Erik Messerschmidt

Erik Messerschmidt, ASC (born October 23, 1980)^[1] is an American cinematographer. He is best known for his collaborations with director David Fincher on the films Mank and The Killer (as director of photography) and Gone Girl (as gaffer), and on the Netflix series Mindhunter. He has also shot episodes of the TV series Fargo, Legion, and Raised by Wolves.^[2] His work has been nominated for an Emmy. In April 2021, he won the top ASC Award and the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Mank.^[3]

Erik Messerschmidt
Messerschmidt in 2023
Born	(1980-10-23) October 23, 1980 (age 44) Portland, Maine, U.S.
Alma mater	Emerson College
Occupation	Cinematographer
Years active	2001–present
Organization	American Society of Cinematographers
Spouse	Naiara Eizaguirre-Paulos ​ ​ (m. 2020)​
Website	Official website

Career

After relocating to Los Angeles, Messerschmidt served as a gaffer on TV series such as Bones, Everybody Hates Chris, and Mad Men. He also gained experience as a director of photography during this time, shooting commercials, short films, and documentaries. Messerschmidt had a working relationship with cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, who recommended him to director David Fincher. Fincher hired Messerschmidt as a gaffer on Gone Girl and, later, as director of photography for most episodes of Mindhunter and Mank.^[4][5][6] With Mindhunter, Messerschmidt explained that the color palette, "has a desaturated green-yellow look... [it] helps give the show its period feel". He stated the effect is achieved through production design, costumes and filming locations—not necessarily through lighting used on set.^[7][8]

Personal life

Messerschmidt was born in Portland, Maine, and grew up in Cape Elizabeth.^[9][10] He studied film production at Emerson College in Boston, where he was a classmate of filmmaker Jeremiah Zagar and served as co-director of photography on Zagar's award-winning indie documentary In a Dream (2008).^[11] In May 2020, he married Naiara Eizaguirre-Paulos.^[12][13]

Filmography

Documentary film

Year	Title	Director	Notes
2008	In a Dream	Jeremiah Zagar	Shared credit with Mark Stetz

Feature film

Year	Title	Director	Notes
2020	Mank	David Fincher
2022	Devotion	J. D. Dillard
2023	The Killer	David Fincher
	Ferrari	Michael Mann

Television

Year	Title	Director(s)	Notes
2017–2019	Mindhunter	David Fincher Andrew Douglas Asif Kapadia Tobias Lindholm Carl Franklin Andrew Dominik	16 episodes
2018–2019	Legion	Noah Hawley Dana Gonzales John Cameron	S2.E9 - Chapter 17 S2.E10 - Chapter 18 S3.E8 - Chapter 27
2020	Fargo	Dana Gonzales	S4.E11 - "Storia Americana"
	Raised by Wolves	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan James Hawes	S1.E5 - "Infected Memory" S1.E6 - "Lost Paradise" S1.E9 - "Umbilical"
2025	Dope Thief	Ridley Scott[14]

Awards and recognition

Year	Award	Category	Title	Result	Ref.
2008	Camerimage	Golden Frog	In a Dream (Shared with Mark Stetz)	Nominated	[15]
2020	Academy Awards	Best Cinematography	Mank	Won	[16]
	American Society of Cinematographers	Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography		Won	[3] [17]
	Satellite Awards	Best Cinematography		Won
	BAFTA Awards	Best Cinematography		Nominated
	Chicago Film Critics Association	Best Cinematography		Nominated
	Critics' Choice Movie Awards	Best Cinematography		Nominated
	Florida Film Critics Circle	Best Cinematography		Won	[18]
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Cinematography	Mindhunter (For "Episode 6")	Nominated	[19]
2023	Camerimage	Golden Frog	Ferrari	Nominated
	Satellite Awards	Best Cinematography		Nominated

References

1. "Erik E Messerschmidt". FamilySearch. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
2. "Erik Messerschmidt, ASC, Director of Photography" (PDF). DDA Talent. DDA. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
3. Tangcay, Jazz (April 18, 2021). "'Mank' Wins Top Honor at ASC Awards". Variety. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
4. Sharf, Zack (June 12, 2020). "'Mank' Producer Says Fincher's New Film Feels Like a 1930s Movie: 'It's an Incredible Piece'". IndieWire. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
5. "Nine Inch Nails: 9 Things We Learned from Our Visit to Trent Reznor's Studio". Revolver. December 23, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
6. Chitwood, Adam (September 5, 2020). "First 'Mank' Images Reveal David Fincher's Netflix Movie About the Making of 'Citizen Kane'". Collider. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
7. Nedomansky, Vashi. "David Fincher: Into The Darkness | VashiVisuals Blog". Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
8. O'Falt, Chris (October 19, 2017). "From 'Zodiac' to 'Mindhunter': 5 Visual Elements that Define David Fincher's Cinematic Universe". IndieWire. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
9. Burnham, Emily (April 26, 2021). "Maine native wins Best Cinematography for 'Mank' at Academy Awards". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
10. Routhier, Ray (March 15, 2021). "Cape Elizabeth native gets Oscar nomination for work on 'Mank'". Portland Press-Herald. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
11. "Spotlight on gaffer Erik Messerschmidt". Arri. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
12. "Un paseo de 'désescalade', el Viggo de Celta y planeta Naiara". El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). June 27, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
13. "Nnanook on Instagram: "Ya es oficial !!! Nos hemos casado via "zoom". 80 invitados de todas las partes del mundo, desde Sydney a Sudáfrica pasando por Nueva…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
14. "Six Days of Reshoots Set For Ridley Scott's 'Sinking Spring'". World of Reel. February 27, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
15. Camerimage Awards
16. Davis, Clayton (March 11, 2021). "2021 Oscars Predictions: All Awards Categories". Variety. Archived from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
17. "ASC Welcomes Erik Messerschmidt as a New Active Member". The American Society of Cinematographers. February 5, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
18. "2020 FFCC Winners". Florida Film Critics Circle. December 21, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
19. Desowitz, Bill (August 21, 2020). "'Mindhunter': Expanding the Visual Aesthetic for Season 2's Atlanta Child Murders". IndieWire. Retrieved September 22, 2020.

External links

• Erik Messerschmidt at IMDb