Thomas E. Ackerman

Thomas E. Ackerman

  • Birthday: 1948-09-14
  • Place of birth: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
  • Also know as: Thomas Ackerman

Biography

Cinematographer Thomas Ackerman was born on 14 September, 1948 at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and enrolled in the University of Iowa, where he took a cinema course. He was hired by the university to shoot football games and training films for its School of Dentistry. In 1968 he went to work for Oscar-winning filmmaker Charles Guggenheim, who became his mentor. After a stint in the US Air Force he went back to work for Guggenheim in Washington, DC. He moved to Los Angeles in 1973, hooked up with his Air Force buddy Mike Robeand was hired as a camera operator on a succession of Hollywood films, includingFrancis Ford Coppola's One from the Heart (1981). He was director of photography onBeetlejuice (1988) for director Tim Burton (for whom Ackerman had previously shotFrankenweenie (1984)). In addition to cinematographer, he has also served as a second-unit director, notably onAlvin and the Chipmunks (2007) and Furry Vengeance (2010).

Production

George of the Jungle

1997

As Director of Photography

Beetlejuice

1988

As Director of Photography

Scary Movie 4

2006

As Director of Photography

Baby's Day Out

1994

As Director of Photography

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

1989

As Director of Photography

Are We There Yet?

2005

As Director of Photography

Snow Dogs

2002

As Director of Photography

Superhero Movie

2008

As Director of Photography

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

2004

As Director of Photography

Dennis the Menace

1993

As Director of Photography

Jumanji

1995

As Director of Photography

Balls of Fury

2007

As Director of Photography

Rat Race

2001

As Director of Photography

Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie

2004

As Director of Photography

The Benchwarmers

2006

As Director of Photography

Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star

2003

As Director of Photography

True Identity

1991

As Director of Photography

Mardi Gras: Spring Break

2011

As Director of Photography

Back to School

1986

As Director of Photography

The Great Smokey Roadblock

1978

As Camera Operator

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

2011

As Director of Photography

New Year's Evil

1980

As Director of Photography

The Gift of Life

1982

As Camera Operator

Roadhouse 66

1984

As Director of Photography

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

1985

As Director of Photography

Foxfire Light

1982

As Director of Photography

One from the Heart

1982

As Camera Operator

Inside Out

1986

As Second Unit Director of Photography

My Favorite Martian

1999

As Director of Photography

The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle

2000

As Director of Photography

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World

2006

As Director of Photography

The Muse

1999

As Director of Photography

The Eighteenth Angel

1997

As Director of Photography

Infestation

2009

As Director of Photography

Beautiful Joe

2000

As Director of Photography

The Battle of Shaker Heights

2003

As Director of Photography

Night of the Living Deb

2015

As Director of Photography

Hop

2011

As Second Unit Director of Photography

CinéMagique

2002

As Director of Photography

Frankenweenie

1984

As Cinematography

Talmage Farlow

1981

As Cinematography

Moonwalker

1988

As Cinematography

Fired Up!

2009

As Cinematography

Hop

2011

As Second Unit Director

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip

2015

As Second Unit Director

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