Everyone’s known someone who, at some point or another, has said the words we all know they’ll give up on.
“I’m going to write a book,” or “I’m going to make a movie.”
But all over the Lansing area, there are people striving to do exactly those things - on their own and free from any sort of support except that of their friends and neighbors. And this weekend, one local man is continuing his quest for a full-blown, big-budget movie.
“We’re not trying to take a space shuttle to the moon, and they’ve already done that,” said Lansing resident Melik Michaels, regarding his goals. “What did (Steven) Spielberg and Spike Lee do in the beginning? I think that’s what I’m doing now.”
What Michaels is doing includes producing his own television show and writing his own scripts, acting and directing in his own movies. His latest effort, “Time Piece” will be revealed to the public this weekend.
“It’s about someone trying to find a place in the world,” Michaels said.
Michaels also finds the story close to his own experience. A son of a military man, he spent his childhood moving all over America, until his family ended up in Oscoda, Mich. - a big departure from his previous setting, Louisville, Ky. Melik found himself looking all over for a way to express himself in his new, smaller environment - and finding it onstage during a school play, “The Outsiders,” during second grade.
Upon graduation from high school, Michaels came to MSU as a hotel and resort management student - but school wasn’t exactly to his liking. And when he found himself in the hospital for three months after a car accident while going 96 mph, Michaels took the time to think about what he wanted to do with his life.
He even keeps the clip from the seat belt he was wearing.
“I hated school and I wasn’t enjoying it,” Michaels said. “So, one day after dropping out of college, I auditioned for a play.”
From his first experiences in local theater, Michaels began working with local film and television productions to gain experience in both the technical and artistic sides of the medium. Before long, he was at the head of a cable access show and acting in movies.
And after spending some time meeting people within local circles, Michaels met KING SIZE, aka Chris Carnegie, another local man who has been recording his own music for more than a decade. Upon meeting, the two thought of working together on a music video and, possibly, even a movie.
“He came, like, two weeks later with a script,” KING SIZE said.
The idea was to combine a film with rap music to create a new musical. Utilizing music KING SIZE had already written and Melik’s script, they began to gather people together. Knowing that it would be difficult to get all the money necessary, they decided to shoot an extra-long film trailer, in the hopes of raising more interest for the movie. After two lightning-fast days of shooting, they had their footage, thanks to the help of plenty of friends and volunteers, such as Lansing Community College film student Brandon Bartkowiak, who has worked with Michaels before.
“It was fun making sure Michaels wasn’t too much of a god on the set,” joked Bartkowiak. Bartkowiak aided with the camerawork for the shoot.
Everyone involved is optimistic that “Time Piece” will find an audience and a chance to continue work will happen. Of course, there are more projects in the work - but meeting Melik, you get the idea that there’s always a new idea happening.
“They say ‘write what you know,’” Michaels said. “I write what I want to know and add some things that I know.”
The premiere of “Time Piece” will be at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The event will take place at the Nuthouse Sports Grill located at 420 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing.
