ABOUT

Handwritten Studio is a Los Angeles-based multi-media creative studio founded by Michael Melugin. Handwritten produces film and video projects, fine art pieces, graphic design, and all kinds of random creative goodness. 

Who's that guy?

That's me! I'm Michael Melugin. Born and raised in Missoula, Montana and having recently moved to LA, I graduated from the University of Montana with a BFA in Digital Filmmaking back in 2015. I've worked in the film & television industry pretty much ever since, having worked on reality tv shows, independent movies, and Paramount network's hit show Yellowstone. I'm a self-proclaimed cinephile and an others-proclaimed nerd who loves telling stories in whatever way I can. 

Film is like my water; I genuinely don't think I could live without it. But if film is water then that makes drawing, painting, and fine art something like coffee, because I don't think I would want to live without it. And then graphic design and making music are something like alcohol; maybe I could live without them, but that would seem just a little less fun. I'm a good-old-fashioned jack-of-all-trades with a can-do attitude and an affinity for hyphens. 

Handwritten was born out of my chronic inability to choose one artistic medium. I'm simply too fidgety to fit inside one box, or something like that. I've recently fallen in love with mixed-media (there I go with those hyphens again) and want to continue creating work in all mediums, often overlapping and combining them. I aim to use Handwritten as a vehicle for exploration, experimentation, and creative evolution. 

So what the heck does "Handwritten" mean?

Quality question. And there are a couple different answers. First and foremost, I just love writing. Writing prose and poetry was my first true love and the brand blossomed out of a blog I started back in 2017, which was primarily about the art of writing. I also keep a journal and the physical act of writing by hand is something I cherish on a daily basis. But the name Handwritten isn't entirely about the physical act.

To me, Handwritten is more figurative than literal. Writing things by hand is a distinctly personal and intimate act (think about the connotation of handwritten notes and letters). Things that are handwritten tend to stand out in the digital age; it's an incredibly caring gesture to write something by hand when you could type it on your phone or computer instead. I want my art to feel like it was made with love by human hands. So yeah, even when my art is digital or computer-based, I still intend to create art with that same [figuratively] handwritten touch.

I'm tired of talking about myself. I'd rather be making art, so I'm gonna go do that. Thank you thank you thank you if you read all this. You're awesome and I would love to work with you on your next project. Please get in touch on the contact page or shoot me a DM on Instagram @thehandwrittenstudio if that's easier. I'd love to hear from ya. 

- Michael