ABOUT Bryan Michael Stoller

At the age of six, growing up in Canada, Bryan began experimenting with movies and animation. His first job in the film and television industry, when he was 11 years old, was as the host of a TV show on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) called "Film Fun" in which he showed kids how to make their own Super-8 movies. He later transformed that talent into producing commercials for various Ottawa businesses that aired on TV in the 1970s.

 

At nineteen, Bryan moved to Los Angeles to attend the American Film Institute as a Director Fellow.

 

After AFI, Bryan's Hollywood career began when he became assistant to Johnny Carson on the pilot for "TV Bloopers & Practical Jokes." A few years later,  Bryan's comedy shorts, "Undershorts" became a regular feature on the show.  Bryan's "Undershorts" started a following and soon were featured on HBO, "Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders," "The American Comedy Awards" and on various comedy variety shows.

 

Bryan went on to direct an episode of the classic George A. Romero TV series, "Tales from the Darkside," entitled "The Bitterest Pill", starring Mark Blankfield.  The episode became the season's highest rated episode.  

 

Bryan also wrote for The Ice Queen animated feature, starring the voices of Lauren Bacall and Bryan Adams. Stoller's other animation writing credits include story editor on the Cinar animation series, Animal Crackers.

 

Bryan directed the landmark music video Hands Across America, produced by Ken Kragen which featured appearances by Barbra Streisand, Drew Barrymore and Robin Williams.

 

Bryan and his films have been featured on Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Dateline NBC and in many newspapers and periodicals including The Los Angeles Times, Premiere Magazine and People Magazine.

Friendship with

Michael Jackson

Bryan directed the famous parody of the 1980's Pepsi commercial which spoofs Michael Jackson.  The parody, The Shadow of Michael, caught Jackson's attention to telephone Stoller, a phone-call which launched a twenty-year friendship.

 

The two were friends until Jackson's untimely passing in 2009.  Michael was featured in Bryan's feature film "Miss Cast Away and the Island Girls" (a.k.a. "Silly Movie 2"). This was Michael Jackson's last acting appearance in a film.

 

Stoller and Jackson were scheduled to co-direct the motion picture "They Cage the Animals at Night," based on the best-selling novel by Jennings Michael Burch. Mel Gibson hired Bryan to write the screenplay adaptation of Burch's book, with Stoller and Jackson signed to co-direct. Stoller was also mentoring Jackson and his three children on filmmaking.

 

LITTLE BEAR

In 2002 Bryan adopted a brindle colored dog he named Little Bear which he found out later was originally rescued by former First Lady Nancy Reagan.

 

Upon learning this, Bryan was inspired to write, produce and direct "First Dog" starring Little Bear and featuring original songs by Dolly Parton.

 

The film became a rental success on Redbox with close to half a million rentals, and later aired on FOX in syndication on Easter Sunday 2014.

 

Little Bear inspired another movie that Bryan wrote, produced and directed in 2015 entitled, "The Amazing Wizard of Paws" and became a streaming favorite with close to Nine Million views.  At the age of 15, Little Bear went on to star in "Santa Stole Our Dog" opposite Ed Asner, as Santa Claus.

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FILMMAKING FOR DUMMIES

Stoller is the author of Filmmaking for Dummies. Jerry Lewis wrote the foreword and Dan Akyroyd wrote the cover endorsement.  The book is now in its second edition worldwide.  Bryan is also the editor of Screenwriting for Dummies.  Bryan also wrote Smartphone Moviemaking, and Harry Potter: Imagining Hogwarts - a beginners guide to movie making.

 

FEATURE FILMS

Bryan's work has appeared on the major U.S. networks including: NBC, ABC, HBO, STARZ, LIFETIME, FOX and DirecTV.  

 

Some of Bryan's feature film titles include; Undercover Angel, Turn of the Blade, Dragon Fury II, Miss Castaway & the Island Girls, The Random Factor, Undershorts: The Movie, Light Years Away, First Dog, The Amazing Wizard of Paws, and Santa Stole Our Dog which was picked up by Universal.

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