BPS 391: Lighting for David Fincher & Michael Mann with Erik Messerschmidt

Award-winning director of photography Erik Messerschmidt, ASC has a
natural eye for arresting and spellbinding images, thriving in a
role that allows him to combine his love of art, craft and science.
Recently, he lensed Devotion for director J.D. Dillard, based on
the real-life story of a Black naval officer who befriends a white
naval officer during the Korean War, with both becoming heroes for
their selfless acts of bravery.He also is currently shooting
Michael Mann’s biographical film Ferrari, starring Adam Driver,
Shailene Woodley, and Penélope Cruz, and recently completed
shooting David Fincher’s The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender
and Tilda Swinton.

Previously, Messerschmidt shot Fincher’s passion project Mank,
chronicling the screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz’s turbulent journey
to write Citizen Kane alongside Orson Welles. Messerschmidt’s
meticulous and striking black and white recreation of the period’s
aesthetic earned him the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, an
ASC Award for Outstanding Cinematography in a Feature Film, a BSC
Award for Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Release, a
BAFTA Award nomination for Best Cinematography, as well as Best
Cinematography award nominations from the San Francisco Bay Area
Film Critics Circle, the Broadcast Film Critics Association Critics
Choice, and the Alliance of Women Film Journalists.In addition,
Messerschmidt co-lensed several episodes of the HBO Max original
series Raised by Wolves from producer Ridley Scott. He also shot
the first and second seasons of Fincher’s hit thriller series
Mindhunter for Netflix, earning a 2020 Emmy Award nomination for
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (one-hour)
for episode 206.

With a background in the fine arts world, Messerschmidt honed his
skills while working with such renowned cinematographers such as
Dariusz Wolski, ASC, Jeff Cronenweth, ASC, Phedon Papamichael, ASC,
Claudio Miranda, ASC, and Greig Fraser, ASC. Messerschmidt now
lives in Los Angeles and is a member of IATSE Local 600. He is
represented by DDA.

Enjoy my conversation with Erik Messerschmidt.

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