Spawned from the San Fernando Valley, Mike Piscitelli dropped out of ninth grade to pursue skateboarding, hardcore music and teenage girls. He ended up working as an assistant on porn films, which spurred his interest in photography and film. At age eighteen he moved to New York and proceeded to shoot editorials for Dazed & Confused, Another and i-D magazine.
He went on to direct the SoCal Summer Campaign for MTV, which earned him a coveted Art Directors Club Award. In 2003, he moved back to Los Angeles to focus on film work and surfing. He soon found himself directing music videos for Iggy Pop, John Frusciante, Linkin Park and The Walkmen, among others. In 2006 he won Pitchfork Media’s “Video of the Year” for Bonnie “prince” Billy and Matt Sweeny’s “Superwolf”; in 2007 he was voted one of Print magazine’s New Visual Artist. He is currently finishing work on a feature length documentary about Ozzy Osbourne, as well as shooting various editorial, advertising and personal projects.
