When Professor Michael Eaton first stepped behind a camera, he never imagined his work would one day take him from Hollywood film sets to the classrooms of California Baptist University. For Eaton, who began his career in the entertainment industry before moving into academia, the shift was more than a career change; it was a calling.
Before Eaton’s love for film at 14-years-old, he found inspiration in literature and photography. Growing up in Spokane, Wash., he was surrounded by a creative environment. His father, an English professor and published poet, taught him to value art and storytelling. Eaton studied English and French at Whitworth University and ater spent a semester in France. The experience shaped his artistic perspective and solidified his love for visual storytelling.
After college, Eaton began assisting a commercial photographer in Portland, Ore.
“That’s when I rediscovered the camera,” he said. “It connected everything I loved, writing, visuals and emotion.” Determined to pursue film more seriously, he applied to graduate school at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. Though he wasn’t accepted at first, Eaton refused to give up.
“I realized I didn’t need a degree to tell stories,” he said. “I just needed to start creating.”
Eaton worked in the film industry, starting as a production assistant and eventually becoming a camera operator. Over the next two decades, he worked on projects like “Power Rangers” and many more. He also shot commercials and independent films. Through his success, he discovered what meant the most: storytelling.
“I realized I wanted to be a director more than a cinematographer,” he said. “I loved being able to tell the story from start to finish, to shape the creative vision.”
Eaton’s faith played a central role in that realization.
“I felt like God was calling me to be one of the creatives,” he said. “In the film industry, it’s easy to get pulled into projects that don’t align with your values. I wanted to use my creativity to honor God and show love through the way I treated people.”
When the 2008 recession slowed film production, Eaton reevaluated his career path. He applied for a teaching position at Chapman University’s film school.
“They hired me the same day,” he said with a smile. “And I fell in love with teaching.”
For the next several years, Eaton balanced filmmaking with teaching cinematography and directing at Chapman and Cal State Fullerton while earning his Master of Fine Arts at Azusa Pacific University. Then, during a family trip to Hawaii, he came across a job posting for a full-time film professor position at CBU.
“I remember reading it and telling my wife, ‘I think I can get this,’” he said. “It just felt like a God thing.”
Eaton joined CBU in 2013, bringing decades of industry experience and a passion for mentorship. In his classes, he emphasizes both technical skill and personal integrity.
“I want my students to tell stories that matter,” he said. “Stories that make people think and feel, and that reflect the goodness of God.”
For Eaton, the most rewarding part of teaching is watching his students grow; not just as filmmakers but as people.
“It’s amazing to see them find their voices,” he said. “Many of them start out unsure of themselves, but by the end, they’re telling stories that move people.”
Looking back, Eaton believes every step of his journey led him exactly where he was meant to be.
“I think my purpose was to be here, to be at CBU,” he said. “This is where I get to live my purpose every day. I get to talk about what I love most—film, storytelling, and faith—and help my students find their own calling in the process.”
