Michael Price posing on campus at JCCC.

(Photo by: Khadeeja Saleem)

Michael Price left his law office and headed toward the subway in downtown London. As he walked, he felt the rain hitting his head and suit. Not near the next overhang, where he could get out of the rain, he realized he didn’t have an umbrella and immediately had a mini-panic attack. At that moment, he decided he needed to do something different with his life.

“The rain was landing on me,” Price, an associate professor at JCCC, said. “I was appalled, and then I was appalled at being appalled. The person I was becoming, I wasn’t happy with.”

Price is now an award-winning documentarian who has produced investigative documentaries for PBS, which have won regional Emmys and a national prize for best documentary. He teaches Basic Video Production, Advanced Video Production and Mass Media and Society classes at JCCC.

Being appalled at being appalled started Price’s journey of self-discovery. He went into teaching English at a state school after his stint as a lawyer because he needed a change of scenery.

“I wanted to do something that wasn’t office-based. It was more active,” Price said. “I felt that as a corporate lawyer, it was a very safe existence, [a] very privileged existence, a very well remunerated existence.”

The change of scenery was good, but Price still felt he was missing something on the creative side of his life.

“But because you’ve got over 30 kids in a class… you can’t be creative. They can’t be creative,” Price said. “I felt as much as anything like a factory worker. And this was upsetting.”

Price decided to study a master’s degree in radio to tell others’ stories because he still felt there was more he could achieve.

“I wanted to try and get into radio to tell stories about more ordinary folks and the way in which the systems were letting them down,” Price said.

After completing his master’s degree, Price received an internship at the BBC working for the show Panorama, the equivalent of 60 Minutes here in America. His internship then turned into a full-time job.

“Once I started the master’s, it quickly became apparent that radio didn’t have a huge, promising future to it,” Price said. “I was given two weeks at BBC Panorama as an intern, as part of this BBC National News sponsorship scheme.”

After completing his work at Panorama, Price moved to the United States and held various roles as an adjunct professor at the University of Kansas in International Journalism and at UMKC, where he taught mass media. Then he interviewed for a job at JCCC.

Gretchen Thum, Chair and Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Communications, told The Messenger that Price is knowledgeable and a video expert, and that this was the main reason she brought him to JCCC as a professor.

“I liked what I saw at PBS, especially his industry and film experience,” Thum said.

Price brings his experience in the film industry into the classroom, and openly shares his experience with his students.

“I think one thing I love about him is that he is a professional in the field, so he’s actively making his own documentaries alongside us,” said Julie Fallone, a student in Price’s video production class. “He has direct experience, things that he’s going through right now that he can relate to our projects as well, and I think that just adds an extra layer to his teaching.”

It starts with providing honest feedback and encouragement to students who may feel vulnerable with the work they have produced.

“He gives good critiques, which I think also builds confidence,” Fallone said. “He’s not just a teacher. He actually gives really thoughtful critiques and encouragement, which builds trust with the students and helps us create better work.”

Thum feels excited about Price’s work with the chair of the film program to bring awareness to student media.

“They are working on developing a film club for students who are interested in film,” Thum said. “I know they’re also planning to have a film showcase to show students’ film work.

Price wants his students to create a gateway to a lucrative and interesting career.

“I’d like them to [have] a better understanding of issues pertaining to them,” Price said. “One of the things that I’m keen for students to understand is this idea that they have a unique perspective on the world, and if they can gain access with a camera to that perspective, they can tell a story that can be compelling to someone for the next 30 years.”