Faculty Spotlight

Michael Niederman 

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Michael Niederman is an award-winning film and video maker as well as the chair of the Television Department of Columbia College Chicago. He has taught in all areas of the department but he now focuses on writing, directing and emerging forms of television and Transmedia, which is storytelling across multiple platforms and formats.

This April, Michael spoke at the annual Broadcast Education Conference on a panel titled, "The Power of Leaked Secrets." His portion focused on the power of forbidden knowledge and conspiracy theories, focusing on information leaks and how they fuel today's 24/7 news cycle.

Niederman is a board member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and a founding board member of the International Digital Media and Arts Association. His award-winning projects include the dramatic film The Paled Man which was screened nationally, the documentaries Voices from Northern Ireland, shown on the PBS network, 7 Day Wonder, Presumed Guilty, and Shades of Grey all of which have aired on WTTW/Chicago.

In the summer of 1996, he served as the host of Reel Time, a thirteen-part series focusing on student film/video makers and their works produced at and broadcast on WYCC/Channel 20, Chicago. He worked extensively in the corporate and educational media production, writing films and tapes for a wide variety of organizations, He has written and lectured extensively on television, popular culture and emerging narrative forms. He is currently working on a noir graphic novel and has begun his research in the area of transmedia.