Michael Paxton (born March 29, 1957) is an American filmmaker and writer.[1] He has directed, produced, and written several films, both live action and animated, as well as plays and books. His feature documentary Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life[2] received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature and a Golden Satellite Award for Best Documentary film in 1997. Paxton currently works as Multimedia Producer for the Ayn Rand Institute.[3]

Michael Paxton
Born (1957-03-29) March 29, 1957 (age 67)
Alma materUniversity at Albany, SUNY (BA)
New York University (MFA)
Occupation(s)Film director, film producer, screenwriter, playwright

Early life and education

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Michael Paxton was born Michael Anthony Palumbo on March 29, 1957, in Kingston, New York.

In 1975, Paxton began attending the University at Albany, SUNY, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy in 1979.

He then attended the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he received a Master of Fine Arts in for Film & Television in 1988. Paxton's graduate thesis film, Forbidden Fruit, won awards for Best Screenplay and Best Editing at the 1988 NYU Film Festival.[4]

Career

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In 1989, Paxton co-produced and directed the world premiere of Ayn Rand's play Ideal at the Melrose Theater in Hollywood, and in 1991, he adapted and directed a dramatic presentation of Rand's futuristic novella Anthem.[4] In 1995, he was the assistant director on the live-action/animated feature The Pagemaster for Turner Pictures.

In November 1996, Paxton released the feature documentary Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life. The documentary takes its name from the concept of a sense of life, a concept that Ayn Rand developed and defined as a "pre-conceptual equivalent of metaphysics, an emotional, subconsciously integrated appraisal of man and of existence. It sets the nature of a man’s emotional responses and the essence of his character."[5] In 1997, Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 69th Academy Awards. It also won the Golden Satellite Award for Best Feature Documentary of 1997.

Paxton also co-produced the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life and was Visual Effects Supervisor on Stuart Little 2. He was the Associate Producer on The Lion King 1½ for Disney, Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows for Miramax, and Smallville Legends: Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton for The CW.

In addition to his film and theater work, Paxton has written four books: Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life (The Companion Book) and three children's books for Disney based on classic animated features: Cinderella, The Rescuers Down Under, and The Aristocats.

Works

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Films

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  • Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life (1996), writer/director/producer
  • A Place in the Circle (2000), co-director/co-producer
  • Stuart Little 2 (2002), visual effects coordinator
  • Ideal (2004) (V), writer/director/producer
  • Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows (2005), associate producer
  • Smallville Legends: Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton (2008) (V), line producer

Animation projects

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Plays

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  • Ideal (1989), writer/director/producer
  • Anthem (1991), writer/director/producer

Books

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  • Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life, The Companion Book, writer (1998)
  • The Aristocats, writer (1999)
  • Cinderella, writer (1999)
  • The Rescuers Down Under, writer (1999)

References

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  1. ^ "Index to Motion Picture Credits – Paxton, Michael". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  2. ^ "Index to Motion Picture Credits – Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  3. ^ "Michael Paxton (Director)". AynRandASenseofLife.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Sutton, Larry. "A Payoff for Patience: NYU Film Maker Bides Time, Wins Chance for Oscar". NYDailyNews.com. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  5. ^ Rand, Ayn (1971). The Romantic Manifesto (paperback ed.). New York: Signet. OCLC 733753672.
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