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Thomas E. 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).

Camera

Night of the Living Deb

2015

Director of Photography

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

2011

Director of Photography

Mardi Gras: Spring Break

2011

Director of Photography

Hop

2011

Second Unit Director of Photography

Fired Up!

2009

Director of Photography

Infestation

2009

Director of Photography

Superhero Movie

2008

Director of Photography

Balls of Fury

2007

Director of Photography

Scary Movie 4

2006

Director of Photography

The Benchwarmers

2006

Director of Photography

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World

2006

Director of Photography

Are We There Yet?

2005

Director of Photography

Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie

2004

Director of Photography

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

2004

Director of Photography

Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star

2003

Director of Photography

The Battle of Shaker Heights

2003

Director of Photography

CinéMagique

2002

Director of Photography

Snow Dogs

2002

Director of Photography

Rat Race

2001

Director of Photography

The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle

2000

Director of Photography

Beautiful Joe

2000

Director of Photography

My Favorite Martian

1999

Director of Photography

The Muse

1999

Director of Photography

George of the Jungle

1997

Director of Photography

The Eighteenth Angel

1997

Director of Photography

Jumanji

1995

Director of Photography

Baby's Day Out

1994

Director of Photography

Dennis the Menace

1993

Director of Photography

True Identity

1991

Director of Photography

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

1989

Director of Photography

Moonwalker

1988

Director of Photography

Beetlejuice

1988

Director of Photography

Inside Out

1987

Second Unit Director of Photography

Back to School

1986

Director of Photography

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

1985

Director of Photography

Roadhouse 66

1984

Director of Photography

The Gift of Life

1982

Camera Operator

One from the Heart

1982

Camera Operator

Foxfire Light

1982

Director of Photography

New Year's Evil

1980

Director of Photography

The Great Smokey Roadblock

1978

Camera Operator