About Mike
I've loved movies as long as I can remember. As a kid, I rented every available DVD that came into inventory at my local public library. When I ran out of those, I got a Blockbuster membership. Eventually I started making my own films, by myself, with my family's Hi-8 camcorder. These little movies turned into bigger movies during my teenage years. It was scrappy, resourceful, indie filmmaking at its finest. My friends and I were routinely in trouble with the local authorities.
Shot design was my favorite part of the process and so I gravitated towards cinematography. Early on I found myself working freelance jobs in the G&E department. I was a best boy electric and gaffer for several years, shooting things on the side, building my reel as I went.
Eventually I shot my first feature film, Uncle John , which premiered as part of the narrative competition at SXSW in 2015. This enabled me to transition into shooting full time. Since then I have shot 3 additional feature films as well as dozens of high profile commercial, opening title and experiential jobs. I've done spots for brands such as Allstate, Kellogg’s, Kraft, Blue Moon, 5Gum and PWC in addition to several iconic opening title sequences for streamers and brands such as Apple+, Marvel, and Netflix. I also have experience shooting music videos for well known artists such as Hozier, Regina Spektor and White Reaper.
Meanwhile, The Replacement was a short film that played at over 70+ film festivals worldwide and was the winner for Best Short at the Sci-Fi London Film Festival. A comedy pilot I shot premiered at SXSW in 2024.
In addition I have won 3 Emmy awards as well as a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for my work on various sports documentaries that have aired on ESPN. A passion project, Mudfest, garnered a coveted Vimeo Staff Pick.
The same love and excitement of movies I had as a kid has never waned. It never will. I love watching them, thinking about them, talking about them. I can do it incessantly. I frequently annoy my wife when I cannot shutup about the latest cool movie I have seen.
When I'm not working you can find me on a motorcycle, in a card room, or a bowling alley.
I'm represented by CAA.




Resume
Feature Film
Director
Production Company
Uncle John Stephen Piet Uncle John Productions
Manifest Evil Jenna Serbu Seven Point Five Films
You Don't Belong Here (post-production) Chris McGowan Perth Road Productions
For Ever (post-production) Frankie Nasso Nova Productions
Episodic / Pilot
Director / Producer
Production Company
Bettendorf Talks Jack C. Newell Zaxie Films
Approach Alone Stephen Piet Gaumont
Chain of Command (1 episode) Scott Boggins National Geographic Channel
Explorer (1 episode) David Freid Evolve Digital Cinema
ESPN E:60 (10 episodes) Andy Tennant Evolve Digital Cinema
Monster Croc Invasion Joel Edwards Animal Planet
Commercial (partial)
Director
Production Company
Club Champion "Fittervention" George Zwierzynski Purple Stuff Productions Apple "Mac at Work" Rau / Jones One at Optimus PWC "Align" Michael Martin Dictionary Films
Boost Mobile Erin Sarofsky Sarofsky Kellogg's "Do What's Delicious" Thomas Schauer Merman Blue Moon "Holiday Spark" Michael Gabriele Daily Planet Productions
Main Titles
Director
Production Company
Goosebumps S2 Cat McCarthy Sarofsky
Werewolf at Night Duarte Elvas Sarofsky
Friends From College Erin Sarofsky Sarofsky
Animal Planet Erin Sarofsky Sarofsky
Music Video
Director
Label
Hozier "Nobody's Soldier" Daniel Ryan Columbia
White Reaper "Might Be Right" Daniel Ryan Polyvinyl
Regina Spektor "Black and White" Daniel Ryan Warner


Awards
Vimeo Staff Pick
For Mudfest
Best Cinematography, Midest Independent Film Festival
For Uncle John
Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award
Emmy, Outstanding Sports News Anthology
For E:60
Emmy, Outstanding Sports Journalism
For E:60: Children of the Ring
Emmy, Outstanding Cinematography