As a kid, Michael Gowen loved to draw and dreamed of becoming an artist, but the path felt uncertain. Years later, after a winding route through psychology, biology and residential construction, he found his way into film, where design, craft and collaboration finally converged. Today, Gowen is an art director and set designer whose fingerprints appear on major film and television productions. His latest contribution, a cutting-edge training space for the Georgia Film Academy, will help prepare future members of the film industry workforce.
Gowen did not take a direct route to the industry. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a psychology major and a biology minor, planning on optometry school. The housing crash changed those plans, pushing him deeper into construction and, through a cousin who worked as a production coordinator, toward a first chance in film. A construction coordinator visiting from Los Angeles needed local vendors, so Gowen, a builder by trade, stepped in as a construction buyer. That role became a bridge into the art department, where he taught himself digital drafting and built the design skills that now anchor his career.
Gowen’s early credits include “The Hunger Games” and “The Help,” where he watched departments mesh under tight timelines. Collaboration hooked him and the design kept him there. He moved from art department coordinator to art director and set designer, learning to translate sketches into spaces that serve story.
Among the projects he is most proud of is “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie,” where he served as supervising art director. Paying homage to a well-known visual world while introducing fresh choices was a creative puzzle he enjoyed. In one scene, the idea of hiding Jesse in the attic space of a moving truck began with a suggestion Gowen offered to creator Vince Gilligan, a small moment that grew into a scripted and shot sequence. Helping shape story through design felt like a milestone.
Gowen has also contributed to the “Guardians of the Galaxy” universe as a set designer within the set decoration team, a different challenge that required fluency in an established visual language and confidence to add his own touch. That balance between fidelity and invention has become a hallmark of his approach.
After spending so much time in Los Angeles, Gowen returned to Georgia to start a family and work closer to home. The state’s production base, strengthened by its film tax incentive, made that decision possible.
Working in Georgia, he noticed GFA interns on set and appreciated the energy and curiosity they brought. It was a reminder of the importance of training the next generation, and it now informs his newest work for students.
For GFA’s new training space at Assembly Studios, Gowen partnered with Assistant Vice Chancellor of the GFA Scott Votaw on a concept called Main Street. The vision is a flexible interior backlot built for learning. Think classic Americana storefronts, a design that feels timeless and cinematic, yet is generic enough to be dressed for many stories. The space is modular, with facades and small interiors that can be built in phases, swapped or reconfigured, so students can practice facade changes, interior build outs, lighting, signage and studio rigs in one contained environment. A painted backdrop replaces a second row of buildings to fit the footprint, which also lets instructors teach backdrop hanging and lighting.
“Just making something pretty is easy,” Gowen said. “The challenge with this project was it needed to work as a functional teaching facility.”
The design decisions at Assembly prioritize instruction, repetition and the freedom to fail and fix. Students can learn the cycle that professionals live every day, from fast sketch, to shop drawing, to build, to dress, to strike, then reset for the next look. The goal is to have a space that functions more completely than a traditional backlot because every part of it doubles as a classroom.
That educational mission is personal. Gowen is from Georgia, now a parent himself, and he speaks often about passing on opportunity. Schedules on professional shows can crowd out mentoring. A dedicated training space, supported by GFA helps fill that gap.
“Being a part of helping so many people, even in a small way, is really fulfilling,” he said.
He is open about the realities of working in film. The pace of projects fluctuates, budgets tighten, and timelines shift, yet he remains optimistic about Georgia’s role as a production hub. He believes that a stronger and well-trained local workforce will help keep more projects here from start to finish. For students, his advice is straightforward.
“Master the necessary tools, including emerging technologies such as AI, clearly communicate career goals, and build meaningful relationships within the industry. Above all, be ready to deliver when opportunities come.”
Reflecting on his own path, Gowen acknowledges the route from construction to film was unexpected, but the creative drive he had early in life never faded. Film became the place where he could apply his creative skills daily and see them come to life on screen.
“It is a dream,” he said. “I am so lucky. And Georgia gave me that opportunity.”
The journey comes full circle, as Georgia will now be home to his work on Main Street GFA at Assembly Studios, paving the way for future filmmakers.
