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May 21, 2010 - Before the Beach by Bob Yesbek

 Exploring with Mick Kaczorowski

Every now and then, a successful career can arise from otherwise bizarre behavior. Like stalking, for example. Psychology student Mick Kaczorowski, awestruck by the presence of legendary film director Robert Altman in his small college town, relentlessly pursued and—quite literally—stalked the filmmaker.

Twenty-eight years later, Rehoboth Beach resident and award-winning TV producer Kaczorowski happily admits to ignoring his studies, waiting tables in any restaurant frequented by Altman, and doggedly trailing his idol until he was finally hired as a lowly note-taker. For Mick, it was a dream come true: He had been noticed by the larger-than-life Altman, renowned for films such as MASH, Nashville, Popeye, and Secret Honor, to name just a few. Not one to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Mick learned the film industry “on the job” as one of Robert Altman’s production assistants, eventually serving in various capacities in the editing phase of Streamers, OC and Stiggs, and Secret Honor.

In 1985, Kaczorowski was tapped to assist in the launching of National Geographic Explorer. Over the following eight years, he edited almost 50 films, spawning two Emmy nominations for Best Achievement in Editing. By this time, Mick was doing a lot more than just editing. For the IMAX production of Wildfire: Feel the Heat, he trained to become a certified firefighter, filming on the front lines of forest fires in both the U.S. and Australia. None the worse for wear (except maybe for scorched eyebrows) he went on to translate the aerial firefighting adventure into a motion simulator ride; writing, producing and directing the project for Discovery’s Themed Entertainment Division.

As Senior Executive Producer for Discovery Pictures, Mick Kaczorowski won his first Emmy Award (Outstanding Informational Programming) for Carrier: Fortress at Sea. He then proceeded to scoop up two more Primetime Emmys (Best Animated Program) for Walking with Prehistoric Beasts, and Allosaurus: a Walking with Dinosaurs Special. For you techies out there, Mick also holds the distinction of being one of the first editors to work entirely on AVID, the then-groundbreaking digital production and editing system. The resulting feature, In the Company of Whales, was also the first AVID-based production for Discovery, winning numerous awards for TV and video, ecology and environment.

As Senior Executive Producer for Animal Planet in 2004, Mick left behind the hefty whales and dinosaurs (at least for a while) in favor of those perky little meerkats; scurrying their way through the nooks and crannies of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa. The wildly popular Meerkat Manor helped bring Discovery’s Animal Planet into more homes than ever before. After all, who could resist those adorable creatures as they’re being carried off by hawks and devoured by snakes—all the while furtively “hooking up” amongst the tumbleweeds?

Kaczorowski was also Executive Producer for the feature film Meerkat Manor: Queen of the Kalahari, The Making of Meerkat Manor, and The Science of Meerkat Manor. In 2005, he snapped up two more Primetime Emmy nominations (music and cinematography) for Buggin’ with Ruud; Animal Planet’s original series starring New Zealand entomologist Ruud Kleinpaste.

Mick has had the good fortune to circle the globe several times over. While filming Raising the Mammoth in Siberia, he flew under conditions most of us would never even dream of. He traveled to South Africa for the production of Into the Lion’s Den, and, at the Mahout School Thailand, he trained to boss huge elephants around. Mick told me that one of the central moments of his life was when he learned to successfully control the actions of those massive creatures. His special connection with these animals carried over into his role as Executive Producer of The Secret Life of Elephants. Kaczorowski combines his love for travel with his work, frequenting such far-flung spots as Burma, Paris, Laos, Rome, Argentina, Southeast Asia, London and New Zealand. He even traveled to the Vatican in conjunction with the filming of Pope John Paul’s last visit to Poland.

When it comes time to relax and leave the cameras and scripts behind, Mick can be found boarding a plane for Thailand. As our interview was drawing to an end, he quietly revealed to me that his first visit there transformed his life in a very personal way. The ancient culture, firmly rooted in the earliest Buddhist beliefs and customs, deeply influenced his love (and natural talent) for photography and art. He is accomplished in both fields, and has amassed an impressive collection of striking photos and inspiring artwork. A visit to Mick’s home is like a stroll through an art gallery, with Thai-inspired handiwork nestled among the framed photos and canvasses.

Oh, and for those of you keeping track, Mick did finally return to the University of Michigan to finish out his degrees in both film and psychology. As a veteran explorer, Rehoboth Beach resident Mick Kaczorowski has battled forest fires, ridden elephants, strolled with the dinosaurs, hobnobbed with lions, cruised aircraft carriers and burrowed with the meerkats—sharing his adventures with millions of TV viewers every step of the way. As this goes to print, Mick’s off to Morocco to explore even more of the world. No cameras this time—except for his own.

Bob Yesbek is a Rehoboth Beach resident. Email Bob@RehobothFoodie.com.

‹ May 21, 2010 - Amazon Trail by Lee Lynch up May 21, 2010 - CAMP is Comcastic! ›

Past Issues

Issues Index

  • February 5, 2010 - Issue Index
  • March 12, 2010 - Issue Index
  • April 9, 2010 - Issue Index
  • May 7, 2010 - Issue Index
  • May 21, 2010 - Issue Index
    • May 21, 2010 - Acknowledgments
    • May 21, 2010 - The Way I See It by Steve Elkins
    • May 21, 2010 - In Brief
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMP Matters by Murray Archibald
    • May 21, 2010 - Volunteer Thank You
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMPout by Fay Jacobs
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMP Programs
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMP Talk by Bill Sievert
    • May 21, 2010 - Amazon Trail by Lee Lynch
    • May 21, 2010 - Before the Beach by Bob Yesbek
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMP is Comcastic!
    • May 21, 2010 - Booked Solid by Terri Schlichenmeyer
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMP Stories by Rich Barnett
    • May 21, 2010 - High CAMP by Brent Mundt
    • May 21, 2010 - Gay n' Gray By John Siegfried
    • May 21, 2010 - It's the Law by Renna Van Oot, Esq.
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMP Volunteer Spotlight by Chris Beagle
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMP Money by Chris Beagle
    • May 21, 2010 - Ask the Doctor by Michael J. Hurd, Ph.D.
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMPshots Gallery Index
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMP Arts by Doug Yetter
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMPdates
    • May 21, 2010 - Weekend Beach Bum by Eric Morrison
    • May 21, 2010 - The Out Field by Dan Woog
    • May 21, 2010 - CAMP Fitness by Rick Moore
  • June 4, 2010 - Issue Index
  • June 18, 2010 - Issue Index
  • July 2, 2010 - Issue Index
  • July 16, 2010 - Issue Index
  • July 30, 2010 - Issue Index
  • August 13, 2010 - Issue Index
  • August 27, 2010 - Issue Index
  • September 17, 2010 - Issue Index
  • October 15, 2010 - Issue Index
  • November 19, 2010 - Issue Index

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