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Mike Diva
American film director
American film director
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Mike Diva |
| image | Mike Diva Blue (cropped).jpg |
| alt | |
| caption | Diva in 2018 |
| birth_name | Michael Brenton Dahlquist |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Sacramento, California, U.S |
| occupation | Film director, visual effects artist, musician and YouTuber |
| website |
Michael Brenton Dahlquist (born June 23, 1987), known professionally as Mike Diva, is an American film director, visual effects artist, musician, and YouTuber. After establishing his YouTube channel in 2006, he created multiple internet videos that went viral on the platform, one of which being Japanese Donald Trump Commercialトランプ2016, a Japanese styled politically satirical video disguised as a campaign commercial for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, which gained international attention. He was also in a band called Vyncent Flaw or originally Jasper Dorex Cyborg Esquire.
Diva has directed YouTube videos for Epic Rap Battles of History, music videos for 3OH!3, Kill the Noise, The M Machine, Mindless Self Indulgence, Savant, Lil Nas X, and Doja Cat, segments of Saturday Night Live, commercials and other promotional materials for Xbox, Mixer, Halo Top Creamery, and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He also directed the Netflix special The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience.
Early life and career
Mike Brenton Dahlquist was born on June 23, 1987, in Sacramento, California. He was introduced to filmmaking at the age of 14 after downloading VFX software from LimeWire.
In June 2016, Diva's video Japanese Donald Trump Commercialトランプ2016 gained international attention, with some 8 million views on Facebook and almost 300,000 views on YouTube in its first 24 hours. The video is presented as a Japanese commercial promoting the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The video was shot over a month and a half with virtually no budget and stars the cosplayer and wig stylist known as sushimonstuh.* Slate* described the work as "a dizzying, sorbet-hued phantasmagoria that gestures toward the coming end times."
On August 11, 2016, Diva directed a similar politically satirical video for Super Deluxe about the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The video depicted a fictionalized Clinton attempting to connect with the millennial generation using various internet memes.
In 2017, Diva co-wrote and directed a stylized horror spot for Halo Top Creamery titled "Eat The Ice Cream," The advert made headlines in Adweek, AdAge, IndieWire, Munchies and Gizmodo. It won a number of awards, including AdWeeks Top 10 Ads of 2017.
In 2021, Diva moved to New York City and began directing video shorts for Saturday Night Live.
Artistry
Diva is known for incorporating various aspects of Internet culture and Vaporwave aesthetics on his films. He is inspired by Japanese commercials, as well as Michel Gondry, and the Daniels.
Personal life
Diva previously lived in Los Angeles, currently residing in New York City.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mike Diva Presents | 3rd Streamy Awards | Best Direction | |
| Kill the Noise "Kill The Noise pt. 1" | MTV Clubland | Pick of the year | ||
| 2015 | Thresher | Comicpalooza Film Festival | Best Horror Film | |
| Savant "Kali 47" | Comicpalooza Film Festival | Best VFX | ||
| 2015 Geeky Awards | Music Video of the Year | |||
| Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival | Jury Award | |||
| Steampunk Chronicle Reader's Choice Awards | Best Short Film | |||
| Music Video | ||||
| 2016 | Amarcort Film Festival | Special Mention Award | ||
| FANCINE Festival de Cine Fantastico de la Universidad de Malaga | Audience Award | |||
| Fantastic Planet Film Festival | Best Music Video | |||
| London Short Series Fest | Jury Award | |||
| Long Island International Film Expo | ||||
| Outlaw Film Festival | ||||
| 2017 | Halo Top Creamery "Eat The Ice Cream" | EPICA Award | Humour in Advertising | |
| The 10 Best Ads of 2017 | Advertising | |||
| 2018 | AdWheel Grand Award | Best Marketing and Communications Educational Effort | ||
| People's Voice Award Winner | Advertising, Media, & PR: Branded Content | |||
| American Advertising Awards (ADDY) | Internet Commercial (District 15) | |||
| Internet Commercial (Los Angeles) | ||||
| D&AD Awards | Digital Marketing / Online Video Adverts |
References
References
- Miller, Shannon. (2022-02-10). "Mike Diva on Directing Doja Cat's 'Get Into It (Yuh)' Video".
- (2017-10-19). "Los Angeles Gets the Singing Transit Etiquette Superhero It Needs". Bloomberg.com.
- Big Vic Media. (2024-01-31). "Mike Diva talks Directing Saturday Night Live and Music Videos".
- Stories, Local. (2021-02-10). "Rising Stars: Meet Mike Diva - Voyage LA Magazine {{!}} LA City Guide".
- Waldman, Katy. (June 16, 2016). "You Will Never Unsee This Wondrously Strange Fake Japanese Advertisement for Donald Trump". Slate.
- Mackey, Robert. (June 16, 2016). "No, That Donald Trump Ad Is Not Real".
- (August 11, 2016). "New Video Proves Hillary's Got the Dankest Memes on Lock". www.mediaite.com.
- (August 11, 2016). "Hillary Clinton's 'Meme Queen 2016' ad is her most effective yet".
- (September 7, 2017). "An Ice Cream Brand Just Made the Perfect Cinema Ad to Run Before Horror Films – Adweek".
- "Halo Top's Creepy Robot Declares 'Humans Require Ice Cream'".
- (September 8, 2017). "Halo Top's Horrifying New Ad is a 'Black Mirror'-Esque Spin on '2001: A Space Odyssey' — Watch".
- (September 8, 2017). "The New Halo Top Commercial is a Dystopian Nightmare".
- (October 23, 2020). "Holy shit this ice cream commercial".
- (December 11, 2017). "The 10 Best Ads of 2017".
- "Mike Diva Instagram post announcing his move to NYC and hiring by SNL".
- Jones, Wil. "Interview: Youtube Meme Master Mike Diva on His Insane Donald Trump Video and Dancing Dogs".
- "The 2015 Geekie Awards Winners & Nominees".
- Only, Subscription. (2017-12-11). "The 10 Best Ads of 2017".
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