From YouTube self-taught visual effects to a seventeen million dollar Sundance feature film debut
In short: Michael Shanks began his career by teaching himself visual effects through online tutorials as a teenager. Today, he is a rising force in cinema, having transitioned from a prolific web series creator to the director of the body horror feature Together, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1990 or 1991, Michael Shanks moved to Melbourne, Australia, at age 12. His early creative foundation was built on a diet of Monty Python, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and The Lord of the Rings. While still a high school student in 2008, he won a competition hosted by The Escapist, which allowed him to produce the 25-part web series Doomsday Arcade. Shanks credits this project as his personal film school, setting the stage for a career defined by rapid iteration and genre-bending storytelling.
Shanks gained early industry recognition through his YouTube channel, timtimfed, which he has maintained since September 2006. His work evolved from short-form digital content to television and film, including directing segments for Adult Swim's Off the Air and creating the comedy-fantasy series The Wizards of Aus for SBS in 2016. His directorial style draws inspiration from a diverse range of filmmakers, including Edgar Wright, Ari Aster, David Lynch, and Bong Joon Ho, reflecting a penchant for blending humor with darker, supernatural elements.
His feature directorial debut, Together, marked a significant milestone when Neon acquired the body horror film for $17 million ahead of its 2025 Sundance screening. The film stars Dave Franco and Alison Brie, signaling his arrival in the mainstream industry. His momentum continues with upcoming projects, including the A24-backed script Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel—previously featured on the 2021 Black List—and an untitled science fiction comedy for Sony Pictures, which is set to be directed by Adam McKay. Now based in Melbourne, Shanks has successfully bridged the gap between independent online experimentation and the high-stakes world of major studio production.
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