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Mike Diva

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Mike Diva
Diva in 2018
Born
Michael Brenton Dahlquist

(1987-06-23) June 23, 1987 (age 37)
Sacramento, California, U.S
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Film director, visual effects artist, musician and YouTuber
Websitewww.mikediva.lol

Mike 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.

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

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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] After dropping out of college, he moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue filmmaking. He uploaded a prank video in 2011 titled "Sexy Sax Man" which revolved around Diva and his friend Sergio in various locations running around with a saxophone playing George Michael's "Careless Whisper" to people, which went viral on Youtube.

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

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Diva is known for incorporating various aspects of Internet culture and Vaporwave aesthetics on his films. He is inspired by Japanese commericals, as well as Michel Gondry, and the Daniels.[16]

Personal life

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Diva previously lived in Los Angeles, currently residing in New York City.[15] He is apolitical and atheistic, and describes himself as someone afflicted with ADHD. He has an older brother who attended the University of California in Berkeley.

Awards and nominations

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Year Work Category Award Result
2018 Halo Top Creamery "Eat The Ice Cream" Best Marketing and Communications Educational Effort AdWheel Grand Award Won
2018 Halo Top Creamery "Eat The Ice Cream" Advertising, Media, & PR: Branded Content People's Voice Award Winner Won
2018 Halo Top Creamery "Eat The Ice Cream" Internet Commercial (District 15) American Advertising Awards (ADDY) Silver
2018 Halo Top Creamery "Eat The Ice Cream" Internet Commercial (Los Angeles) American Advertising Awards (ADDY) Silver
2018 Halo Top Creamery "Eat The Ice Cream" Digital Marketing / Online Video Adverts D&AD Awards Won
2017 Halo Top Creamery "Eat The Ice Cream" Humour in Advertising EPICA Award Bronze
2017 Halo Top Creamery "Eat The Ice Cream" Advertising The 10 Best Ads of 2017 Won
2016 Savant: Kali 47 Special Mention Award Amarcort Film Festival Won
2016 Savant: Kali 47 Audience Award FANCINE Festival de Cine Fantastico de la Universidad de Malaga Won
2016 Savant: Kali 47 Best Music Video Fantastic Planet Film Festival Won
2016 Savant: Kali 47 Jury Award London Short Series Fest Won
2016 Savant: Kali 47 Jury Award Long Island International Film Expo Won
2016 Savant: Kali 47 Jury Award Outlaw Film Festival Won
2015 Thresher Best Horror Film Comicpalooza Film Festival Won
2015 Savant: Kali 47 Best VFX Comicpalooza Film Festival Won
2015 Savant: Kali 47 Music Video of the Year[17] 2015 Geeky Awards Won
2015 Savant: Kali 47 Jury Award Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival Won
2015 Savant: Kali 47 Best Short Film Steampunk Chronicle Reader's Choice Awards Won
2015 Savant: Kali 47 Music Video Steampunk Chronicle Reader's Choice Awards Won
2013 Mike Diva Presents Best Direction 3rd Streamy Awards Nominated
2013 Kill The Noise pt. 1 Pick of the year MTV Clubland Won

References

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  1. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "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.
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