Professionally, Michael Kryton has been generating ideas and creating all forms of creative communication and programming for almost 30 years as a writer, producer, director, musician-composer, and a creative communications consultant. He also continues to perform as a voice talent behind the microphone and a performer on-camera. His collaborative creative approach is a blend of art, science, and instinct.

Originally from Montreal, Michael trained in music and theatre. He studied piano performance and music composition through the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto). His background in theatre includes studies at Concordia University, National Theatre School and the Toronto New School of Theatre. Michael also pursued undergraduate studies at the University of Alberta and the University of Victoria, focusing on English, economics and commerce.

In 1979, Michael began his career as a writer-producer with the OK Radio Group in Northern Alberta. In 1984, he accepted the position as Creative Director at CISN FM Radio in Edmonton, working with the legendary Canadian radio personality, Bob McCord. Within 2 years, Michael was one of the first in the Canadian radio industry to wear 2 hats simultaneously as both Creative Director and Production Manager.

In 1988, a chance encounter with a growing consumer electronics chain (originally Krazy Krazy's) led to a contract as a national, television spokesperson. Subsequently, in 4 years, he became a household face in Canada and famous for his notorious antics on camera, doing everything from performing hard-sell commercials while playing rock 'n roll piano and guitar to the execution of twists of reality that became the stuff of discussion for media pundits across the country. He eventually became Director Of Communications for the 54-store chain.

By 1996, Michael had established his own media studio and expanded his work to include corporate videos, music and jingle production, radio features and television production. He was the first producer in Alberta to create an infomercial entertainment program with Chuck Chandler, one of the original booth announcers for Monty Hall, and his long time friend and creative associate, Keith James, better known as "Mr. Voice", and currently an imaging voice, narrator and commercial announcer in high demand internationally (www.soundspark.com).

In 2001, Michael accepted an invitation to join "The Idea Factory" as Creative Director of the Alberta based, independent television production company. Within the first year, he had penned his first major documentary, a Life and Times doc for CBC Television on Jean Pare, the best selling Canadian author of the Company's Coming book series.

In 2005, he was approached by the OK Radio Group once again to head up a unique project, supplying out-sourced commercial production for their retail clients. By the end of the year, he had won Best Radio Campaign and Best of Show as the overall winning advertising campaign (regardless of medium) in Edmonton.

In 2007, his friend and colleague of 30 years, Clarence Shields, approached him to write the 3rd book in the national best-selling Bachelors Guide series, which has sold over 300,000 copies.

As a result, Michael re-established himself as an independent creative professional and continues to write, produce, direct and voice for a variety of projects and clients in all sectors.

He lives in Southwest Edmonton, and has 4 children: Brock, Cole, Caleb and Hope.

AccomplishmentHighlights

• Wrote, directed and produced thousands of radio and television commercials, over 50 hours of corporate videos, radio features and documentaries.
• Assisted the Ghermezians (owners of West Edmonton Mall) with visual creative strategies in their successful Mall of America litigation
• Assisted inventor Tory Weber to secure Wayne Gretzky's investment participation in the Thermablade (heated skate blade) project.
• Co-produced and distributed all radio campaign material for Alberta Premier Klein's first election campaign.
• A promotional video for Alberta Energy was of such a high level of impact, that it was used by Alberta Premier Ralph Klein in a presentation to US Vice President Cheney.
• Wrote, directed and co-produced the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce President's Ball (2000 & 2001). Media coverage reported it as the most dynamic, complex, live show staged at the Shaw Conference Centre in 10 years. The 2001 version was edited to a 1-hour broadcast on SHAW Cable.
• Wrote the television treatment and co-authored the script for the CBC Life & Times documentary on Jean Pare, Author of Company's Coming.
• First writer-producer in Canada to win the Radio Bureau's award for Anti Drinking-Driving Broadcast Campaign. The campaign was distributed to all radio stations in Canada and was the basis of a radio documentary, which won the Dave Rogers award as Best Canadian Radio Documentary.
• Winner of multiple international awards including the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, New York Radio and Television Festival, American Marketing Association, Television Bureau of Canada, Radio Bureau of Canada, AMPIA Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association, Honda Canada, Radio-Television News Director's Association of Canada, CASE Council for Advancement And Support Of Education, CCAE Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education, ASPC American Society of Professional Communicators
• Awarded the Alberta Achievement Award from Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed for Radio Communication.
• Produced an infomercial program in a new format that led local cable companies to move outside the existing program format and offer advertisers shorter time blocks.
• Achieved a 4% return (web average 1%) through the online marketing of a radio promotion for an Edmonton book publisher. The objective was to secure exposure on morning and afternoon drive radio programs; secured $250,000 worth of advertising on 100 radio stations in Canada, US, Australia and Great Britain at a cost of $6000 in promotional materials and fees.
• Produced the Prairie Music Awards at the Francis Winspear Centre For Music. The show was broadcast live on CBC Radio 2.Consulted on internal and external communications and creative strategies to public and private organizations, corporations and retailers. A selected list includes Alberta Economic Development, Edmonton Economic Development, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, University of Alberta, national, regional and local retailers, OK Radio Group, United Way Alberta Capital Region, Capital Health, PTI Group, and Big Futures.
• Assisted the Municipality of Fort McMurray stakeholders (industry, government, corporate) in the strategic preparation of the presentation to the Provincial Finance Committee, the objective of which was to secure the transition funding required as part of the package to invoke the new Regional Municipality status.
• Wrote and produced the Municipal Tax Handbook for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, the format of which was adopted by several municipalities across the country. The purpose of the handbook was (and still is) to explain the new market based (market value) taxation paradigm to taxpayers.
• Organized the first bilingual, one-act, theatre festival in Fort McMurray that led to an ongoing of commitment of funds from Alberta Culture to the region to support community theatre.