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Mike Call

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Available for new projects

Home Base / Salt Lake City, UT, USA

Languages / English

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Overview

Filmmaker

Director Cinematographer (DP) Drone Pilot

Biography

Born and raised at the base of Mount Olympus, just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, Call spent his childhood scrambling around the mountain’s rocky outcroppings. “It was the late 1980s, and there were few badass climbers there I got to know,” he says. “I would use my dad’s Sony Handycam to shoot them. I had no idea I would do it as a profession someday.” In 2000, Call helped found Pusher, a company that manufactured training equipment for climbers. “We needed content to promote the products and I ended up doing a lot of the shooting,” he says. “And that’s when I realized I wanted to shoot full time.” Call did some work for a local production house, then, in 2009, he got a big break. “A friend was working on the movie 127 Hours, and they needed somebody to do the high-angle shots,” says Call. (Starring James Franco, 127 Hours tells the story of Aron Ralston getting trapped by a boulder in Utah’s Bluejohn Canyon and escaping by amputating his own arm). Call’s background filming climbers made him perfect for the job. These days, Call is still shooting from dangerous places, but he’s focused just as much on the storytelling as the location. “More than anything,” he says, “I’m an emotive storyteller. It’s not about the specific activity, it’s about what the activity brings out in people. Rock climbing brought me into the world of filmmaking, but filmmaking opened me up to all manner of storytelling.” Call works on everything from branded campaigns to documentaries.

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Mike Call: The Climb MAX Original

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Mike Call: Ralph Lauren

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Mike Call: "The Artist" Black Diamond Equipment

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Mike Call: Apple/DJI

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Mike Call: 127 Hours

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Mike Call’s creative vision transcends the lens, and in fact, begins in the mountains. His ability to capture the essence of the climbing life is unique because it’s through the eyes of someone who has lived it.

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Chris Parker

Head of branded content for Black Diamond Equipment

Photograph Boone Speed
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Shooting documentaries was my film school. I learned to shoot, direct and edit. I tend to approach shoots from a holistic POV. Editing informed my shots, directing helped my shooting. I love the process of going from an idea to a finished piece. I think film is my favorite art form and I’m grateful to be able to do it.

Career Storyline

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Statistics

26

Years of Experience

250+

Editorial and Commercial Assignments

1

Emmy award for the film "King Lines," which Mike worked on as a cameraman.

1

Director's Selection for Mountainfilm "The Artist" 2021

Work Experience

PAST

12/2016

Feature Film/Series Camera Operator "127 Hours" "Point Break" "The Climb"

Drone Pilot
Climb

05/2023

Director of Photography. "From the Ground Up."

Director
Climb Mountaineering

12/2023

Produced, directed and filmed 14 feature climbing films.

Producer Director
Climb Mountaineering

12/2023

Worked with 3 Oscar Winning Directors

Cinematographer (DP) Director
Awards and Recognition
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20210523

Official Selection, Mountainfilm 2021 “The Artist”

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20080917

Cameraman on Emmy award winning film “King Lines”

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20210523

Official Selection, Mountainfilm 2021 “The Artist”

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20080917

Cameraman on Emmy award winning film “King Lines”

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