Mike Diva

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Mike Diva
Mike Diva Blue (cropped).jpg
Diva in 2018
Born
Michael Brenton Dahlquist

(1987-06-23) June 23, 1987 (age 38)
Sacramento, California, U.S
Occupation(s)Film director, visual effects artist, musician and YouTuber
Website www.mikediva.lol

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.

Contents

Diva has directed YouTube videos for Epic Rap Battles of History, [1] music videos for 3OH!3, Kill the Noise, The M Machine, Mindless Self Indulgence, Savant, Lil Nas X, and Doja Cat, [2] [3] segments of Saturday Night Live, commercials and other promotional materials for Xbox, Mixer, Halo Top Creamery, and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. [4] 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. [5] [6]

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. [7] [8] Slate described the work as "a dizzying, sorbet-hued phantasmagoria that gestures toward the coming end times." [7]

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. [9] [1]

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 , [10] AdAge , [11] IndieWire, [12] Munchies [3] and Gizmodo . [13] It won a number of awards, including AdWeek's Top 10 Ads of 2017. [14]

In 2021, Diva moved to New York City and began directing video shorts for Saturday Night Live . [15]

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. [16]

Personal life

Diva previously lived in Los Angeles, currently residing in New York City. [15]

Awards and nominations

YearWorkAwardCategoryResult
2013Mike Diva Presents 3rd Streamy Awards Best DirectionNominated
Kill the Noise "Kill The Noise pt. 1"MTV ClublandPick of the yearWon
2015ThresherComicpalooza Film FestivalBest Horror FilmWon
Savant "Kali 47"Comicpalooza Film FestivalBest VFXWon
2015 Geeky AwardsMusic Video of the Year [17] Won
Dragon*Con Independent Film FestivalJury AwardWon
Steampunk Chronicle Reader's Choice AwardsBest Short FilmWon
Music VideoWon
2016Amarcort Film FestivalSpecial Mention AwardWon
FANCINE Festival de Cine Fantastico de la Universidad de MalagaAudience AwardWon
Fantastic Planet Film FestivalBest Music VideoWon
London Short Series FestJury AwardWon
Long Island International Film ExpoWon
Outlaw Film FestivalWon
2017 Halo Top Creamery "Eat The Ice Cream"EPICA AwardHumour in AdvertisingBronze
The 10 Best Ads of 2017 [18] AdvertisingWon
2018AdWheel Grand AwardBest Marketing and Communications Educational EffortWon
People's Voice Award WinnerAdvertising, Media, & PR: Branded ContentWon
American Advertising Awards (ADDY)Internet Commercial (District 15)Silver
Internet Commercial (Los Angeles)Silver
D&AD AwardsDigital Marketing / Online Video AdvertsWon

References

  1. 1 2 Cagle, Tess (August 11, 2016). "Hillary Clinton's 'Meme Queen 2016' ad is her most effective yet" . Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  2. ↑ Miller, Shannon (February 10, 2022). "Mike Diva on Directing Doja Cat's 'Get Into It (Yuh)' Video". www.adweek.com. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "The New Halo Top Commercial is a Dystopian Nightmare". September 8, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Los Angeles Gets the Singing Transit Etiquette Superhero It Needs". Bloomberg.com. October 19, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  5. ↑ Big Vic Media (January 31, 2024). Mike Diva talks Directing Saturday Night Live and Music Videos . Retrieved July 29, 2024– via YouTube.
  6. ↑ Stories, Local (February 10, 2021). "Rising Stars: Meet Mike Diva - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". voyagela.com. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Waldman, Katy (June 16, 2016). "You Will Never Unsee This Wondrously Strange Fake Japanese Advertisement for Donald Trump". Slate. ISSN   1091-2339 . Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  8. ↑ Mackey, Robert (June 16, 2016). "No, That Donald Trump Ad Is Not Real". The Intercept. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  9. ↑ Meyer, Ken (August 11, 2016). "New Video Proves Hillary's Got the Dankest Memes on Lock". www.mediaite.com. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  10. ↑ "An Ice Cream Brand Just Made the Perfect Cinema Ad to Run Before Horror Films – Adweek". www.adweek.com. September 7, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Halo Top's Creepy Robot Declares 'Humans Require Ice Cream'" . Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Halo Top's Horrifying New Ad is a 'Black Mirror'-Esque Spin on '2001: A Space Odyssey' — Watch". September 8, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Holy shit this ice cream commercial". October 23, 2020.
  14. ↑ "The 10 Best Ads of 2017". December 11, 2017.
  15. 1 2 "Mike Diva Instagram post announcing his move to NYC and hiring by SNL". Archived from the original on December 25, 2021.
  16. ↑ Jones, Wil. "Interview: Youtube Meme Master Mike Diva on His Insane Donald Trump Video and Dancing Dogs". Complex. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  17. ↑ "The 2015 Geekie Awards Winners & Nominees". Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  18. ↑ Only, Subscription (December 11, 2017). "The 10 Best Ads of 2017" . Retrieved August 5, 2025.
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