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Mikołaj 'Mik' Bakalarz
Director of Photography
Mik's True Crime slate has been nominated for 5 True Crime Awards (winning 1), and includes the highly acclaimed anthology of films presented by Marcel Theroux, as well as a Grierson Shortlisted series (Great Rhino Robbery), one of Discovery's highest rated crime series of all time (Jared from Subway), and a number of features and series spanning 10+ years of filmmaking
Doc Features & Series
Heist: Robbing the Bank of England
Soho Studios for Sky Crime & Investigation
Killer in the House
Wag TV for ITV
The Playboy Bunny Murder
Future Studios for ITV
Dir. Sam Miller
In this new premium 2-parter, Marcel Theroux investigates a series of murders that shocked the capitol in the 1970s and to this day have remained unsolved.
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My Role:
Director of Photography
Available on ITV X
Dir. Sam Miller
In this new premium 2-parter, Marcel Theroux investigates a series of murders that shocked the capitol in the 1970s and to this day have remained unsolved.
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My Role:
Director of Photography
Available on ITV X
The Great Rhino Robbery
BBC Studios for Sky Documentaries
Dir. Jesse Vile
Shortlisted for:
2024 Grierson Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary
In 2011, regional museums and auction houses across Britain are hit by a bizarre crime spree. Despite holding millions of pounds worth of precious artefacts, only one item has been targeted during each robbery: rhino horn. As this strange crime wave sweeps through Europe and beyond, rhino numbers are shrinking as their horns become more valuable than gold in the dark, illegal, world of animal poaching and trafficking. This documentary unpicks the story behind why the Rhino is facing extinction and the race to catch the people responsible – before it’s too late.
Filmed on location in South Africa and Ireland.
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My Role:
Documentary Director of Photography
Dir. Jesse Vile
Shortlisted for:
2024 Grierson Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary
In 2011, regional museums and auction houses across Britain are hit by a bizarre crime spree. Despite holding millions of pounds worth of precious artefacts, only one item has been targeted during each robbery: rhino horn. As this strange crime wave sweeps through Europe and beyond, rhino numbers are shrinking as their horns become more valuable than gold in the dark, illegal, world of animal poaching and trafficking. This documentary unpicks the story behind why the Rhino is facing extinction and the race to catch the people responsible – before it’s too late.
Filmed on location in South Africa and Ireland.
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My Role:
Documentary Director of Photography
The Million Pound Shaman Scam
Hidden Light for the BBC
Jared from Subway
Double Act for ID
This 3-part series chronicles the rise and fall of Jared Fogle, aka. The Subway Guy, one of America's most recognisable celebrities, who is now serving a 15-year prison sentence for crimes against children.
For this series I worked as the series DP, filming IVs and drama on location in the USA over the course of a 5-week shoot.
The poster for the series became a banner of ID on 13th Feb 2023.
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My Role:
Series Director of Photography
This 3-part series chronicles the rise and fall of Jared Fogle, aka. The Subway Guy, one of America's most recognisable celebrities, who is now serving a 15-year prison sentence for crimes against children.
For this series I worked as the series DP, filming IVs and drama on location in the USA over the course of a 5-week shoot.
The poster for the series became a banner of ID on 13th Feb 2023.
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My Role:
Series Director of Photography
Rich & Shameless
Raw TV for TNT
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My Role:
Season 2, Drama DoP for 3 episodes
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My Role:
Season 2, Drama DoP for 3 episodes
The Mystery of the Crypto Queen
Dare for Channel 4 & Sky Germany
The Lucie Blackman Case
Beach House for Netflix.
#1 Netflix UK in the week of its release and #5 Netflix Globally in the same week.
The story of Lucie Blackman, a British young woman who went missing in Tokyo in 2000.
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My Role: UK Unit DOP
I shot 3 interviews for this film in the UK
#1 Netflix UK in the week of its release and #5 Netflix Globally in the same week.
The story of Lucie Blackman, a British young woman who went missing in Tokyo in 2000.
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My Role: UK Unit DOP
I shot 3 interviews for this film in the UK
Gypsy's Revenge - Feature
Lightbox Feature for ID
Mother and daughter Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard epitomized the triumph of human spirit over adversity. So, when the words "That bitch is dead" appeared on Dee Dee's Facebook page in 2015, friends and neighbors were perplexed. Was it a joke, or something more sinister?
DIRECTOR: JESSE VILE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: SIMON CHINN, JONATHAN CHINN AND SUZANNE LAVERY
PRODUCER: SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM
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My Role:
Director of Photography (Doc) - Alongside the Director (Jesse Vile) and Producer (Sophie Cunningham), I travelled to the most southern tip of Louisiana and embarked on a road trip all the way to Lake Michigan to film 15 interviews for this fascinating story.
Mother and daughter Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard epitomized the triumph of human spirit over adversity. So, when the words "That bitch is dead" appeared on Dee Dee's Facebook page in 2015, friends and neighbors were perplexed. Was it a joke, or something more sinister?
DIRECTOR: JESSE VILE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: SIMON CHINN, JONATHAN CHINN AND SUZANNE LAVERY
PRODUCER: SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM
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My Role:
Director of Photography (Doc) - Alongside the Director (Jesse Vile) and Producer (Sophie Cunningham), I travelled to the most southern tip of Louisiana and embarked on a road trip all the way to Lake Michigan to film 15 interviews for this fascinating story.
Til Death Do Us Part
Lightbox Entertainment for ID
Til Death Do Us Part is a true crime series that documents marriages from first love & the honeymoon period, through the pressures of modern life and irreconcilable differences, ending in tragedy and a search for justice.
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DIRECTORS: SAM MILLER, MARY DOWNES, WILL WEST AND ROSS YOUNG
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: SIMON CHINN, JONATHAN CHINN AND SUZANNE LAVERY
SERIES PRODUCER: JOHN FOTHERGILL
SENIOR PRODUCER: LAURA MCNAUGHT
LINE PRODUCER: SELINA FERGUSON
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MY ROLE:
Director of Photography for the Series - I created the style and shot documentary elements for 6 of the 8 episodes of Season 1
Episodes directed by Sam Miller, Will West and Ross Young
Til Death Do Us Part is a true crime series that documents marriages from first love & the honeymoon period, through the pressures of modern life and irreconcilable differences, ending in tragedy and a search for justice.
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DIRECTORS: SAM MILLER, MARY DOWNES, WILL WEST AND ROSS YOUNG
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: SIMON CHINN, JONATHAN CHINN AND SUZANNE LAVERY
SERIES PRODUCER: JOHN FOTHERGILL
SENIOR PRODUCER: LAURA MCNAUGHT
LINE PRODUCER: SELINA FERGUSON
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MY ROLE:
Director of Photography for the Series - I created the style and shot documentary elements for 6 of the 8 episodes of Season 1
Episodes directed by Sam Miller, Will West and Ross Young
Back from the Dead
Wag Entertainment for U&W
American Monster
Arrow Media for ID
American Monster tells the stories of people who nobody expected to turn into a gruesome murderers. The series features heavy amounts of home movies intercut with interviews and drama reconstruction.
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My Role:
Documentary DP, seasons 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8,
On series 2 and 3 I was sent to the USA to cover several stories. On season 5 I shot drama for 1 episode and on seasons 6, 7 and 8 I operated a bespoke remote camera rig that was sent to contributors or ACs in different parts of America and controlled remotely from my home. I built an interview lighting kit that would be easy and safe for operation by non-professionals and directed the local ACs (or in some cases the contributors themselves) on how to setup the lighting, camera and sound for the interviews. By doing this I shot 30 episodes of TV (100+ Interviews)
American Monster tells the stories of people who nobody expected to turn into a gruesome murderers. The series features heavy amounts of home movies intercut with interviews and drama reconstruction.
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My Role:
Documentary DP, seasons 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8,
On series 2 and 3 I was sent to the USA to cover several stories. On season 5 I shot drama for 1 episode and on seasons 6, 7 and 8 I operated a bespoke remote camera rig that was sent to contributors or ACs in different parts of America and controlled remotely from my home. I built an interview lighting kit that would be easy and safe for operation by non-professionals and directed the local ACs (or in some cases the contributors themselves) on how to setup the lighting, camera and sound for the interviews. By doing this I shot 30 episodes of TV (100+ Interviews)
Undercover Coppers - 1h Special
Raw Cut TV for Channel 5
This 1h special tells the story of the largest undercover drug bust in British history, as well as 2 other investigation into drug trafficking.
Directed by Jamie Crawford
Production Manager: Ellie Harris
Assistant Producer: Georgia Jesper
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My Role:
DoP of both Doc & Drama
This 1h special tells the story of the largest undercover drug bust in British history, as well as 2 other investigation into drug trafficking.
Directed by Jamie Crawford
Production Manager: Ellie Harris
Assistant Producer: Georgia Jesper
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My Role:
DoP of both Doc & Drama
Hear No Evil
Arrow Media for ID
What Lies Beneath
Arrow Media for ID
Someone You Thought You Knew
October Films for ID
Home Alone
October Films for ID
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