As an award winning screenwriter, the entertainment industry recognized Michael's work for both its commercial accessibility and artistic integrity; a seamless coalition of genre-subversion, layered characters and timeless themes - all while conveying universal truths across the cinematic landscape. His influences include Bennett Miller, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, James Wan, Leigh Whannell, Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher, Roman Polanski, Yasujiro Ozu, Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Barry Jenkins, Alejandro Inarritu, Bob Dylan and The Coen Brothers.