Dean Semler, ACS. ASC | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dean William Semler 1943 (age 81–82) Renmark, South Australia, Australia |
| Occupation | Cinematographer Film director |
| Known for | Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior Razorback Dances with Wolves Dead Calm Apocalypto |
| Title | ACS, ASC |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Cinematography Dances with Wolves 1991 AACTA Award for Best Cinematography A Steam Train Passes 1975 Razorback 1984 Dead Calm 1989 |
Dean Semler, A.C.S., A.S.C., (born 1943) is an Australian cinematographer and film director.[1][2] Over his career, he has worked as a cinematographer, camera operator, director, second unit director, and assistant director. He is a three-time recipient of the AACTA Award for Best Cinematography and an Academy Award winner. He is a member of both the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).[3]
Life and career[]
Early years[]
Semler was born in Renmark, South Australia. His first work in the production industry was as a camera operator at a local television station. Later, he began making documentary and educational films for Film Australia. He was the cinematographer for A Steam Train Passes (1974), Moving On (1974), Let the Balloon Go (1976), and A Good Thing Going (1978).
1980s[]
His first film was Stepping Out, in 1980. Allmovie praised his "stunning work" on the film Hoodwink (1981) with a screen play by Ken Quinnell. Semler was also the cinematographer for Mad Max 2 (1981). Semler's vast panoramic shots of the Australian Outback's deserts "...convincingly conveyed a parched, dusty, post-apocalyptic world"[4] and led to international attention for his work. Semler also acted as cinematographer for the follow-up film to The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). Semler was also a cinematographer for the acclaimed Australian miniseries Bodyline (1984).[5] In the late 1980s, Semler was the cinematographer for several popular films, such as Cocktail (1988) and Young Guns (1988).
1990s[]
In 1990, Semler was hired as cinematographer for Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Semler lensed the comedy City Slickers (1991) and the action film Last Action Hero (1993) in the early 1990s. In 1995, Semler again worked with Costner on his film Waterworld. In 1992 Semler was the cinematographer of The Power of One
2000s[]
In the 2000s, Semler was the cinematographer for a range of movies that included comedies (Nutty Professor II: The Klumps from 2000, and Bruce Almighty from 2003), action films (XXX from 2002 and The Alamo from 2004). In the mid-2000s, Semler was the cinematographer for the football comedy The Longest Yard (2005) and Just My Luck (2006). In 2006, Semler worked with Mel Gibson again for the film Apocalypto. Semler's camera work conveyed the beauty of the lush Mesoamerican jungle setting in Apocalypto.
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Where Dead Men Lie | Keith Gow | |
| The Choice | Donald Crombie | Documentary | |
| 1973 | Through My Eyes: Kilkenny Primary School, South Australia |
Documentary; Also camera operator | |
| Through My Eyes: Stradbroke Infants School, South Australia | |||
| One Good Reason | Short film; Also camera operator | ||
| I Need More Staff | Short film | ||
| 1974 | Moving On | Richard Mason | |
| A Steam Train Passes | David Haythornwaite | Documentary short | |
| 1976 | Let the Balloon Go | Oliver Howes | |
| 1977 | Outback Supply | David Haythornwaite | Short film; Also camera operator |
| 1979 | Saturday | Himself | Short film |
| 1980 | War Without Weapons | Curtis Levy | Short film |
| Stepping Out | Chris Noonan | Documentary | |
| 1981 | Hoodwink | Claude Whatham | |
| Mad Max 2 | George Miller | ||
| 1983 | Kitty and the Bagman | Donald Crombie | |
| 1984 | Undercover | David Stevens | |
| Razorback | Russell Mulcahy | ||
| 1985 | Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome | George Miller George Ogilvie |
|
| The Coca-Cola Kid | Dusan Makavejev | ||
| 1987 | Bullseye | Carl Schultz | |
| Going Sane | Michael Robertson | ||
| The Lighthorsemen | Simon Wincer | Also camera operator | |
| 1988 | Cocktail | Roger Donaldson | |
| Young Guns | Christopher Cain | ||
| 1989 | Farewell to the King | John Milius | |
| Dead Calm | Phillip Noyce | ||
| K-9 | Rod Daniel | ||
| 1990 | Impulse | Sondra Locke | |
| Young Guns II | Geoff Murphy | ||
| Dances with Wolves | Kevin Costner | Academy Award for Best Cinematography ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography Nominated- BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography | |
| 1991 | City Slickers | Ron Underwood | |
| 1992 | The Power of One | John G. Avildsen | |
| 1993 | Super Mario Bros. | Rocky Morton Annabel Jankel |
Also second unit director |
| Last Action Hero | John McTiernan | ||
| The Three Musketeers | Stephen Herek | ||
| 1994 | The Cowboy Way | Gregg Champion | |
| 1995 | Waterworld | Kevin Reynolds | |
| 1997 | Gone Fishin' | Christopher Cain | |
| Trojan War | George Huang | ||
| 1999 | The Bone Collector | Phillip Noyce | |
| 2000 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Peter Segal | |
| 2001 | Heartbreakers | David Mirkin | |
| 2002 | D-Tox | Jim Gillespie | |
| Dragonfly | Tom Shadyac | ||
| We Were Soldiers | Randall Wallace | ||
| XXX | Rob Cohen | ||
| 2003 | Bruce Almighty | Tom Shadyac | |
| 2004 | The Alamo | John Lee Hancock | |
| 2005 | The Longest Yard | Peter Segal | |
| Stealth | Rob Cohen | ||
| 2006 | Just My Luck | Donald Petrie | |
| Click | Frank Coraci | ||
| Apocalypto | Mel Gibson | Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography Nominated- Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cinematography Nominated- ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | |
| 2007 | I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry | Dennis Dugan | |
| 2008 | Get Smart | Peter Segal | |
| Appaloosa | Ed Harris | ||
| 2009 | 2012 | Roland Emmerich | |
| 2010 | Date Night | Shawn Levy | |
| Secretariat | Randall Wallace | Nominated- Satellite Award for Best Cinematography | |
| 2011 | In the Land of Blood and Honey | Angelina Jolie | |
| 2012 | Parental Guidance | Andy Fickman | |
| 2013 | Grudge Match | Peter Segal | |
| 2014 | Heaven Is for Real | Randall Wallace | |
| Maleficent | Robert Stromberg | ||
| 2015 | Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 | Andy Fickman | |
| The Last Witch Hunter | Breck Eisner | ||
| The Ridiculous 6 | Frank Coraci | ||
| 2016 | The Do-Over | Steven Brill | |
| 2017 | Sandy Wexler |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Do I Have to Kill My Child? | Donald Crombie | TV movie |
| 1978 | A Good Thing Going | Arch Nicholson | TV movie |
| 1980 | The Russians | TV series documentary | |
| 1983 | The Dismissal | Miniseries; 3 episodes | |
| 1983 | Return to Eden | Karen Arthur | Miniseries |
| 1984 | Bodyline | Miniseries 7 episodes | |
| 1986 | Passion Flower | Joseph Sargent | TV movie |
| 1988 | Great Performances | Rodney Fisher | Episode "Melba" |
| The Clean Machine | Ken Cameron | TV movie |
Directing credits[]
- Firestorm (1998)
- The Patriot (1998)
Other credits[]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Valley of Water | TV movie Floor manager |
| 1973 | The Fifth Facade: The Making of the Sydney Opera House |
Camera operator |
| 1974 | Parent Teacher Interviews | |
| 1977 | Cass | TV movie; Second unit director |
| 1984 | After the Flood | Short film; Camera operator |
| 1989 | Lonesome Dove | TV miniseries; Director of photography: Second unit |
| 2002 | The Adventures of Pluto Nash | Director of photography: Second unit |
| 2008 | Bedtime Stories |
References[]
- ↑ "DEAN SEMLER". www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Dean Semler, ASC, ACS". Murtha Skouras Agency. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "The ASC -- American Cinematographer: ASC Close-Up:". theasc.com. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Allmovie biography by Hal Erickson
- ↑ The Australian Film and Television Companion – Compiled by Tony Harrison, Simon & Schuster, Australia (1994)
External links[]