Michael left school in 1963 at the age of 15. He started as an apprentice scenic painter at Elstree Studios, the British Hollywood. It was a five-year apprenticeship during which time he was taught the art of set painting for film and television.
The first productions he worked on were TV series like The Avengers, The Saint, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and The Champions. Then down the line on Hammer films like One Million Years B.C., The Devil Rides Out, Mask of the Red Death, Frankenstein and Dracula. Later in the 1980s he would work on the first and second of the Indiana Jones films, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Return to Oz, Willow and Highlander. More recently Michael worked on films including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Batman Begins and Nine.
Following his retirement Michael continues to paint canvases inspired by his many years working British film and television.