Charles Mueller

Adjunct Faculty // Directing, Cinema Production, Screenwriting
School of Cinematic Arts
Charles Mueller

Bio and Research Information

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” -Oscar Wilde Charles Mueller has since 1986 been a member in good standing of the Screen Actor's Guild. Charles was made a 2nd Assistant Director in the Director’s Guild of America in 1994, and a Director in 2011. In 2008 Charles worked as location Second Assistant Director (background director and atmosphere, extras) on, "Public Enemies," (Johnny Depp, directed by Michael Mann). He has directed background, prepared call sheets, sound and camera and production reports, and moved principal actors and extras through hair and makeup as a Director’s Guild of America Assistant Director in features and TV in, "Light It Up," [Fox], "Chicago Hope," [Fox TV], "Hoodlum," [United Artists], "EZ Streets," [CBS], and for commercials (Miller, 7-Eleven, Milwaukee Admirals, Ameritech). He has booked locations and production teams as an office and set Production Coordinator, Key Production Assistant, and PA on national spots for Chicago Story, Manarchy Ltd. (Chrysler, Wamsutta, Cadillac, Alka-Seltzer, Penney’s, Motorola), Marshall's (Bo Jackson), Planet Video (George Benson), Post Effects (Chevrolet S-10), Richter (Memorial HMO), Tribune Entertainment (Dennis Miller) and on network TV in, "Chicago Hope," "Due South," "E.R.", "Unsolved Mysteries," and the features, "Blankman," (Damon Wyans), "The Fugitive," (Harrison Ford), "Miracle on 34th Street," (Elizabeth Perkins, Richard Attenborough); and music videos for the White Stripes and others ("Jam," MJJ Productions Inc. Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan). As a non-DGA assistant director, Charles organized shot coverage, prepared locations, and secured releases for over 15 documentaries including, "Green On Thursdays," on Chicago hate-crime (winner, Ann Arbor and Boston Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals), "Stalingrad," a rockumentary, in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Moscow and Volgograd, Federation of Russia, and, "The Secret Journey," a history of the mysteries of the Freemasons. Charles trained in acting in Stanislavski and Meisner, and improvisational comedy at the "The Second City." Chuck worked as a stage mechanic and carpenter for The Goodman Theater. He appeared as Glider in, "The Talking Dog," at the Center Theater; Orlando, in "As You Like It," at the Talisman Theater; Teddy in, "Big Maggie," at the Irish American Players; Stagehand in, "The Swing," and Ross in, "MacBeth," both at the Prop Theater; all in Chicago. On-camera and in voiceovers Chuck worked as an actor and stuntman in the Gene Hackman feature film, "The Package," the TV series "Crime Story," with Dennis Farina, and as characters in industrials for Long John Silver's, McDonald's, Motorola, and Abbott Labs. In Chicago's Uptown neighborhood Charles mentored at-risk young actors at the Chicago Park District's Chase Park Shakespeare Theater, and appeared as the beneficent King of France and various thugs in "King Lear;" as the evil Duke Frederick and the confused Oliver Martext in "As You Like It;" Elbow and Abhorsen in, "Measure for Measure;" Lodovico in, "Othello;" Gremio in, "The Taming of the Shrew;" and Banquo, in "MacBeth." Charles has written for the off-Loop theater, narrations for children's film, direct-response TV commercials and infomercials, and researched and produced "Stalingrad," a rockumentary shot in Russia and Colorado Springs. In commercial film Charles directed hard-sell direct-response TV spots, and over 50 live performance, 4-camera videos for Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. Chuck was a principal on-camera and voiceover actor, set designer and animator for two seasons of "Beyond Our Control," the satirical, national award-winning TV Show about TV. BOC was produced at the NBC affiliate at Notre Dame University, WNDU-TV. Chuck is a certified PADI medical emergency first-responder, CPR and AED-qualified by the American Red Cross, and on-set safety-certified by the DGA. BA, Visual Storytelling MFA, Cinema Directing Web page: http://www.pixelero.com IMDb.com: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0611020/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleshmueller/

Research Area

Directing, Cinema Production, Screenwriting

Specific Research Area

Noir, fantasy. Adventure. Documentary.

Professional Associations

Screen Actor's Guild, Director's Guild of America

Schedule for Spring 2023-2024

Courses Taught at DePaul

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