Emmy Award–Winning · Director & Cinematographer

Michael
James Murray

Blending the authenticity of documentary storytelling with the visual refinement of commercial filmmaking. A go-to director & DP for food and beverage — for GQ, Condé Nast, Jack Daniel's, The Botanist, Tito's, and beyond.

PHL · NYC · LA
Selected Hover to preview — click to play
Directing Reel2 filmsDirecting Reel
Directing ReelShowcase
Timberland — Big Shoes to FillTimberland — Big Shoes to Fill
Timberland — Big Shoes to FillBranded · Lifestyle
Toyota × The Encore3 filmsToyota × The Encore
Toyota × The EncoreDocumentary Series · Food Culture
Juicy TomatoesJuicy Tomatoes
Juicy TomatoesBranded · F&B
Day to Night — Borrego SpringsDay to Night — Borrego Springs
Day to Night — Borrego SpringsLifestyle · Visual Storytelling
Where People Forget to Die6 filmsWhere People Forget to Die
Where People Forget to DieDocumentary Series · The Blue Zones
Postmates — “The Posties” ft. Kristen KishPostmates — “The Posties” ft. Kristen Kish
Postmates — “The Posties” ft. Kristen KishBranded · F&B
Island Creek Oysters — Everybody WinsIsland Creek Oysters — Everybody Wins
Island Creek Oysters — Everybody WinsDocumentary · F&B
GQ × The Botanist5 filmsGQ × The Botanist
GQ × The BotanistBranded Series · F&B
Made In × Nancy SilvertonMade In × Nancy Silverton
Made In × Nancy SilvertonBranded · F&B
Condé Nast Traveler × Tequila OchoCondé Nast Traveler × Tequila Ocho
Condé Nast Traveler × Tequila OchoBranded · F&B
GQ × Jack Daniel’s3 filmsGQ × Jack Daniel’s
GQ × Jack Daniel’sBranded Series · F&B
WWE × NetflixWWE × Netflix
WWE × NetflixBranded · Entertainment
Photography Click any frame to enlarge
Quavo in a leather suit, walking a corridor with a basketball and a Birkin
Tito's bottle and a cocktail on split firewood against a yellow clapboard wall
A can of HOP WTR iced tea in a net bag of lemons and ice
A craftsman at a red tool chest lacing a boot in his workshop
Overhead: beetroot, labneh, herbs and seeds in a copper pan
Three friends sitting against a fence with JanSport backpacks
A butcher in a bowler hat leaning on the counter of a Philadelphia market
A model in a blue jacket and tan trousers seated on a block
Overhead: a golf cup, two balls and a miniature bottle of Tito's on turf
A bottle of Tito's pouring a thin stream of vodka across a white field
A man in a locker room holding white headphones
A Liquid I.V. sachet on rippled red water with amber glasses
Still life: utensils hung from a copper rail with a bottle, kettle and berries
A lobster roll in paper on a hot pink tray
A hand holding a lobster roll against red glazed tile
A close, sunlit street portrait with lens flare
A chef reclining beneath an orange embossed wall and ceiling
A bottle of Tito's and a red cocktail on a walnut table in warm window light
Close on clasped hands and a watch, the hands blurred with movement
A man in a tan suede jacket in a gingham-curtained hotel room
Amass dry gin, a negroni and a halved orange against a gold gradient
A bottle of Tito's and a tall lemonade on a golf course at sunset
Three HOP WTR cans held up against a blue sky
A Smooj piña colada poured into a glass above turquoise pool water
A man with a cocktail beside a bottle of The Botanist against an ivy-covered brick wall
A highball with lime on a wooden table, palm shadow across red checked fabric
Black and white: a player silhouetted against a bright gym window
A lone figure on a floodlit rooftop tennis court at night, Manhattan behind
A close frame of a hand and a gold watch in low light
A tattooed chef beside a pink neon sign in a dark dining room
Two bottles on a wooden stool beside a black cone fireplace
Two women in Fila tracksuits on a courtside bench
A chef beneath the neon sign at Potluck Club, Chinatown
Tito's on a mid-century credenza with cacti and a mirror
An open tin of razor clams resting on a bed of oysters and yellow netting
Quavo in a red knit and white sunglasses, jewellery close
A bottle of Tito's and a bloody mary on the fairway at sunset
A man in black nylon, arms crossed, against a breeze-block wall
Joel Embiid seated with a basketball on a wooden court
Close crop of a fried fish sandwich with slaw and tartare
A close portrait with palm trees reflected in orange sunglasses
Tito's poured into an iced highball against a wood-panelled wall
An athlete in sage tailoring seated in empty arena seats, watch on wrist
A model lowering sunglasses against a pale studio wall
A bottle of Jameson Black Barrel with a highball and bar tools
A woman laughing on a pink backdrop with a tube of product
A chef stacking bamboo steamers in a Chinatown dim sum kitchen
Black and white: a man in headphones seated in a dark room
A cocktail poured from a steel shaker beside a bottle of The Botanist
Two martinis and a shaker on a burl wood counter beneath a wavy mirror
A bottle of Tito's and an Arnold Palmer beside a green at sunset
A Corsa bottle in raking light
A maroon JanSport backpack carried down a metal staircase
Hot sauce dropped onto a freshly shucked oyster held in two hands
A chef standing in front of a lit butcher's case at a market
A Smooj strawberry banana poured into a ribbed glass against pink
A maker grinding metal, sparks arcing across a dark workshop
Overhead: bottles and cans on ice in a tray with a red checked cloth
Four Liquid I.V. sachets among citrus and berries on white
Quavo in a full-length black fur coat
A hand holding a HOP WTR iced tea beside a blue net bag
A cook working the line in a steel restaurant kitchen
The founder of Boisson behind a marble bar lined with bottles
A bottle of Tito's and a transfusion cocktail on a fairway at sunset
A woodturner in ear defenders and safety glasses at her bench
An athlete in sage tailoring seated among blue arena seats
A bottle and a cocktail on a dark table with cacti in window light
A player holding a basketball backlit by a bright window
A man in a tan suede jacket seated on a striped sofa
Amass dry gin and a coupe with a rose petal on white marble
A chef seated in the teal and gold banquet room of Phoenix Palace, Chinatown
A man in taupe tailoring, hand against the wall of a lit corridor
A man measuring gin into a shaker in front of an ivy-covered wall
Overhead: tinned seafood, caviar and lemon among oysters on weathered wood
Bottles and glassware on ice in a blue tray set into a concrete counter
Black and white: a lone player beneath a backboard in a window-lit gym
Full-length portrait on a floodlit tennis court at dusk
A bottle of Tito's and a soda highball on the grass of a golf course
A furniture maker seated among her work in a bright studio
A bottle of Almave on slatted wood in raking warm light
HOP WTR poured into a tall glass with grapefruit against the sky
Low angle: a figure against a chain-link fence and open sky
Overhead: bottles and coupes on ice in a pale blue tray
A chef seated in a booth beneath the Potluck Club sign
Quavo in a leather varsity jacket against a blue backdrop
A negroni and a bottle of The Botanist on a stone tray against brick
Black and white: Joel Embiid, hands behind his head, in a gym
A man seated on blue bleachers with headphones at dusk
Four hands raising Smooj piña colada cans against yellow tile
Fried fish and chips in paper with tartare and lemon
Black and white: an athlete leaning on a rail in an empty arena
A bottle of Tito's and a highball on a round table against wood panelling
A bottle of Tito's and a blue cocktail on stone beside a water hazard
A hand holding a tin of mussels above a table of oysters and hot sauce
A cook working a pass in a cloud of steam
Hands reaching across a table of wine bottles, cheese and bread
A woman smiling on a pink backdrop holding a tube of product
Bamboo baskets of siu mai and har gow on a dim sum cart
Drinks and playing cards on a blue tablecloth in a walled garden
About / Contact

Emmy award-winning director, cinematographer, and photographer with over a decade creating branded, commercial, and documentary content — with a deep specialty in food & beverage. Founder of Piacere, an independent production agency, since 2019.

1× Emmy Award
10+ Years
3 Feature Films

GQ · Condé Nast Traveler · Bon Appétit · VICE · CNN · HBO · Netflix · WWE · Jack Daniel's · The Botanist · Jameson · Tito's Handmade Vodka · Tequila Ocho · Made In · Postmates · Island Creek Oysters · Hop Wtr · Crew Supply Co. · Amazon Music · Red Bull · Toyota · Ørsted · Comcast Spectacor · Mazda · Timberland · FILA · State Farm · JanSport · IOC

Get in touch
@miichaeljames@hellopiacere

Index of work

Selected

  • Directing Reel Showcase
  • Timberland — Big Shoes to Fill Branded · Lifestyle
  • Toyota × The Encore Documentary Series · Food Culture
  • Juicy Tomatoes Branded · F&B
  • Day to Night — Borrego Springs Lifestyle · Visual Storytelling
  • Where People Forget to Die Documentary Series · The Blue Zones
  • Postmates — “The Posties” ft. Kristen Kish Branded · F&B
  • Island Creek Oysters — Everybody Wins Documentary · F&B
  • GQ × The Botanist Branded Series · F&B
  • Made In × Nancy Silverton Branded · F&B
  • Condé Nast Traveler × Tequila Ocho Branded · F&B
  • GQ × Jack Daniel’s Branded Series · F&B
  • WWE × Netflix Branded · Entertainment

Food & Bev

  • Toyota × The Encore Documentary Series · Food Culture
  • Juicy Tomatoes Branded · F&B
  • Postmates — “The Posties” ft. Kristen Kish Branded · F&B
  • Island Creek Oysters — Everybody Wins Documentary · F&B
  • GQ × The Botanist Branded Series · F&B
  • Made In × Nancy Silverton Branded · F&B
  • Condé Nast Traveler × Tequila Ocho Branded · F&B
  • GQ × Jack Daniel’s Branded Series · F&B
  • GQ × Jameson Black Barrel Branded · F&B
  • Tito’s Handmade Vodka Branded Series · F&B
  • Crew Supply Co. Branded Series · F&B
  • Hop Wtr — Get Up To No Good Branded · F&B

Branded

  • Anton Bauer — No Compromise Branded Film
  • Amazon Music — ft. Noah Cyrus Branded · Music
  • WWE × Netflix Branded · Entertainment
  • Young Huh Branded
  • Timberland — Big Shoes to Fill Branded · Lifestyle
  • Ørsted — The Power of Connection Branded · Energy
  • FILA × Staple Branded Series · Fashion
  • VICE × State Farm Branded Series · Editorial
  • Courageous Studios (CNN) × John Hancock Branded · Editorial
  • Mazda Branded · Automotive
  • Dame — Pleasure Branded Film
  • Verb — Ghost & Glossy Branded Series · Beauty
  • JanSport Branded Series · Lifestyle
  • Comcast Spectacor — The New Wells Fargo Center Broadcast Commercial

Documentary

  • Where People Forget to Die Documentary Series · The Blue Zones
  • Breathe In Feature Documentary
  • IOC — Foul Play Documentary Series · Int'l Olympic Committee
  • Red Bull — Unfold Documentary Series · E-Sports
  • One Year in the Dark Documentary · Puerto Rico
  • The Most Unknown Feature Documentary
  • The Long Coast Feature Documentary