Dean Semler
Encyclopedia
Dean Semler, A.C.S., A.S.C. (born 1943) is an Australia
n cinematographer
. Over his career, he has worked as a cinematographer, camera operator
, director, second unit director, and assistant director
.
, 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
. In the mid-1970s, he was the cinematographer for A Steam Train Passes
(1974); Moving On (1974); and Let the Balloon Go (1976). In the late 1970s, he was the cinematographer for A Good Thing Going (1978). 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
.
(1985). Semler was also a cinematographer for the acclaimed Australian miniseries Bodyline
(1984). In the late 1980s, Semler was the cinematographer for several popular films, such as Cocktail
(1988) and Young Guns
(1988).
'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 the expensive commercial flop Waterworld
.
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.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
. Over his career, he has worked as a cinematographer, camera operator
Camera operator
A camera operator or cameraman is a professional operator of a film or video camera. In filmmaking, the leading cameraman is usually called a cinematographer, while a cameraman in a video production may be known as a television camera operator, video camera operator, or videographer, depending on...
, director, second unit director, and assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
.
Early years
Semler was born in RenmarkRenmark, South Australia
Renmark is a town in South Australia's rural Riverland area, and is located 254 km northeast of Adelaide, on the banks of the River Murray. The Sturt Highway between Adelaide and Sydney runs through the town; Renmark is the last major town encountered in South Australia when driving this route. It...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. His first work in the production industry was as a camera operator at a local television station
NWS-9
NWS is an Australian television station owned by the WIN Corporation which is based in Adelaide, Australia. The station's name, NWS is an acronym of The NeWs South Australia.-Origins:...
. Later, he began making documentary and educational films for Film Australia
Film Australia
Film Australia was a company established by the Government of Australia to produce films about Australia. Its mission was to create an audio-visual record of Australian culture, through the commissioning, distribution and management of programs that deal with matters of national interest or...
. In the mid-1970s, he was the cinematographer for A Steam Train Passes
A Steam Train Passes
A Steam Train Passes is an award winning Australian 1974 short film set in the 1940s, featuring the construction and operation of locomotive 3801.- Plot :...
(1974); Moving On (1974); and Let the Balloon Go (1976). In the late 1970s, he was the cinematographer for A Good Thing Going (1978). 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
Ken Quinnell
Ken Quinnell is a screenwriter and director.He has a background in publishing and freelance journalism including working for Screen International and Rolling Stone. He was a member of the WEA Film Study Group in the 1960s where he met writers Michael Thornhill and Frank Moorhouse...
.
1980s
Semler was the cinematographer for Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981). Semler’s vast panoramic shots of the Australian Outback’s deserts “...convincingly conveyed a parched, dusty, post-apocalyptic world” and led to international attention for his work. Semler also acted as cinematographer for the follow-up film to Mad Max 2, Mad Max Beyond ThunderdomeMad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a 1985 Australian post-apocalyptic film directed by George Miller and George Ogilvie, written by Miller, Doug Mitchell and Terry Hayes, and starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. It is the third installment in the action movie Mad Max franchise...
(1985). Semler was also a cinematographer for the acclaimed Australian miniseries Bodyline
Bodyline (miniseries)
Bodyline is an Australian 1984 television miniseries which dramatised the events of the 1932–1933 English Ashes cricket tour of Australia....
(1984). In the late 1980s, Semler was the cinematographer for several popular films, such as Cocktail
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
(1988) and Young Guns
Young Guns
Young Guns is a 1988 action/western film, directed by Christopher Cain and written by John Fusco. The film was the first to be produced by Morgan Creek Productions...
(1988).
1990s
In 1990, Semler was hired as cinematographer for Kevin CostnerKevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
's Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake and tells the story of a Union Army Lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a...
, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
. Semler lensed the comedy City Slickers
City Slickers
City Slickers is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Helen Slater and Jack Palance. Palance won an Academy Award for his performance....
(1991) and the action film Last Action Hero
Last Action Hero
Last Action Hero is a 1993 American action-comedy-fantasy film directed and produced by John McTiernan. It is a satire of the action genre and its clichés, containing several parodies of action films in the form of films within the film....
(1993) in the early 1990s. In 1995 Semler again worked with Costner on the expensive commercial flop Waterworld
Waterworld
Waterworld is a 1995 post-apocalyptic science fiction film. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It is based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it. It was distributed by Universal Pictures...
.
2000s
In the 2000s, Semler was the cinematographer for a range of movies that included comedies (Nutty Professor II: The KlumpsNutty Professor II: The Klumps
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps is a 2000 comedy film directed by Peter Segal. It is the sequel to the 1996 film The Nutty Professor and stars Eddie Murphy and Janet Jackson. Murphy plays not only the inept but brilliant scientist, Sherman Klump, as in the first film, but also most of Sherman's...
from 2000, and Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. It stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck TV reporter who complains to God that He isn't doing His job correctly, and is then offered the chance to try...
from 2003), action films (xXx
XXX
XXX may refer to:* The number 30 in Roman numerals* The year 30 AD* Games of the XXX Olympiad, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England* Super Bowl XXX, held on January 28, 1996* A mark indicating "extra strong"* Alcoholic beverages...
from 2002 and The Alamo
The Alamo (2004 film)
The Alamo is a 2004 American war film about the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. The film was directed by Texan John Lee Hancock, produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Mark Johnson, and distributed by Touchstone Pictures....
from 2004). In the mid-2000s, Semler was the cinematographer for the football comedy The Longest Yard
The Longest Yard (2005 film)
The Longest Yard is a 2005 American sports comedy film remake of the 1974 film of the same name. Adam Sandler plays the protagonist, Paul Crewe, a disgraced former professional football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, who is coerced to form a team from the prison inmates to play...
(2005) and Just My Luck (2006). In 2006, Semler worked with Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
again for the film Apocalypto
Apocalypto
Apocalypto is a 2006 American epic action-adventure film directed by Mel Gibson. Set in Yucatan, Mexico, during the declining period of the Maya civilization, Apocalypto depicts the journey of a Mesoamerican tribesman who must escape human sacrifice and rescue his family after the capture and...
. Semler's camera work conveyed the beauty of the lush Mesoamerican jungle setting in Apocalypto.
Selected filmography
- A Steam Train PassesA Steam Train PassesA Steam Train Passes is an award winning Australian 1974 short film set in the 1940s, featuring the construction and operation of locomotive 3801.- Plot :...
(1974) - Let the Balloon Go – (Director of Photography / 1976)
- A Good Thing GoingA Good Thing GoingA Good Thing Going is a 1978 Australian television film directed by Arch Nicholson. It stars John Hargreaves and won four Logie Awards.-Plot:Phil Harris spends more time with his best friend, Terry than with his wife and children...
- (Director of Photography / 1978) - Stepping Out – (Director of Photography / 1980)
- The EarthlingThe EarthlingThe Earthling is a drama film starring William Holden and Rick Schroder. It was filmed in 1979 in Australia, and released there in 1980. Peter Collinson directed this film and died of cancer shortly after its release...
– (Camera Operator / 1980 / Roadshow Films) - HoodwinkHoodwink (1981 film)Hoodwink is a 1981 Australian thriller film directed by Claude Whatham and written by Ken Quinnell. It stars John Hargreaves and Judy Davis. The film is based on the true story of a well-publicized Australian con artist...
– (Director of Photography / 1981) - The Road Warrior – (Director of Photography / 1981 / Roadshow Films)
- In Memory of Malawan – (Director of Photography / 1983 / Released / Australian Film Commission)
- RazorbackRazorback (film)Razorback is a 1984 Australian film, based on Peter Brennan's novel, written by Everett De Roche, and directed by Russell Mulcahy who would later make the first two of the Highlander trilogy...
– (Director of Photography / 1984 / Warner Home Video) - Undercover – (Director of Photography / 1984 / Roadshow Films)
- BodylineBodyline (miniseries)Bodyline is an Australian 1984 television miniseries which dramatised the events of the 1932–1933 English Ashes cricket tour of Australia....
(Cinematographer / 1984) - Mad Max Beyond ThunderdomeMad Max Beyond ThunderdomeMad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a 1985 Australian post-apocalyptic film directed by George Miller and George Ogilvie, written by Miller, Doug Mitchell and Terry Hayes, and starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. It is the third installment in the action movie Mad Max franchise...
– (Director of Photography / 1985 / Warner Home Video) - Going Sane – (Director of Photography / 1986 / Australian Films International)
- Cocktail – (Director of Photography / 1988 / Touchstone Pictures Home Video)
- Young GunsYoung GunsYoung Guns is a 1988 action/western film, directed by Christopher Cain and written by John Fusco. The film was the first to be produced by Morgan Creek Productions...
– (Director of Photography / 1988 / Released / 20th Century Fox) - Dead CalmDead Calm (film)Dead Calm is a 1989 thriller film starring Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane. It was based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Williams...
– (Director of Photography / 1989 / Warner Home Video) - Farewell to the KingFarewell to the KingFarewell to the King is a 1989 film written and directed by John Milius. It stars Nigel Havers, Frank McRae, Gerry Lopez and Nick Nolte, and is based on the 1969 novel L'Adieu au Roi by Pierre Schoendoerffer. Longtime Milius collaborator Basil Poledouris composed the musical score...
– (Director of Photography and camera operator / 1989 / Orion Home Video) - K-9K-9 (film)K-9 is a 1989 American action comedy film starring James Belushi and Mel Harris. Directed by Rod Daniel and written by Steven Siegel and Scott Myers, it was produced by Lawrence Gordon and Charles Gordon, and released by Universal City Studios...
– (Director of Photography / 1989 / United International Pictures) - Dances with WolvesDances with WolvesDances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake and tells the story of a Union Army Lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a...
– (Director of Photography / 1990 / Orion Home Video) - Young Guns IIYoung Guns IIYoung Guns II is a 1990 western film, and the sequel to Young Guns . It stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, and features William Petersen as Pat Garrett. It was written and produced by John Fusco and directed by Geoff Murphy.It follows the life of...
– (Director of Photography / 1990 / 20th Century Fox) - City SlickersCity SlickersCity Slickers is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Helen Slater and Jack Palance. Palance won an Academy Award for his performance....
– (Director of Photography / 1991 / Sony Pictures Releasing) - Last Action HeroLast Action HeroLast Action Hero is a 1993 American action-comedy-fantasy film directed and produced by John McTiernan. It is a satire of the action genre and its clichés, containing several parodies of action films in the form of films within the film....
– (Director of Photography / 1993 / Sony Pictures Releasing) - Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros. (film)Super Mario Bros. is a 1993 American action film directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel. Based on the Super Mario Bros.video game and its entire franchise, the film features Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper and Samantha Mathis. It tells the story of the Mario brothers, Mario and...
(Director (Uncredited) / 1993 / Hollywood Pictures) - BabeBabe (film)Babe is a 1995 Australian-American film directed by Chris Noonan. It is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Sheep-Pig, also known as Babe: The Gallant Pig in the United States, by Dick King-Smith and tells the story of a pig who wants to be a sheepdog...
– (Special Thanks / 1995 / Universal Pictures) - WaterworldWaterworldWaterworld is a 1995 post-apocalyptic science fiction film. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It is based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it. It was distributed by Universal Pictures...
– (Director of Photography / 1995 / United International Pictures) - Trojan WarTrojan War (film)Trojan War is a 1997 romantic comedy directed by George Huang. It stars Will Friedle, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Marley Shelton.-Plot:High school student Brad has had an unrequited crush on a classmate named Brooke for years. After she asks him to come over one night to tutor her, she ends up...
– (Director of Photography / 1997 / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group) - FirestormFirestorm (film)Firestorm is a 1998 action thriller film directed by Dean Semler, and starring Howie Long, Scott Glenn, William Forsythe and Suzy Amis.-Plot summary:...
– (Director / 1998 / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) - The Bone CollectorThe Bone CollectorThe Bone Collector is a 1999 thriller film starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, directed by Phillip Noyce and produced by Martin Bregman....
– (Director of Photography / 1999 / Universal Pictures) - Heartbreakers – (Director of Photography / 2001 / MGM Distribution Company)
- The Adventures of Pluto NashThe Adventures of Pluto NashThe Adventures of Pluto Nash is a 2002 science fiction comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Eddie Murphy as the owner of a lunar nightclub investigating who was behind the arson that destroyed his club...
– (Director of Photography (Los Angeles) / 2002 / Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution) - We Were SoldiersWe Were SoldiersWe Were Soldiers is a 2002 American war film that dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965. The film was directed by Randall Wallace and stars Mel Gibson. It is based on the book We Were Soldiers Once… And Young by Lieutenant General Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L...
– (Director of Photography / 2002 / Paramount Pictures) - xXxXXXXXX may refer to:* The number 30 in Roman numerals* The year 30 AD* Games of the XXX Olympiad, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England* Super Bowl XXX, held on January 28, 1996* A mark indicating "extra strong"* Alcoholic beverages...
– (Director of Photography / 2002 / Sony Pictures Releasing) - Bruce AlmightyBruce AlmightyBruce Almighty is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. It stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck TV reporter who complains to God that He isn't doing His job correctly, and is then offered the chance to try...
– (Director of Photography / 2003 / Universal Pictures Distribution) - The AlamoThe Alamo (2004 film)The Alamo is a 2004 American war film about the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. The film was directed by Texan John Lee Hancock, produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Mark Johnson, and distributed by Touchstone Pictures....
– (Director of Photography / 2004 / Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment) - The Longest YardThe Longest Yard (2005 film)The Longest Yard is a 2005 American sports comedy film remake of the 1974 film of the same name. Adam Sandler plays the protagonist, Paul Crewe, a disgraced former professional football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, who is coerced to form a team from the prison inmates to play...
– (Director of Photography / 2005 / Paramount Home Entertainment) - ApocalyptoApocalyptoApocalypto is a 2006 American epic action-adventure film directed by Mel Gibson. Set in Yucatan, Mexico, during the declining period of the Maya civilization, Apocalypto depicts the journey of a Mesoamerican tribesman who must escape human sacrifice and rescue his family after the capture and...
– (Director of Photography / 2006 / Buena Vista Pictures Distribution) - Click – (Director of Photography / 2006 / Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry – (Director of Photography / 2007 / Universal Pictures Distribution)
- AppaloosaAppaloosa (film)Appaloosa is a 2008 American Western film based on the 2005 novel of the same name by crime writer Robert B. Parker. The film was directed by Ed Harris and co-written by Harris and Robert Knott. Appaloosa stars Harris alongside Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger and Jeremy Irons...
– (Director of Photography / 2008 / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group) - Get SmartGet SmartGet Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
– (Director of Photography / 2008 / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group) - 20122012 (film)2012 is a 2009 American disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich. It stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson. It was produced by Emmerich's production company, Centropolis Entertainment and was distributed by Columbia Pictures...
– (Director of Photography / 2009 / Sony Pictures Releasing) - SecretariatSecretariat (film)Secretariat is a 2010 biographical film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures, and directed by Randall Wallace. The film chronicles the life of thoroughbred race horse Secretariat, winner of the Triple Crown in 1973...
- (Director of Photography / 2010 / Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group)