Attended: Xavier College (A Catholic College in the Jesuit Tradition. Founded by the Jesuits in 1878, with campuses in Kew & Brighton). Started career with Animal Logic where Michael Gracey spent a year there as an animator, taking a year off school between years 11 and 12 (18yrs old) when the company was based in Crow's Nest and had about a dozen employees. Michael Gracey worked for 2 years at animation and visual effects studio Animal Logic from 1994 to 1996 as an animator and visual effects compositor 21yrs old - 1997 - Feature: Amy (1997) as a Digital artist 22yrs old - 1998 - TV Series: The Genie from Down Under 2 (TV Series) (visual effects artist - 13 episodes) 24yrs old - He spent 10 years virtually living in hotels as he shot TVCs in LA, New York, London, Paris and Australia until he settled in LA and met Hugh Jackman during a commercial. 2002 - He won the ARIA Award for Best Music Video for Directing "Karma (What Goes Around)" by 1200 Techniques. The song was released in April 2002 - While working for Babyfoot Productions. 2003 - Directed Sean Sennett 'My Love Is A Kite' music video 2003 - Directed Sugababes 'Shape' (Video short) music video 2004 - Directed Natasha Bedingfield 'Unwritten' music video 2004 - Directed Will Young 'Your Game' music video Commercials - 2010 - Lipton Ice Tea Ad: Hugh Jackman - Tokyo Dancing Hotel - Connection made to start on Feature Film: The Greatest Showman Influences - Gracey said fellow Australians Baz Luhrmann, Tim Minchin and Peter Allen were inspirations for The Greatest Showman Gracey admires filmmakers such as Alfonso Cuarón who have the ability to move seamlessly between films as diverse as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men and Gravity, while bringing a clear and distinctive vision to each.