COMMUNICATION THROUGH
COLLABORATION
CREATIVE VISION & PRODUCTION
Showcasing Your Goals Together
A graphic and internet craftsman –
Charles Michael Murray – brings a contemporary, adaptable approach to communication challenges across a wide range of industries. With experience spanning print, digital, photography, video, design, motion graphics, and internet services, he combines strong technical expertise with a collaborative, relationship-first working style.
From local initiatives to national and international projects, Charles begins by understanding the people, goals, and creative needs involved. He works closely with individuals, teams, suppliers, and clients to build fluid, productive relationships. When needed, he can also manage the full scope of a project independently from concept through completion. His approach is supportive, professional, detail-oriented, and grounded in clear communication, practical experience, and positive creative energy.
Charles’s freelance work includes local community projects, corporate and consumer commercial photography, graphic design, video production, web services, and motion graphics. He has supported clients across retail, foundations, commercial and residential real estate, sporting goods, high technology, food and beverage, organic wine, environmental, medical, dental, and corporate identity sectors.
As a longtime environmental advocate, Charles brings a thoughtful awareness of the environmental footprint of marketing, media, and production. He is the founder and CEO of Endangered Planet Foundation and its One Earth | One Dream mission, and works closely with environmental foundations to support awareness, education, and action. Through his entity My Legacy Tree, he also produces documentaries that preserve stories, elevate meaningful causes, and inspire deeper connection to the natural world. Drawing from his experience producing environmental festivals and environmental media, Charles guides clients toward practical, eco-conscious creative options whenever possible.
Charles earned his BA and MS from Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, where his creative foundation was strengthened through formal education, teaching photography, and working alongside pioneers and respected leaders in the advertising industry. Over time, he has built lasting friendships and collaborative client relationships that continue to shape his work.
His project involvement can range from complete creative direction and production to focused support in design, internet services, photography, or video. More recently, Charles has expanded his creative practice to include book design, magazine design, and documentary work.
ENDORSEMENTS
“Charles handles my print to digital marketing tools. He is also an outstanding photographer, handling projects from corporate identity and people on national and international advertising accounts… A history of a few clients include SALOMON, MARKER, HEAD, THULE, CLEVELAND GOLF, VUARNET, ZIARI, SMITH OPTICAL, LIFE CYCLE and many more.”
John Creel
JCA Advertising – Owner/CEO
EQUUS – President
“His work includes websites creation and maintenance, promotion materials, design of photography books, and a multitude of other tasks when help is needed. We have worked together on film documentaries, the latest on Laguna Beach juried into the West Coast Film Festival, shown on local cable for weeks and selected for Nature without Boarders Film Festival.”
Ron Chilcote
Managing Editor, Latin American Perspectives
Publisher, Laguna Wilderness Press
Emeritus Professor of Economics and Political Science, UC Riverside
“We hired Charles to take pictures of our industrial properties and design a first ever brochure for our company, Golden West Equity Properties… He keeps meticulous records of his billing hours and submits these records if we are engaged in an hourly job versus a fixed contract. I have always found his billings to be 100% fair and I trust Charles implicitly.”
Bryan Bentrott
Owner CEO – SUMMIT DEVELPMENT CORP.
Newport Beach, California
“Charles has provided numerous services, including creative design, photography and project management for a variety of projects. His knowledge of design, internet technologies, and the printing industry are unparalleled. He has provided these services on time and on budget meeting or exceeding our full expectations.”
Tom Lamb
Lamb Studio Inc. – President
Laguna Wilderness Press – CO-Publisher
Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach – Vice President
“I’d like to express my sincere appreciation and admiration for the work Charles did on my Fall 2020 election campaign for Laguna Beach City Council. I won against opponents who spent five times that of my campaign. A lot of the credit goes to CMM Studio headed by Charles Michael Murray.”
George Weiss
City Council
Laguna Beach CA 92651
“Beyond the high quality of the finished products Charles produces, he is one of the most professional graphic artists that I have had the pleasure of working with. He is an excellent communicator, he meets deadlines, he always hits our creative specifications, etc. “
Shaena Stabler
Owner/Publisher/Editor
StunewsLaguna.com
stunewsnewport.com
stunewsdanapoint.com
CLIENT HISTORY INCLUDES
Summit Development Corporation, Master Development Corporation – MDC, ARNEL Commercial Properties, DEXUS, Pacific Homes, Laguna Greenbelt, Inc., FSI, Latin American Perspectives, TOKISTAR Lighting, CMD, LEE & Associates, SuperColor Digital, Salomon Skis, HEAD Sports, VAURNET, Smith Optical, LifeCycle, Cleveland Golf, Marker Ski Bindings, Helly Hansen, Epson, Dental Arts Center, Premio Computers, JVC, Honeywell, RainBird, Garret TurboChargers, Parker Hannifin, Rhino Chasers, Carl’s Jr., ARCO AM/PM Mini-Markets, Rubio’s Fish Tacos, Coast Hardware, Fawn Memories, Laguna Wilderness Press, Kitty “B” Lavender Farm, Wisdom Imports, Cafe Classico, Tecate, Bohemia, Coors, Becks North America, Jordan Markets, Marion Meyer Contemporary Art, Bio-Rad, South Coast Plaza, Ace Medical, Hardie Irrigation, LogoMark, The Organic Cellar, Endangered Planet, MOMEN, Prelitz design+build, Ranan Lurie – and many others.
PORTFOLIO
Design | Internet | Photography | Collaborations
laguna beach california
VIDEO & MOTION PROJECTS
Documentaries | Corporate Identity | Interviews | Events | Collaborations
DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS ALSO AT
MyLegacyTree.com
Fred Emmert — Aerial Photographer, Orange County California
MyLegacyTree.com
Highlighting SCD products supporting the auto industry.
A father and son road trip – “The Zen and Art of SAAB Maintenance”
RECENT & PAST PROJECTS
Photography | Design | Websites | Collaborations
George Weiss – Re-Elect for City Council
CMM Studio has done a series of ads for George Weiss and also captured on video the election candidate forums.
Laguna Wilderness Press
Promotional for a series of Laguna Wilderness Press book for sale.
BackFire Man – Laguna Beach Fire Department
A framed artwork 30"x42" is displayed at the new fire department on PCH showcasing the history and evolution of the Laguna Beach Fire Department.
Sporting Goods
Photography for clients across an array of skills including golf, exercise equipment, sun glasses, down hill skis, snowboards, cross country, ski racks and much [...]
Art Promotions
Charles produces marketing tools for local and national artists including websites and coordinating gallery showings.
TOKISTAR – Corporate website, photography and video
Web and internet development has been a focus for many business since its conception. Charles has been developing numerous styles of website from corporate [...]
Commercial and Residential Photography & Video
Capturing the essence of architectural design and commercial real estate is handled for clients including websites, brochures and corporate identity. A key commercial developer [...]
Food & Beverage Photography
From Restaurant interiors, to menus, table tents, menu boards and the like, Charles has excelled in capturing this type of work for a couple [...]
Products | Services | People
Product and service photography, video and design are specialties of CMM Studio.
Laguna Greenbelt 50th Anniversary
This 90 minute documentary focused on events and accomplishments of the Laguna Greenbelt Foundation, Laguna Beach California.
MOMEN – Sculptures
Karl Momen is a International Artist from Persia. His extraordinary skill and vision through oil base paintings and and large scale sculpture has been [...]
CLIENT HISTORY INCLUDES
Summit Development Corporation, Master Development Corporation – MDC, ARNEL Commercial Properties, DEXUS, Pacific Homes, Laguna Greenbelt, Inc., FSI, Latin American Perspectives, TOKISTAR Lighting, CMD, [...]
Laguna Wilderness Press
CMM Studio handles the website, books design and other marketing tools. Laguna Wilderness Press founder, Ron Chilcote, and Artist/Photographer Tom Lamb currently serve as editors and co-director [...]
Alani and the Giant Kelp Elf – LWP
ALANi & the Giant Kelp Elf Authors: Gayle and Tom Joliet Kelfie and his Kelp Elf Clan need help. Their undersea home, the giant [...]
Separation Point – LWP
Post production adapted from provided content and images. What began as a Grand Canyon river trip involving two friends—one a Northwestern poet, musician, and [...]
Do You Have An Upcoming Project?
Glad to assist. EMAIL or call: 1.949.306.9640