Michael Pisano is an animator, illustrator, and filmmaker. His first career aspiration was to be a dinosaur. Later acquisition of bifocals in suburban New Jersey led to an amateur interest in small things: ants, fine print, and the Earth as featured in illustrations of the solar system.

Michael’s recent documentaries highlight Pittsburghers striving towards discovery and positive change. His portfolio includes shorts about Rachel Carson, local moon roboticists, space artists, tree tenders, community farmers, a philosopher of nanoscience, and a Braddock biofuel company.

Michael aspires to a storytelling practice that provides audiences with points of entry into new worlds. Knowledge is often exclusive to specialists. Good storytelling and collaboration can make almost anything accessible to, and thus inspire, anyone. As an educator, Michael believes in the power of good storytelling, and that fostering media literacy empowers students.