Dean Semler

Dean Semler
Born	1943 (age 67–68) Renmark, South Australia, Australia
Occupation	Cinematographer

Dean Semler, A.C.S., A.S.C. (born 1943) is an Australian cinematographer. Over his career, he has worked as a cinematographer, camera operator, director, second unit director, and assistant director.

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. 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.

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”^[1] 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 Thunderdome (1985). Semler was also a cinematographer for the acclaimed Australian miniseries Bodyline (1984).^[2] 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 the expensive commercial flop Waterworld.

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.

Selected filmography

• A Steam Train Passes (1974)
• Let the Balloon Go – (Director of Photography / 1976)
• A Good Thing Going - (Director of Photography / 1978)
• Stepping Out – (Director of Photography / 1980)
• The Earthling – (Camera Operator / 1980 / Roadshow Films)
• Hoodwink – (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)
• Razorback – (Director of Photography / 1984 / Warner Home Video)
• Undercover – (Director of Photography / 1984 / Roadshow Films)
• Bodyline (Cinematographer / 1984)
• Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome – (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 Guns – (Director of Photography / 1988 / Released / 20th Century Fox)
• Dead Calm – (Director of Photography / 1989 / Warner Home Video)
• Farewell to the King – (Director of Photography and camera operator / 1989 / Orion Home Video)
• K-9 – (Director of Photography / 1989 / United International Pictures)
• Dances with Wolves – (Director of Photography / 1990 / Orion Home Video)
• Young Guns II – (Director of Photography / 1990 / 20th Century Fox)
• City Slickers – (Director of Photography / 1991 / Sony Pictures Releasing)
• Last Action Hero – (Director of Photography / 1993 / Sony Pictures Releasing)
• Super Mario Bros. (Director (Uncredited) / 1993 / Hollywood Pictures)
• Babe – (Special Thanks / 1995 / Universal Pictures)
• Waterworld – (Director of Photography / 1995 / United International Pictures)
• Trojan War – (Director of Photography / 1997 / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group)
• Firestorm – (Director / 1998 / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
• The Bone Collector – (Director of Photography / 1999 / Universal Pictures)
• Heartbreakers – (Director of Photography / 2001 / MGM Distribution Company)
• The Adventures of Pluto Nash – (Director of Photography (Los Angeles) / 2002 / Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution)
• We Were Soldiers – (Director of Photography / 2002 / Paramount Pictures)
• xXx – (Director of Photography / 2002 / Sony Pictures Releasing)
• Bruce Almighty – (Director of Photography / 2003 / Universal Pictures Distribution)
• The Alamo – (Director of Photography / 2004 / Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment)
• The Longest Yard – (Director of Photography / 2005 / Paramount Home Entertainment)
• Apocalypto – (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)
• Appaloosa – (Director of Photography / 2008 / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group)
• Get Smart – (Director of Photography / 2008 / Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group)
• 2012 – (Director of Photography / 2009 / Sony Pictures Releasing)
• Secretariat - (Director of Photography / 2010 / Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group)

References

1. ^ Allmovie biography by Hal Erickson
2. ^ The Australian Film and Television Companion — Compiled by Tony Harrison, Simon & Schuster, Australia (1994)

External links

• Dean Semler at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Semler, Dean
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1943
Place of birth	Renmark, South Australia, Australia
Date of death
Place of death