09/14/1948
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA:
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).
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Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015) Second Unit Director |
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Night of the Living Deb (2015) Director of Photography |
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Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) Director of Photography |
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Mardi Gras: Spring Break (2011) Director of Photography |
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Hop (2011) Second Unit Director of Photography |
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Hop (2011) Second Unit Director |
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Fired Up! (2009) Director of Photography |
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Infestation (2009) Director of Photography |
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Superhero Movie (2008) Director of Photography |
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Balls of Fury (2007) Director of Photography |
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Scary Movie 4 (2006) Director of Photography |
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The Benchwarmers (2006) Director of Photography |
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Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2006) Director of Photography |
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Are We There Yet? (2005) Director of Photography |
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Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004) Director of Photography |
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Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) Director of Photography |
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Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003) Director of Photography |
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The Battle of Shaker Heights (2003) Director of Photography |
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Los Zafiros: Music from the Edge of Time (2003) Producer |
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Los Zafiros: Music from the Edge of Time (2003) Cinematography |
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Snow Dogs (2002) Director of Photography |
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Rat Race (2001) Director of Photography |
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The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000) Director of Photography |
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Beautiful Joe (2000) Director of Photography |
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The Muse (1999) Director of Photography |
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My Favorite Martian (1999) Director of Photography |
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George of the Jungle (1997) Director of Photography |
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The Eighteenth Angel (1997) Director of Photography |
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Jumanji (1995) Director of Photography |
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Baby's Day Out (1994) Director of Photography |
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Dennis the Menace (1993) Director of Photography |
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True Identity (1991) Director of Photography |
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National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) Director of Photography |
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Moonwalker (1988) Director of Photography |
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Beetlejuice (1988) Director of Photography |
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Inside Out (1987) Second Unit Director of Photography |
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Back to School (1986) Director of Photography |
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Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985) Director of Photography |
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Frankenweenie (1984) Director of Photography |
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Roadhouse 66 (1984) Director of Photography |
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The Gift of Life (1982) Camera Operator |
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One from the Heart (1982) Camera Operator |
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Foxfire Light (1982) Director of Photography |
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Talmage Farlow (1981) Cinematography |
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New Year's Evil (1980) Director of Photography |
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The Great Smokey Roadblock (1978) Camera Operator |