Michael Peel

Michael Peel is a practice-based lecturer and award-winning filmmaker, whose work has been screened at numerous international film festivals. His most recent documentary ‘Gervase’ won best Documentary Feature Film & Best Editing in a Documentary at the Documentary Screen Awards in 2020. In 2018 he was nominated for the Best Cinematography Award at the 2018 Southampton International Film Festival. He is the co-founder of an independent London-based production company, BottleRocket Film, that produces a variety of dramas, corporates and documentaries. He has worked for BBC News, BBC Manchester, BBC South and a number of other production companies, including marketing campaigns for the RSPH (Royal Society for Public Heath) and credits for Netflix.

As a Director (Content) Liberal Arts and Associate Professor, he lectures across a variety of postgraduate, undergraduate and foundation. His teaching covers the areas of film production, cinematography, multi-camera TV studio production, postproduction, colour grading and location-based filming. 

He is a Senior Fellow with the Higher Education Academy and an External Examiner for both the University of Wolverhampton & the University of Liverpool. He previously taught at The Arts University Bournemouth.

• 2015: Postgraduate Certificate, University of Westminster
• 2011: MA (Hons) Film, Southampton Solent University
• 2004: BA (Hons) Film & Television Production, Bournemouth University

• 2021 – 2022: Course Leader BA Practical Filmmaking & BA Screenwriting, Central Film School
• 2011 onwards: Co-founder BottleRocket Film LMT production company
• 2018 – 2021: Course Leader & Senior Lecturer, Studio & Media Production, Regent’s University London
• Course Leader: Studio & Media Production, Regent’s University London
• 2008 – 2011: Visiting Lecturer, Arts University Bournemouth
• ABC Accredited Digital Film Making
• ABC Accredited Introduction to Non-Linear Editing and Digital Film Production.

• Hunch, an article review: 'The Tacit Dimension: Chapter 1', M. Polanyi
• 2018 issue of Philological Studies and Research, Applied Foreign Language series
• 2015, University of Westminster 'Teaching & Learning Online Journal'

Michael has completed a large number of projects that form his research by creative practice. Including co-producing and cinematography for a number of films that have been screened at international film festivals, including:

• The Art Of Love – 2nd Unit Cinematography – NETFLIX Comedy Feature Film
• 'GERVASE' – Multi award winning feature documentary. Winner / Best Documentary Feature & Best Editing in a Documentary Feature - Documentary Screen Awards 2020. Finalist – New York International Film Awards 2020 Nominated ‘Best Editing in a Documentary’ – Southampton International Film Festival 2020
• ‘The Iris Echo’ – political short film, accepted into the Miami International SciFi, the Cardiff International, the Wasteland, the Chicago International Genre, the Ocean City, the Dublin SciFi, the Derby Film Festivals and the Cannes Short Film Corner. Nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Production Design at the Southampton International Film Festival
• ‘Oxymorons’ – comedy short, accepted into Annual New Zealand Film Awards & Discover Film Awards
• ‘Together Forever’ – comedy web series, semi-finalist for Best Web Series category at the UK Offline Web Fest & Official Selection at the Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards, nominated for Best Web Series
• ‘Between Lambs and Lions’ – Short Film, Enter the Pitch Finalist starring Paterson Joseph & Finbar Lynch. Completed post-production work on a variety of other projects, including:
• ‘Air’ – independent short with Sandy Toksvig. Part-funded by the Autistic Society
• ‘Pas De Deux‘ – Independent Short, Official Selection SanGio Verona Video Festival
• ‘Love’ – independent short, won Film Production Award “50 Kisses”, Guerilla Film Award “50 Kisses”, Best Film “Southampton Film Week”. Official selection for New York Bootleg Film Festival, Edinburgh Short Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival & London Independent Film Festival

• Second supervision on MA cap stone projects. MA Screenwriting & Producing

• Studied the work of Michael Polanyi, which culminated in an article review, on his work 'The Tacit Dimension', and how the principle he describes can be applied to the field of teaching and learning in higher education. This review was published in the 2018 issue of Philological Studies and Research
• Applied Foreign Language Series and University of Westminster Teaching & Learning Online Journal – 2015 Research by Creative Practice focused on the areas of the use of new technologies and working practices in cinematography, post production, media management, studio production, live streaming and outside broadcast. Most recently completed the process of gaining a remote pilot license from the Civil Aviation Authority (for drone cinematography)

• Certified Da Vinci Resolve Trainer
• Senior Fellow with the HEA (Higher Education Academy) since 2015
• CAA Remote Pilots License (drone cinematography & photography)
• Apple-certified FCPX (Final Cut Pro) Trainer
• Tiffen-certified Steadicam Operator

• 2020 onwards: External Examiner Xi'an Jiaotong/Liverpool University
• 2018 – 2022: External Examiner University of Wolverhampton.

Currently teaching on the courses: BA Film & Screen, BA Screenwriting & Producing, MA Luxury Brand Management, BA Liberal Studies and Foundation Media Production. Internal panel member for the validation for BA Graphics and MA Psychotherapy & Counselling as well as writing module and course documents for BA Media Comms and MA Content Creation.