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{{Short description|Australian cinematographer and film director}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dean Semler
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|AM}}
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Dean William Semler
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1943|5|26}}
| birth_place = [[Renmark, South Australia]], Australia
| nationality = Australian
| alma_mater =
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Cinematographer
* film director
}}
| years_active = 1971–present
| organization = [[Australian Cinematographers Society]] [[American Society of Cinematographers]]
| known_for = ''[[Mad Max 2|Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior]]'' ''[[Razorback (film)|Razorback]]'' ''[[Dances with Wolves]]'' ''[[Dead Calm (film)|Dead Calm]]'' ''[[Apocalypto]]''
| title =
| spouse = Anne Stockman
| awards = '''[[Academy Award for Best Cinematography]]''' 1991 ''[[Dances with Wolves]]''

'''[[AACTA Award for Best Cinematography]]''' 1975 ''[[A Steam Train Passes]]'' 1984 ''[[Razorback (film)|Razorback]]'' 1989 ''[[Dead Calm (film)|Dead Calm]]''
}}

'''Dean Semler''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AM}} [[Australian Cinematographers Society|ACS]] [[American Society of Cinematographers|ASC]] (born 26 May 1943) is an Australian [[cinematographer]] and [[film director]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cinematographers.nl/PaginasDoPh/semler.htm|title=DEAN SEMLER|website=www.cinematographers.nl|access-date=2018-02-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.murthaskouras.com/members/dean-semler-asc-acs/|title=Dean Semler, ASC, ACS|work=Murtha Skouras Agency|access-date=2018-02-10}}</ref> Over his career, he has worked as a cinematographer, [[camera operator]], director, second unit director, and [[assistant director]]. He is a three-time recipient of the [[AACTA Award for Best Cinematography]] and an [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Academy Award]] winner. He is a member of both the [[Australian Cinematographers Society]] (ACS) and the [[American Society of Cinematographers]] (ASC).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theasc.com/ac_magazine/June2011/ASCClose-Up/page1.html|title=The ASC -- American Cinematographer: ASC Close-Up|website=theasc.com|access-date=2018-02-10}}</ref> In 2002 he was appointed a [[Order of Australia|Member of the Order of Australia]] (AM).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dean William Semler|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1132322|access-date=2020-07-25|website=Australian Honours Search Facility, Dept of Prime Minister and Cabinet}}</ref>

==Life and career==
===Early years===
Semler was born in [[Renmark, South Australia|Renmark]], South Australia. His first work in the production industry was as a camera operator at a [[NWS-9|local television station]]. Later, he began making documentary and educational films for [[Film Australia]]. He was the cinematographer for ''[[A Steam Train Passes]]'' (1974), ''Moving On'' (1974), ''[[Let the Balloon Go]]'' (1976), and ''A Good Thing Going'' (1978).

===1980s===
His first film was ''Stepping Out'', in 1980. Allmovie praised his "stunning work" on the film ''[[Hoodwink (1981 film)|Hoodwink]]'' (1981) with a screen play by [[Ken Quinnell]]. Semler was also the cinematographer for ''[[Mad Max 2]]'' (1981). Semler's vast panoramic shots of the Australian Outback's deserts "...convincingly conveyed a parched, dusty, post-apocalyptic world"<ref>Allmovie biography by Hal Erickson</ref> and led to international attention for his work. Semler also acted as cinematographer for the follow-up film to ''The Road Warrior'', ''[[Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome]]'' (1985). Semler was also a cinematographer for the acclaimed Australian miniseries ''[[Bodyline (miniseries)|Bodyline]]'' (1984).<ref>The Australian Film and Television Companion – Compiled by Tony Harrison, Simon & Schuster, Australia (1994)</ref> In the late 1980s, Semler was the cinematographer for several popular films, such as ''[[Cocktail (1988 film)|Cocktail]]'' (1988) and ''[[Young Guns (film)|Young Guns]]'' (1988).

===1990s===
In 1989, Semler was hired as cinematographer for [[Kevin Costner]]'s ''[[Dances with Wolves]]'' (1990), for which he won an [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography]]. Semler lensed the comedy ''[[City Slickers]]'' (1991) and the action film ''[[Last Action Hero]]'' (1993) in the early 1990s. In 1995, Semler again worked with Costner on his film ''[[Waterworld]]''.
In 1992 Semler was the cinematographer of The Power of One.

===2000s===
In the 2000s, Semler was the cinematographer for a range of movies that included comedies (''[[Nutty Professor II: The Klumps]]'' from 2000, and ''[[Bruce Almighty]]'' from 2003), action films (''[[XXX (2002 film)|XXX]]'' from 2002 and ''[[The Alamo (2004 film)|The Alamo]]'' from 2004). In the mid-2000s, Semler was the cinematographer for the football comedy '' [[The Longest Yard (2005 film)|The Longest Yard]]'' (2005) and ''[[Just My Luck (2006 film)|Just My Luck]]'' (2006). In 2006, Semler worked with [[Mel Gibson]] again for the film ''[[Apocalypto]]''. Semler's camera work conveyed the beauty of the lush Mesoamerican jungle setting in ''Apocalypto''.

==Filmography==
===Documentary film===
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Director
! Notes
|-
| 1971
| ''The Choice''
|rowspan=3| [[Donald Crombie]]
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1973
| ''Through My Eyes: Kilkenny Primary School, South Australia''
|rowspan=2| Also camera operator
|-
| ''Through My Eyes: Stradbroke Infants School, South Australia''
|-
| 1974
| ''[[A Steam Train Passes]]''
| David Haythornwaite
| Documentary short
|-
| 1980
| ''Stepping Out''
| [[Chris Noonan]]
|
|-
|}

===Short film===
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Director
! Notes
|-
|rowspan=2| 1973
| ''One Good Reason''
|rowspan=2| Donald Crombie
| Also camera operator
|-
| ''I Need More Staff''
|
|-
| 1977
| ''Outback Supply''
| David Haythornwaite
| Also camera operator
|-
| 1979
| ''Saturday''
| Himself
|
|-
| 1980
| ''War Without Weapons''
| Curtis Levy
|
|-
|}

===Feature film===
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Director
! Notes
|-
| 1971
| ''Where Dead Men Lie''
| Keith Gow
|
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Moving On (1974 film)|Moving On]]''
| [[Richard Mason (film producer)|Richard Mason]]
|
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Let the Balloon Go]]''
| Oliver Howes
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1981
| ''[[Hoodwink (1981 film)|Hoodwink]]''
| [[Claude Whatham]]
|
|-
| ''[[Mad Max 2]]''
| [[George Miller (director)|George Miller]]
|
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Kitty and the Bagman]]''
| Donald Crombie
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1984
| ''[[Undercover (1983 film)|Undercover]]''
| [[David Stevens (screenwriter)|David Stevens]]
|
|-
| ''[[Razorback (film)|Razorback]]''
| [[Russell Mulcahy]]
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1985
| ''[[Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome]]''
| George Miller [[George Ogilvie]]
|
|-
| ''[[The Coca-Cola Kid]]''
| [[Dusan Makavejev]]
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 1987
| ''[[Bullseye (1987 film)|Bullseye]]''
| [[Carl Schultz]]
|
|-
| ''[[Going Sane]]''
| [[Michael Robertson (filmmaker)|Michael Robertson]]
|
|-
| ''[[The Lighthorsemen (film)|The Lighthorsemen]]''
| [[Simon Wincer]]
| Also camera operator
|-
|rowspan=2| 1988
| ''[[Cocktail (1988 film)|Cocktail]]''
| [[Roger Donaldson]]
|
|-
| ''[[Young Guns (film)|Young Guns]]''
| [[Christopher Cain]]
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 1989
| ''[[Farewell to the King]]''
| [[John Milius]]
|
|-
| ''[[Dead Calm (film)|Dead Calm]]''
| [[Phillip Noyce]]
|
|-
| ''[[K-9 (film)|K-9]]''
| [[Rod Daniel]]
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 1990
| ''[[Impulse (1990 film)|Impulse]]''
| [[Sondra Locke]]
|
|-
| ''[[Young Guns II]]''
| [[Geoff Murphy]]
|
|-
| ''[[Dances with Wolves]]''
| [[Kevin Costner]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography]] [[American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases|ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography]] [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography]] [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography]] Nominated- [[BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography]]
|-
| 1991
| ''[[City Slickers]]''
| [[Ron Underwood]]
|
|-
| 1992
| ''[[The Power of One (film)|The Power of One]]''
| [[John G. Avildsen]]
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 1993
| ''[[Super Mario Bros. (film)|Super Mario Bros.]]''
| [[Rocky Morton]] [[Annabel Jankel]]
| Also second unit director
|-
| ''[[Last Action Hero]]''
| [[John McTiernan]]
|
|-
| ''[[The Three Musketeers (1993 film)|The Three Musketeers]]''
| [[Stephen Herek]]
|
|-
| 1994
| ''[[The Cowboy Way (film)|The Cowboy Way]]''
| [[Gregg Champion]]
|
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Waterworld]]''
| [[Kevin Reynolds (director)|Kevin Reynolds]]
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1997
| ''[[Gone Fishin' (film)|Gone Fishin']]''
| Christopher Cain
|
|-
| ''[[Trojan War (film)|Trojan War]]''
| [[George Huang (director)|George Huang]]
|
|-
| 1999
| ''[[The Bone Collector]]''
| [[Phillip Noyce]]
|
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Nutty Professor II: The Klumps]]''
| [[Peter Segal]]
|
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Heartbreakers (2001 film)|Heartbreakers]]''
| [[David Mirkin]]
|
|-
|rowspan=4| 2002
| ''[[D-Tox]]''
| [[Jim Gillespie (director)|Jim Gillespie]]
|
|-
| ''[[Dragonfly (2002 film)|Dragonfly]]''
| [[Tom Shadyac]]
|
|-
| ''[[We Were Soldiers]]''
| [[Randall Wallace]]
|
|-
| ''[[XXX (2002 film)|XXX]]''
| [[Rob Cohen]]
|
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Bruce Almighty]]''
| Tom Shadyac
|
|-
| 2004
| ''[[The Alamo (2004 film)|The Alamo]]''
| [[John Lee Hancock]]
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2005
| ''[[The Longest Yard (2005 film)|The Longest Yard]]''
| Peter Segal
|
|-
| ''[[Stealth (2005 film)|Stealth]]''
| Rob Cohen
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 2006
| ''[[Just My Luck (2006 film)|Just My Luck]]''
| [[Donald Petrie]]
|
|-
| ''[[Click (2006 film)|Click]]''
| [[Frank Coraci]]
|
|-
| ''[[Apocalypto]]''
| [[Mel Gibson]]
| [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography]] [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography]] Nominated- [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cinematography]] Nominated- [[American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases|ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography]]
|-
| 2007
| ''[[I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry]]''
| [[Dennis Dugan]]
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2008
| ''[[Get Smart (film)|Get Smart]]''
| Peter Segal
|
|-
| ''[[Appaloosa (film)|Appaloosa]]''
| [[Ed Harris]]
|
|-
| 2009
| ''[[2012 (2009 film)|2012]]''
| [[Roland Emmerich]]
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2010
| ''[[Date Night]]''
| [[Shawn Levy]]
|
|-
| ''[[Secretariat (film)|Secretariat]]''
| Randall Wallace
| Nominated- [[Satellite Award for Best Cinematography]]
|-
| 2011
| ''[[In the Land of Blood and Honey]]''
| [[Angelina Jolie]]
|
|-
| 2012
| ''[[Parental Guidance (film)|Parental Guidance]]''
| [[Andy Fickman]]
|
|-
| 2013
| ''[[Grudge Match]]''
| Peter Segal
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2014
| ''[[Heaven Is for Real (film)|Heaven Is for Real]]''
| Randall Wallace
|
|-
| ''[[Maleficent (film)|Maleficent]]''
| [[Robert Stromberg]]
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 2015
| ''[[Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2]]''
| Andy Fickman
|
|-
| ''[[The Last Witch Hunter]]''
| [[Breck Eisner]]
|
|-
| ''[[The Ridiculous 6]]''
| Frank Coraci
|
|-
| 2016
| ''[[The Do-Over]]''
|rowspan=2|[[Steven Brill (director)|Steven Brill]]
|
|-
| 2017
| ''[[Sandy Wexler]]''
|
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Playing with Fire (2019 film)|Playing with Fire]]''
| Andy Fickman
|
|-
|}

'''Other credits'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Notes
|-
| 1973
| ''The Fifth Facade: The Making of the Sydney Opera House''
|rowspan=2| Camera operator
|-
| 1974
| ''Parent Teacher Interviews''
|-
| 2002
| ''[[The Adventures of Pluto Nash]]''
|rowspan=2| Director of photography: Second unit
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Bedtime Stories (film)|Bedtime Stories]]''
|-
|}

====Directing credits====
* ''[[Firestorm (1998 film)|Firestorm]]'' (1998)
* ''[[The Patriot (1998 film)|The Patriot]]'' (1998)

===Television===
'''TV movie'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Director
|-
| 1976
| ''Do I Have to Kill My Child?''
| Donald Crombie
|-
| 1978
| ''[[A Good Thing Going]]''
| [[Arch Nicholson]]
|-
| 1986
| ''Passion Flower''
| [[Joseph Sargent]]
|-
| 1998
| ''[[The Clean Machine]]''
| [[Ken Cameron]]
|-
|}

'''TV series'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Director
! Notes
|-
| 1980
| ''The Russians''
| [[Arch Nicholson]]
| TV series documentary
|-
| 1983
| ''[[The Dismissal (miniseries)|The Dismissal]]''
| [[Carl Schultz]] [[George Miller (filmmaker)|George Miller]] [[Phillip Noyce]] [[George Ogilvie]] [[John Power (director)|John Power]]
| Miniseries
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Return to Eden]]''
| [[Karen Arthur]]
| Miniseries
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Bodyline (miniseries)|Bodyline]]''
| Carl Schultz George Ogilvie [[Denny Lawrence]] [[Lex Marinos]]
| Miniseries
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Great Performances]]''
| Rodney Fisher
| Episode "Melba"
|-
|}

'''Other credits'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Notes
|-
| 1962
| ''The Valley of Water''
| Floor manager
|-
| 1977
| ''Cass''
| Second unit director
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Lonesome Dove (miniseries)|Lonesome Dove]]''
| Director of photography: Second unit
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|0005871}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Dean Semler
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Cinematography}}
{{American Society of Cinematographers Theatrical Release Award}}
{{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography}}
{{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Semler, Dean}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:Australian cinematographers]]
[[Category:Australian film directors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Renmark, South Australia]]
[[Category:Best Cinematographer Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Australia]]

Dean Semler - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article