This project got the green light!
Henry's Kingdom
Los Angeles, California• Film Short
Drama
Following their mother’s funeral, two estranged siblings reconnect in their childhood treehouse and discover she was keeping them apart.
This project got the green light!
Beacon: the Feature Film
Boston, Massachusetts• Film Feature
Documentary, Teen
Three Boston public school students, ranking far below their suburban peers, decide to apply to some of the best private boarding schools in
This project got the green light!
Georgia
Nashville, Tennessee• Film Short
Drama
Georgia is about a young couple who decide to go their separate ways after three years of dating, but they want to spend one last
This project got the green light!
Family Affair
New York City, New York• Film Short
Comedy, LGBTQ
A young adult's secret relationship puts him at odds with this family, friends, and other commitments
This project got the green light!
NIGHT SHIFT
Portland, Oregon• Film Short
Horror, Teen
A teenage waitress harnesses the power to bite back against misogyny in her conservative 1980s town.
This project got the green light!
RISE
San Francisco, California• Comics
Sci-Fi, War
A diverse squad of modern soldiers travel back in time to the Civil War & become entangled in covert efforts to defeat the Confederacy.
This project got the green light!
Finding Your Laughter
Chicago, Illinois• Film Feature
Comedy, Documentary
Using her skills as a comic & improv performer, Arlieta cares for her father, Milton, & learns to navigate Alzheimer's with humor & laughter
This project got the green light!
Bury Your Fish
Portland, Oregon• Film Short
Drama, Thriller
A woman desperate to rediscover her purpose in life takes guidance from a flashing light a few blocks away.
This project got the green light!
