Erik Messerschmidt

Erik Messerschmidt, ASC, is an American cinematographer. He is best known for his collaborations with director David Fincher on the films Mank (as director of photography) and Gone Girl (as gaffer), and on the Netflix series Mindhunter. He has also shot episodes of the TV series Legion, Raised by Wolves, and Fargo.[1]

Erik Messerschmidt
Born
Portland, Maine
NationalityAmerican
Alma materEmerson College
OccupationCinematographer
Years active2001–present
OrganizationAmerican Society of Cinematographers
Spouse(s)
Naiara Eizaguirre-Paulos
​
​
(m. 2020)​
WebsiteOfficial website

Personal life

Messerschmidt grew up near Portland, Maine. He studied film production at Emerson College in Boston, where he was a classmate of filmmaker Jeremiah Zagar and served as co-director of photography on Zagar's award winning indie documentary In a Dream (2008).[2] In May 2020, he married Naiara Eizaguirre-Paulos.[3][4]

Career

After relocating to Los Angeles, Messerschmidt served as gaffer on TV series such as Bones, Mad Men, and Everybody Hates Chris. He also gained experience as a director of photography during this time, shooting commercials, short films, and documentaries. Messerschmidt had a working relationship with cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, who recommended him to director David Fincher. Fincher hired Messerschmidt as gaffer on Gone Girl and, later, as director of photography for most episodes of Mindhunter and for Mank.[5] With Mindhunter, Messerschmidt explained the color palette, "has a desaturated green-yellow look... [it] helps give the show its period feel". He stated the effect is achieved through production design, costumes and filming locations—not necessarily through lighting used on set.[6][7]

Awards and recognition

In 2009, Messerschmidt and Mark Stetz were nominated for a Golden Frog Award at Camerimage, The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, for their work on In a Dream.[8]

On February 5, 2020, Messerschmidt was admitted as a member of the American Society of Cinematographers.[5] On July 28, 2020, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on Episode 6 of the Netflix series Mindhunter's second season, in the category Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour).[9] The award went to M. David Mullen for "It’s Comedy or Cabbage," an episode of Amazon Studios' The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.[10]

Selected Filmography
Year Title Credited as Notes
2020 Mank Director of photography Film[11][12][13]
Raised by Wolves Director of photography 4 episodes, Season 1
Fargo Director of photography 1 episode, Season 4
2018–2019 Legion Director of photography 2 episodes
2017–2019 Mindhunter Director of photography 16 episodes, Seasons 1 & 2
2014 Gone Girl Gaffer Film
2008 In a Dream Cinematography by (shared credit) Film
2006–2012 Bones Gaffer 112 episodes, Seasons 2–7
2005–2006 Everybody Hates Chris Gaffer 22 episodes, Seasons 1 & 2

References
  1. "Erik Messerschmidt, ASC, Director of Photography" (PDF). DDA Talent. DDA. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  2. "Spotlight on gaffer Erik Messerschmidt". Arri. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  3. "Un paseo de 'désescalade', el Viggo de Celta y planeta Naiara". El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). June 27, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  4. "Nnanook on Instagram: "Ya es oficial !!! Nos hemos casado via "zoom". 80 invitados de todas las partes del mundo, desde Sydney a Sudáfrica pasando por Nueva…"". Instagram. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  5. "ASC Welcomes Erik Messerschmidt as a New Active Member". The American Society of Cinematographers. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  6. Nedomansky, Vashi; ACE. "David Fincher: Into The Darkness | VashiVisuals Blog". Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  7. O'Falt, Chris (October 19, 2017). "From 'Zodiac' to 'Mindhunter': 5 Visual Elements that Define David Fincher's Cinematic Universe". IndieWire. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  8. Camerimage Awards
  9. Desowitz, Bill (21 August 2020). "'Mindhunter': Expanding the Visual Aesthetic for Season 2's Atlanta Child Murders". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  10. "72nd Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners: Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour)". Emmys. Television Academy. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  11. Sharf, Zack (June 12, 2020). "'Mank' Producer Says Fincher's New Film Feels Like a 1930s Movie: 'It's an Incredible Piece'". IndieWire. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  12. "Nine Inch Nails: 9 Things We Learned from Our Visit to Trent Reznor's Studio". Revolver. December 23, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  13. Chitwood, Adam (September 5, 2020). "First 'Mank' Images Reveal David Fincher's Netflix Movie About the Making of 'Citizen Kane'". Collider. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.