Director Of Photography: Silver Style

I shot all but one of the scenes for this jewelry commercial (the scene with the three women shopping was shot by DP Buck Nonnemaker – great guy and talented DP). Shot on 16mm film (Kodak 7277 320T w/ an 85 filter) I used mostly Desisti 575 HMI’s, 4’ 56K KinoFlo’s, and a Joker to light these scenes. I wanted to make everything look as natural as possible, not to over light anything… or force the visual. All scenes shot in one day on location.

Director Of Photography: Modern Soul

This commercial, along with Elegance of 18k Gold (listed above), I used little to no fill light allowing the backlight to do most of the sculpting of the model’s face and body, creating a dramatic image. Both were shot with digital betacam and filtered with a Tiffen Soft FX2. Unlike Elegance, Modern Soul used a _ Coral to add richness to the colors (ie. white model’s red hair, black model’s skin, and clothing).
Along with the lighting, I enjoyed the forced perspective created by camera placement and dolly movement.

Director Of Photography: Karastan Rugs

This commercial is one of my recent favorites. While discussing this with the Producer/Director, I felt strongly that we should use the 16:9 aspect ratio available within Sony 790 Digital Beta camera, a Canon 4.5 – 50mm wide lens (f1.8) and EZ Jib (a small portable Jib) in “low mode” to provide a better landscape and frame for the rugs. All scenes were shot using two Desisti HMI 575’s and a HMI Joker. Shot on location in one day.

Director Of Photography: Gourmet Holiday

I love shooting food; I don’t know why…
This commercial was shot on digital betacam and primarily lit with a large soft backlight to provide a nice glare on the food to entice the viewer.

Director Of Photography: Elegance of 18k Gold

As with Modern Soul (listed below), I love the lack of fill light within this commercial. The dramatic image that was created well supports the product line. The Producer/Director pitched this spot by showing me an old head shot of a Hollywood star and said he was going to place the images in boxes. I sketched out various dolly moves and scenes that I thought would be interesting. A few days later, we had this beautiful spot.

3:15 Press: Philadelphia Inquirer (08.20.2006)

Marathoner turns his goal into documentary
A simple plan to get back in shape led to a quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon
By Art Carey

Michael Zolomij knows about stamina. He is the father of three boys and a girl, all under the age of 5.

He and his wife, Carol, have a motto to describe the merry chaos of their West Chester household: "Always crazy, rarely quiet; only the silence scares us."

Life is a bit more manageable now that he no longer travels for work. A videographer for QVC, he shoots commercials and promos. Some weeks, he works days; some weeks, he works night. He takes it all in stride.

Six years on the road, though, took their toll. Zolomij (pronounced za-LO-mee) ate plenty of fast food. A former high school wrestler and college rugby player, he failed to exercise regularly. His weight climbed to more than 230 pounds.

As he rang in the new year 2004, Zolomij made a resolution: He would return to fighting trim. By adjusting his diet he had already shed 25 pounds. Now he was determined to lose 30 more.

"I began running again and fell back in love with it," says Zolomij, who first began running at age 14 to condition himself for wrestling.

As he became lighter and fleeter, Zolomij could feel the competitive juices percolating. He entered a local 10K and finished in less than an hour.

He was surprised and impressed. So was his father.

"You ought to run a marathon," he told his son.

"Yeah, right," Zolomij thought. But the more he pondered the idea, the more tempting it became. In October 2004, he showed up for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington. He had three goals: to finish, the have fun, and to break four hours. He succeeded. His time: 3:56.

The following spring, Zolomij completed another marathon in Lake Placid, NY. Despite the hilly course, he bettered his time, clocking 3:51.

About this time, while browsing the web site of the storied Boston Marathon, he discovered that the qualifying time for me his age is 3:15.

The Voice of Doubt declared: "There's no way you can do that." The Voice of Zest declared: "You gotta do that!"

Zolomij discussed his ambition with his wife. "Go for it," she said. Then she went a step further. She urged him to make a documentary about his quest. "This is the big project you've been looking for," she said. The title of the proposed documentary: 3:15.

Zolomij assembled a seven-person crew of trusted friends and professional associates.

"It seemed like such an amazing story," says Michele Loschiavo, a television producer whom Zolomij tapped to be director.

Crew members began filming Zolomij as he trained for a Marine Corpss Marathon encore. And last October, they captured him as he crossed the finish line, notching a personal best of 3:33. This February, they recorded his performance in a marathon in Delaware. With his left knee ailing from an overtraining injury, Zolomij struggled. His time slipped to 3:36.

The climax of the documentary is the Chicago Marathon, which takes place Oct. 22. Zolomij must break 3:15 to qualify for Boston in April.

"Some people think it's impossible," Zolomij says, "but I believe I can do it."

Now 39 and a lean 170 pounds, Zolomij rises at 4am and is out the door pounding the pavement by 5:30. He runs three days a week and cross-trains at the gym three days a week. He spends the first running day sprinting up stairs at a nearby parking garage or the steps at West Chester University's football stadium. The second day he goes for a five to eight mile tempo run, alternately accelerating and decelerating. The third day consists of LSD - long, slow distance, maybe a looping 20-miler.

"I like the dedication it takes," Zolomij says. "You can't cram the night before the exam. You have to do all your homework over the entire length of the course. You really find out what you're made of, and that's not a bad thing."

The aim of the documentary is to show that "just about anything is achiveable if you're willing to work for it," Zolomij says. "It's about family and all the support and sacrifice it takes to accomplish something significant."

Because the long weekend runs can take up to three hours, Michael and Carol have to juggle schedules and work to accommodate each other's need for personal time.

"It's been a serious challenge and a hard road in some respects," Carol, 38, says. "We've had to learn how to communicate effectively."

Director Loschiavo says that balance between a passion and family is in the film. "It's also about a man trying to impress his children and be good influences on them."

Whether Zolomij breaks 3:15 or not, the documentary will still go forward. Says Loschiavo: "It's more about the journey."

"If it motivates people to learn a language, paint a picture, or take up photography, that's great," Zolomij says. "It's not just about running. It's about pursuing goals and believing in yourself."

3:15 Press: Main Line Today (August 2006)

Camera Running
Captured On Film: A Local Marathoner's Unlikely Quest For Boston
By Michael T. Dolan

In the pre-dawn hours of a frigid mid-February morning, the film crew squeezed into a black pickup truck. The cinematographer battled the open air of the cab, fingers too numb to handle the camera.

It was the dark before dawn, and the truck trailed a lone man navigating the rolling hills of West Chester. The streets were quiet this Sunday morning, save for the truck's struggling engine. And fast-paced footsteps.

The crew followed the footsteps for seven miles, and they expected to follow for seven more. Something, however, was awry. The truck was no longer trailing the runner; he came to a halt and walked slowly toward them. No one in the crew could blame him for quitting. It was just too damn cold.

But as he came closer, the crew realized it wasn't the cold that stopped him - the look on his face told them as much. His goatee covered in ice, eyes sunken, he looked broken and tired.

"it's my knees," he said.

Mike Zolomij was never a long-distance runner, which makes his story all the more compelling. In March 2004, he ran in Brian's Run, an annual race through the streets of West Chester benefiting the disabled. He ran the 10K race in a respectable 50:02, placing 165th. He was hooked.

Thinking he had longer races in him, Zolomij began contemplating greater goals, and soon enough his mind turned to the marathon. A 10K was one thing, but 26.2 miles is quiet another.

Two years later, Zolomij, 39, has successfully run four marathons and is training to run another in Chicago this October - all in hopes of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. 3:15 (three hours and 15 minutes) is both the qualifying time for male runners between the ages of 35 and 40 and the title of the documentary chronicling Zolomij's journey to make it to Boston.

A videographer for QVC and founder of his own production company, Big Dumb Monkey Productions, Zolomij has always been the man behind the camera. In 3:15, however, all the equipment is focused on him.

"I never saw myself being in front of the camera," says Zolomij. "I am much more comfortable on the other end - out of sight."

He has his wife, Carol, to thank for the change in view. Zolomij and Carol live on a tree-lined street in the heart of the West Chester borough. With four children ages 5 and under - and two dogs to boot - their household is a busy one.

On this day, Jake, 5, and Cole, 4, discuss the merits of Batman's superhero abilities practicing the ways of "the Force" from Star Wars. Two-year-old Ashe wanders from toy to toy in the lawn while 1-year-old Skye sits perched in her father's arms. How, one wonders, does a father of four with a full-time job and his own production company find the time to train for marathon after marathon, all while making a documentary?

"Carol," Zolomij is quick to say. "Without her, none of this would be possible. We make a good team."

And indeed they are. The couple's relationship is built on supporting each other's pursuits. For Zolomij, it's the Boston Marathon; for Carol, a doctorate in industrial psychology.

"We tag-team with the kids, and somehow we're able to do it. Our support system for one another has always been great - we're very lucky that way."

And it's that support system that planted the seed for 3:15. After running in three marathons in 2004/2005, shaving his time from 3:56:25 to 3:33:41, Zolomij told Carol he was thinking of trying to qualify for Boston. He knew it would be difficult and mean more hours of the streets of West Chester and away from home. He was uncertain.

Carol, however, was certain - and she upped the ante, challenging him not only to train for Boston, but also to make a documentary for the effort.

"You're always saying you want an exciting project to work on," Carol said. "Well, this is it. I'll give you whatever time you need to make this happen, but you need to do this."

The challenge made, Zolomij grabbed hold and ran with it, pulling together a film crew of industry friends.

"I wanted people who believed in this project - people who would put their heart and soul into it," he says. "I'm lucky - that's exactly who I have. This crew believes in me, and each one of them has sacrificed time away from their own families, their own pursuits. They're incredible people."

Nancy Glass Productions' Michele Loschiavo, producer and director of 3:15, recalls her response to Zolomij's pitch: "I'm in. When do we begin?" It's short and it's sweet, but it is exactly the attitude Zolomij has roused from the eight-member, all-volunteer crew.

Filming began a year ago when Zolomij was training for his second try at the Marine Corps Marathon. He had to clips a daunting 41 minutes off of his first time (3:56:25) to qualify for Boston. It's not an impossible task, but damn near to it.

In June 2005, Zolomij and two friends traveled to upstate New York for the Lake Placid Marathon. He placed 48th at the race with a time of 3:51:28 - just five minutes shaved off the needed 41. Running the Marine Corps Marathon again in Ocotber 2005, Zolomij was able to cut his best time by 18 minutes, down to 3:33:41. Suddenly, 3:15 didn't seem all that far out of reach.

Each step of the way, Zolomij is followed by his film crew, from 5am training runs up and down the hills of West Chester to the Washington, D.C. landmarks along the Marine Corps Marathon course.

For Zolomij and the crew, though, 3:15 is about much more than running. It's about the sacrifices people make in pursuit of their dreams. More than that, it's about the sacrifices made by those whose support them. Filming the documentary has captured these sacrifices - the minor family crises, the early-morning crew calls, the bitter-cold shoots, the injuries.

"It's my knees."

When Zolomij came to a stop halfway through that February morning training run, it was evident something was wrong. "I was over-training," Zolomij recalls now, "not giving my body a chance to recover between runs."

Zolomij was doing sub-eight-minute miles on his training runs - pushing himself too hard. And it was beginning to take a toll on his knees.

Hot and cold compresses - and a lot of Motrin - helped Zolomij nurse his knees back to health. Over the next few months, though, the pain occasionally crept back. Training runs were rife with apprehension and anxiety. Would his knees give out? Would this run mean the end of Boston? Would the next?

Zolomij needed another marathon to find out what he - and his knees - were made of.

Fast forward to May 21. It's 4am on a Sunday morning, and anyone in his or her right mind would be sound asleep. Accompanied by his dog, Lobo, Zolomij enters the dark kitchen and flicks on the light. He's tired. He's nervous. He feels alone. Hell, it's 4am.

Sitting on the counter is a flyer that reads: "3rd Annual Delaware Marathon." Zolomij knows the flyer well. The next chance to test himself has arrived, and the starting gun is just hours away. Looking closer, Zolomij sees that the flyer is autographed in elementary-school print: "JAKE. COLE. ASHE. SKYE."

"We love you, Dad,," Carol wrote. "Good luck!"

Zolomij may be alone in his kitchen, but he's not alone - and his eyes begin to well with tears. Then he glances at his cell phone next to the flyer; there's a new message.

Zolomij's first reaction is one of panic. Someone in his crew can't make it. someone is sick. something is wrong! His heart pounding, he dials to retrieve the message. "Hi Daddy, it's Jake. Good luck today. Daddy, it's me - Cole Bear! I miss you. Daddy, love you!" The tears begin to flow, but Zolomij isn't anxious anymore. He's ready to run.

"The message and that flyer meant the world to me," he says. "This has been a stressful time on all of us, and their voices made all that go away. It was their way of letting me know that they're OK, that I'm not spending too much time away from them, that the sacrifices are worth it."

Then, soon enough, his work begins.

5am: The crew begins to arrive. Michele. Paul. Eric. Wes. Derby. Mike. Mark. They greet one another in whispers, careful not to wake the sleeping souls above them.

5.30am: Car doors slam shut in the pre-dawn morning, engines come to life, and four cars begin their trek through the empty streets of West Chester en route to the Wilmington riverfront.

6.25am: The crew arrives at the riverfront and unpacks cameras, tripods, backpacks, digital cassette tapes and bikes. Zolomij, joined by friend and fellow marathoner Mark Goodwin of Exton, rushes to register and pick up a race packet.

6:50am: 10 minutes before the start gun, Zolomij rushes through his pre-race routine and stretches. The crew races to get it all on tape.

7am: To the "pow!" of the starting gun, Zolomij crosses over the line. After capturing the opening sequence, the crew splits up into two groups. Hopping on a laughable assortment of new, used and borrowed bikes, they race ahead of the pack to stage the next shot. Some have backpacks full of tapes and batteries; others have digital film cameras precariously in tow. Still another has a tripod slung over his back. Zolomij spends the next few hours running. The crew spends that time on bikes - tracking and filming him.

10:36am: Zolomij crosses the finish line at 3:36:39, 21 minutes shy of 3:15. He feels good, though. He made it through with his knees intact, and that in itself provides a life. Maybe 3:15 is doable.

Zolomij's next and last attempt at 3:15 comes Ocotber 22 at the Chicago Marathon. Can he do it? With the support of his family, his crew and friends, he believes so.

"I call it the Mike Mulligan effect," Zolomij says, referring to the children's picture book by Virginia Lee Burton, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. In the book, Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne, his steam shovel, dig the town hall cellar in one day because a crowd gathered to cheer them on. The larger the crowd, the fast they worked. It's the same with Zolomij. He sees himself blessed to be where he is, and credits everyone but himself for what he hopes to accomplish - 3:15.

"Hurry, Mike Mulligan! Hurry! Hurry!" shouted the little boy. "There's not much more time!"

3:15 Press: Daily Local News (06.29.2006)

Running to 3:15
West Chester man set to film his attempt to qualify for marathon
By Samuel Narisi (Staff Writer)

Some people may wonder where Mike Zolomij gets all his energy. As a father of four children under the age of 5, he certainly has enough to keep him busy. But in addition to parenting and working full-time, he is also pursuing the difficult goal of qualifying to run in the 2007 Boston Marathon, motivated by a passion for running and a desire to succeed.

"I'm a big believer in goals," said Zolomij, who lives in West Chester with his wife, Carol, and their children. "If you don't have goals, you're not living."

Zolomij, a professional videographer, is also involved in making a documentary chronicling his efforts. The film is titled "3:15", after the minimum time he must run in a marathon before Boston to qualify, and will tell the story of Zolomij's intense training and the effect it has on his roles as a husband and father.

"It's not all about the training," said Mike Kazin, one of the film's production assistants. "It's about the training, and the life and trying to bring everything together."

The film will be built around interviews, shots of Zolomij talking with his wife and playing with his kids, as well as footage of him training. Much of the filming done so far has included shots of him running through West Chester and the surrounding area. One spot in particular where Zolomij trains often is the ironically named Skelp Level Road, which runs through hills he can only describe as "brutal".

"I love it," he said. "I'm a freak."

Zolomij has always run to train for different sports, but did't really get into running for it's own sake until a few years ago, when he ran to lose weight and fell in love with it. He ran his first marathon in the summer of 2004, and first started thinking about Boston about a year later, after he stumbled upon the Boston Athletic's Web site. Zolomij, who is 38, saw that the qualifying time for his males age 35 to 40 was 3:15 - a full 36 minutes lower than his personal record at the time - and knew what his next running goal would be.

"Part of me was like, 'That's the craziest thing I've ever heard," he said. "The other part of me was like, 'That's the craziest thing I've ever heard - I've got to try that."

So now, Zolomij trains six days a week, alternating between days of running and days of weight training. Each week he runs anywhere from 25 to 50 miles. With such a busy household to look after, it can be difficult to find the time to keep up with everything.

"It's always hard," Zolomij said. "Somebody's got to watch the kids."

He often wakes up at 4am so that he can run and be back in time to watch his children when they wake up, so that his wife can sleep in a little more. And when he can't do that, she is willing to sacrifice some of her time to keep an eye on things around the house.

"Carol and I are a great team," he said. "I wouldnn't be able to do it if I didn't have her."

Though she is busy with her own goal of earning a doctorate in psychology, she does what she can to help her husband, and wants to see him succeed. In fact, she was the first to suggest to Zolomij that he make a documentary about the effort.

"The cool thing about Mike is that he's an extremely hard-working person," Carol Zolomij said. "When he puts his mid to something, he follows through, with anything from fixing a light to running a marathon. If I didn't think he could do it, I would never have made the suggestion."

Carol Zolomij's support was particularly helpful last winter when Zolomij over-trained and developed a knee injury that kept him from running for three weeks, which is a major set back in a strenuous training program.

"That was the only point where he just questioned whether or not it was all worth it, and that was the time for me to step in and play the supportive role," Carol said. "Mike's done the same for me numerous times with my school work."

As that injury shows, on any given day, anything can happen to a runner that will put him or her out of commission and take away precious training time. Nonetheless, Zolomij is confident in his abilities as a runner and doesn't plan on letting down anyone who wants to see him reach his goal.

"Too many people have sacrificed too much for me not to do this," he said. "In my mind it's going to happen."

Despite this assurance, though, part of what makes Zolomij's story compelling is that even he doesn't know for sure how it will end.

"When you're doing a documentary, that's part of the fun," he said. "You have to be open to the whole picture to see where the story's going. You have to let the story happen in front of you."

The story will conclude in October when Zolomij runs in the Chicago Marathon, which he must finish in 3:15 in order to qualify for Boston. Once filming is finished and the editing is done, Zolomij and the crew hope to show it at film festivals. Now matter how "3:15" ends, Zolomij hopes that it will inspire the audience to pursue their own goals, whether it's running, or walking or learning to paint.

"I don't want the viewer to see it and feel like they've just run a marathon," he said. "I want them to feel motivated."

More information about the film can be found at www.threefifteenthemovie.com

Resume

Experience

Big Dumb Monkey Productions, Freelance Opportunist/Storyteller
2005 - 2007 Co-Executive Producer; documentary, '3:15'
2007 Co-Director of Photography, narrative short, 'Father's Day' created for the 48hr Film Project
2006 Director of Photography; narrative short, 'Photogenic'
2003* Director of Photography; documentary, 'The Colonial Theater'
2002 Camera Operator; AreanaVision/Comcast Spectacor
2001* Producer/Director of Photography; documentary, 'teach'
2001 Director of Photography/Editor; documentary short, '27 years Closer'
2001 Director of Photography/Editor; PSA, 'panic'
2000-2001 Editor; CDnow, webcast interviews and musical performances
1999-2001 Director of Photography; documentary film, 'The Final Touch'
1999 Editor; dramatic short, 'Change'
1994 Producer/Director/Director of Photography; 'Abandon Ship'
* still in production

QVC, Inc.
1/01-Today Videographer, Video Production
Provide leadership, visual, and technical guidance within a creative team while shooting a wide range of video promotions in the studio or on-location
Coordinate large workloads and manage crew while pushing the creative look, still focusing on the total aesthetic, entertainment, and marketing message

4/96-1/01 Videographer/Editor, QVC Local Remote Productions
Traveled throughout the United States and Europe within a tight-knit crew, shooting and editing human-interest stories for various live remote broadcasts created by QVC
Supervised and maintained all EFP camera, grip, and editing equipment
Locations/projects have included New York Metropolitan of Fine Arts, The Smithsonian, Coca-Cola World Headquarters, top of Mount Rushmore, countless NASCAR team garages and tracks, Cannes Film Festival, and Oktoberfest

1/94-4/96 Videographer, Video Production
Same as stated above.

4/92 – 1/94 Production Assistant, Video Production
Assisted in all facets of production including grip, stylist, audio, graphics, dubs, and product acquisition.

4/91- 4/92 Shift Supervisor/Product Coordinator, Backstage
Managed backstage crew and assisted in coordinating all live production broadcast staff.

Film & Video Equipment
Edit
Efficient and super dangerous on Final Cut Pro HD and it's surrounding Production Suite componets.

Film/Video
Technically and creatively versed in both film and television equipment; Chapman Super PeeWee IV Dolly, Super 8, 16, Super 16 & 35mm film, HD, Digital & Analog Beta, DV, and various grip and lighting gear. Currently own Sony PD150 camera package and various lighting and grip gear.

Accomplishments/Education
2007 Completion of 'Advanced HD Cinematography' - the Maine Film & Television Workshops
2003 Philadelphia Advertising Club: Philadelphia ADDY Awards 2003 – Best of Broadcast, National TV -Consumer Outlet, National TV - Consumer Services, National TV - Professional Services - ”Ruth.”
2000 Completion of 'Basic Cinematography' - the Maine Film & Television Workshops
1998 Completion of '16mm Camera' - the Maine Film & Television Workshops
1997 Certified on Steadicam Operator
1997 Certified on Avid Editor
1990 Bachelors of Science Degree, East Stroudsburg University

3:15 Fundraising Promotional Poster