Michael Ollek

Background

About Michael Ollek

I am freelance cinematographer with a background in non-fiction television and over 15 years of experience in the industry. I am an expert at interview lighting, as well as follow-doc style shooting. I have become adept at turning unpredictable situations into welcome opportunities to create cinematic images that help tell a story. A wide range of experiences have helped to shape me into a very capable DP. Adventure TV is where I began my career and first came into my own personally. While the environments are often challenging, I immediately felt at home in the mountains, on river boats, ships at sea and on race tracks. Once the opportunity arose for me to take cameras underwater, I learned everything I could about SCUBA and the ocean. As well as being an advanced open water diver with 70+ dives (21 large camera video dives), I have taken 6 PADI specialty courses and especially love overhead environments (I dream of one day training for cave diving). Car culture is another interest. I come from a line of motorcycle/car racers and professionally I have enjoyed several opportunities to work in this space. I even operated camera on some stunts by Spanky Spangler! Lifestyle programming has been a successful space for me throughout my career. House Hunters International and other home/travel style shows are a significant portion of my work history with over 60 episodes (and counting) in 20+ countries. We often have very small crews, so I have become very labor efficient and an expert at carnet and customs. I have had the privilege and honor to travel to and shoot esteemed cultural and wildlife sites, such as Machu Picchu, the Tulum ruins, the highlands of the Andes and the mountains of Patagonia, I have had numerous underwater video opportunities filming throughout the Caribbean reefs and Pacific Ocean pelagic sites. Food is also fun to cover and as an avid home chef I have enjoyed filming food process and beauties, in addition to bustling international markets where you really get the farm to table experience. I happily welcome the challenge of filming in tight kitchens with hot salamanders and fryers. Branded content is a space I am looking to build in. I have directed studio shoots for The Company Store, as well as spec commercials and I was on the camera team for a branded documentary series with NatGeo and Green Mountain Coffee. We traveled throughout Costa Rica coffee plantations all the way to the roasting centers in Vermont. Let's join forces and have fun telling exciting stories together!