My current Project Title:

The Umbrella Man Feature Film

I describe myself as a

director

My areas of expertise include:

director

About me - current project:

The Umbrella Man is my first feature film after a long career in commercial directing.

Laurels, awards and other accomplishments:

Michael Grasso has more than 40 years of experience in the field of film production. An accomplished strategist and marketer, Michael’s vision and expertise have been tapped by every major advertiser in nearly every category of the industry. His directorial work in the commercial production field has garnered major awards and worldwide recognition. He has won numerous awards including the prestigious Gold Lion from the Cannes Film Festival. He has twice been nominated by the Director’s Guild of America for Director of the Year award.
Michael began his career in 1970 at KXTV in Sacramento, Ca. There he worked in both the art and film departments. 1973 found him at KMUV in Sacramento where he worked to help put the fledgling new UHF station on the air. His commercials for local advertisers got the attention of WADE Advertising which Michael joined in 1976. There, he wrote, produced and directed spots and campaigns for KCRA- TV, Crystal Dairy, River City Bank and a number of political campaigns. By 1977 Grasso Productions had been formed, an independent production company which continued to work for WADE Advertising and their clients, along with a broad range of national advertisers which included KPIX in San Francisco and WABC and WPIX in New York.
The production company moved to New York City in 1985 , but by then Grasso Marketing and Advertising had been formed for the express purpose of handling the advertising for KCRA-TV and River City Bank. Eventually Grasso decided to dedicate all of his time to commercial directing and eventually joined a New York production company. His work on the national level took him around the world. In addition to the U.S., Michael has produced and directed in China, Italy, France, Germany, England, South Africa, Australia and Argentina. His client list includes:
NESTLE, IBM, AMERICAN AIRLINES, DELTA AIRLINES, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, USPS, OSCAR MEYER, PILLSBURY, JC PENNEY, CHUPA CHUPS, ADVIL, MAZDA, WALT DISNEY, MCDONALD’S, NATIONAL CITY BANK, ANHEUSER BUSCH, COOR’S, MILLER BREWING, PONTIAC, DR. PEPPER, AMERICAN EXPRESS, VISA, DISCOVER CARD, U.S. ARMY, NATIONAL CAR RENTAL, HOME DEPOT, KELLOGG’S, BANK OF AMERICA, FANNIE MAE, FORD, CHEVROLET, CHRYSLER, LEXUS, TOYOTA, HBO, CINEMAX, WPIX NY, WABC NY, HONDA, SEARS, PUBLIX FOOD STORES, OHIO LOTTERY, PIZZA HUT, MERRILL LYNCH, DEAN WITTER, CHASE BANK, SPRINT, MCI, ATT, MERCK, COUNCIL FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY. BLUE CROSS, BLUE SHIELD. JOHN DEERE.
His work with celebrity talent is also notable. They include: Willy Nelson and Waylon Jennings, Diana Ross, Bernadette Peters, Billy Crystal, Rachel Ward, Arnold Palmer, Howie Mandel, Sugar Ray Leonard, Alex Trebek, Delta Burke, Ellen Degeneres, Aretha Franklin, Liberace, Ronald Reagan, George Carlin. Dolly Parton. Kenny Rogers. Christopher Reeve, Blair Underwood, Andre Agassi, Wilford Brimley and Don Ameche.
The Umbrella Man, an original motion picture co-written and co-produced with his brother Joseph Grasso and directed by Michael, is his first feature film. Set in Pittsburgh in 1983, The Umbrella Man charts the downward spiral of Peter and Annie Brennan after the death of their young son. The boy's death and the subsequent acquittal of his killer kindles a conspiratorial paranoia in Peter that threatens his sanity and their marriage. As an escape, Brennan becomes fixated on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and his decent into the underworld of conspiracy sub-culture ends up providing a place of emotional refuge for him.
We look forward to the screening of The Umbrella Man at The Sacramento International Film Festival.
Michael Grasso has returned to his roots and currently resides with his wife, Maureen Hanley Grasso, in Rocklin, Ca. just outside Sacramento.

My home region is:

Capital Region