About Twostep Cinema
WHERE CINEMATIC VISION MEETS FINE ART PRECISION
Twostep Cinema is a first-party creative production studio founded by Mike “Twostep” Schwab in the Greater Philadelphia Area. Established in 2021, the studio bridges fine-art storytelling and commercial image production, offering photography, film direction, editorial retouching, and fine-art printing services for clients who value emotional depth and visual precision.
Rooted in cinematic lighting and narrative composition, Twostep Cinema’s work spans portraiture, conceptual campaigns, and independent IP development. The studio’s projects often blend classical craftsmanship with contemporary technique, using the same tools of visual storytelling found in modern film production.
From brand commissions to original narrative properties, every Twostep Cinema project begins with one principle: emotion drives the image.
Artist Statement
Mike “Twostep” Schwab is a cinematic visual artist whose work centers on light, motion, and emotional narrative. Each image he creates reflects a deliberate balance between control and instinct, structure and freedom. His practice is rooted in an ongoing exploration of duality, where discipline meets expression and tension becomes a visual language.
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Drawing influence from martial arts, metal music, and the resilience of the human form, Schwab approaches photography as a form of choreography. His images are shaped by physical awareness and intentional restraint, resulting in work that feels dynamic rather than posed. Subjects are treated as active participants within the frame, existing in a charged space between beauty and intensity, elegance and power.
What distinguishes Schwab’s work is its adaptability without loss of identity. Whether applied to fashion, editorial portraiture, performance-driven imagery, or long-form narrative projects, his visual language remains consistent and scalable. This cohesion allows his work to move fluidly between commercial, editorial, and fine-art contexts while maintaining authorship.
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At the core of his practice is world-building. Projects such as Fever and Celestial Depths: The Devine Feminine demonstrate a capacity for sustained narrative development, visual continuity, and conceptual depth. Each body of work functions not only as a standalone series but as part of a larger creative arc, positioning Schwab for representation, long-term collaborations, and expansion into cinematic and cross-disciplinary formats.
Schwab’s work reflects an artist prepared for the next stage of growth, one defined by strategic partnerships, representation, and projects that reward both creative ambition and disciplined execution.
Mike "Twostep" Schwab​
Founder of Twostep Cinema
Describe your image
Studio Philosophy
Twostep Cinema operates from the belief that strong visual work begins with intention and is sustained through discipline. The studio approaches every project as an authored system, where light, movement, and narrative are not decorative choices but structural elements. Whether working within editorial, commercial, or original narrative contexts, the goal remains the same: to create imagery that feels emotionally grounded, visually deliberate, and enduring.
At the core of the studio’s philosophy is balance. Control and instinct, precision and expression, elegance and intensity are treated as complementary forces rather than opposing ones. This perspective is informed by Schwab’s background in martial arts, where structure creates freedom and restraint sharpens impact. That same mindset governs Twostep Cinema’s approach to lighting, composition, and performance within the frame.
Twostep Cinema values cohesion over trend and authorship over imitation. Visual language is developed to be consistent yet adaptable, allowing work to move fluidly between fashion, fine art, and cinematic storytelling without losing identity. This consistency enables long-term collaboration, brand trust, and expansion across mediums while maintaining a singular creative voice.Ultimately, the studio is built for longevity. Twostep Cinema is not focused on volume or rapid output, but on cultivating work that holds meaning, scales with ambition, and invites deeper engagement over time. This philosophy positions the studio for representation, strategic partnerships, and projects that reward both creative risk and professional rigor.
Mission Statement
Twostep Cinema’s mission is to create cinematic imagery that unites storytelling, artistry, and emotional resonance. The studio approaches each project as an opportunity to move beyond surface-level visuals, transforming commercial and editorial work into visual narratives that feel alive and purposeful.
Through disciplined lighting, intentional composition, and performance-driven imagery, Twostep Cinema builds worlds that invite connection and meaning. Whether created for a client, a gallery, or a broader cinematic audience, the work is designed to endure, to resonate, and to reflect a singular creative voice.
At its core, the studio exists to bridge personal mythology and professional execution, crafting imagery that functions across industries while maintaining authorship, integrity, and emotional depth.
Creative Direction: FEVER and Beyond
Twostep Cinema’s creative direction is anchored by Fever, a flagship narrative project that defines the studio’s cinematic identity. Set within a stylized black-and-white vision of 1930s Chicago, the world of Fever unfolds through selective red, choreographed movement, and noir-inspired visual tension. Originally conceived as a short film, the project has evolved into a photographic graphic novel, allowing for deeper exploration of story, character, and visual continuity while serving as a foundation for a future feature-length adaptation.
This evolution reflects a broader creative strategy. By merging photography, narrative direction, and cinematic language, Fever demonstrates a capacity for sustained world-building and long-form storytelling. It positions Schwab not only as a visual artist, but as a creative director capable of shepherding complex concepts across multiple formats.
Running parallel to Fever is Schwab’s upcoming fine-art series, Celestial Depths: The Divine Feminine. Through underwater portraiture, composite design, and cosmic symbolism, the series explores themes of femininity, divinity, and transformation. While visually distinct from Fever, it shares the same core discipline of intentional lighting, physical performance, and mythic narrative structure.
Together, these projects articulate the long-term vision of Twostep Cinema: to create authored worlds that transcend medium while remaining adaptable to editorial, commercial, and cinematic contexts. This dual-track approach, combining narrative properties with fine-art exploration, establishes a foundation for representation, strategic partnerships, and expansion into larger-scale creative ventures.
