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Zerostudios is the brand, business and lair of award-winning composer Michael Picton.

about michael picton

Michael Picton's eclectic music spans a world of media: film, television, circus, theatre, commercials, sonic branding, and live events. His music seamlessly integrates electronic, orchestral, rock and ethnic styles and instrumentation.

A pianist from an early age and a self-taught teenage synthesist, Michael studied classical composition, orchestration and piano at McGill University Montreal, where he earned his Masters Degree in Music Composition. While a student there, his electroacoustic piece "Bagatelles" was awarded the SOCAN Hugh LeCaine award for electronic music.

Michael ran away with the circus in 2000, joining the European Tour of Cirque du Soleil's Quidam as keyboardist. His circus career continues as orchestrator for Dragone spectacles in Las Vegas and Macau and as composer of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey 137th edition ("Bellobration!") and 140th edition circuses.

As the Grand Prize winner of the Turner Classic Movies Young Film Composers Competition, Michael was chosen to compose the epic score to the 1926 Greta Garbo silent film, "The Temptress". A second silent film for TCM followed, the 1927 comedy "The Red Mill", starring Marion Davies. Other film work includes the award-winning score to the Cajun drama "Little Chenier" as well as numerous documentaries and short films.

Recent television series work includes the score to the first season of the SyFy network series "Flash Gordon" as well as the theme for the VH1 series "I Want to Work for Diddy" for which Michael was awarded a 2009 BMI Film/TV music award.

In collaboration with NYC music house Expansion Team, Michael has composed commercial and branding music for Target, Tylenol, Verizon, AIGA, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, VH1, FX Network, Sprout TV, Versus and Universal Network.

Michael's multinational citizenship (USA, Canada, and the UK) facilitates his involvement in international productions and co-productions.

Zerostudios is located in West LA, near freeways, beaches and sushi.