Michael Bauman (cinematographer)
Michael Bauman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Wisconsin, U.S.[1] |
| Education | American Film Institute (MFA) |
| Years active | 1993–present |
Michael Bauman is an American cinematographer, best known for collaboration with director Paul Thomas Anderson.
Career
After graduating from the American Film Institute's cinematography program in 1992,[2] Bauman began his career in the film industry working as a lighting technician on music videos and feature films. He took over as gaffer near the end of filming for Stuart Little (1999).[3]
In addition, Bauman also co-founded LiteGear, a manufacturer of lighting products.[3]
Bauman began working with Paul Thomas Anderson as the gaffer on The Master (2012) and Inherent Vice (2014).
On Phantom Thread (2017), Anderson declined to hire his longtime cinematographer Robert Elswit. According to Anderson, Phantom Thread did not have a traditional cinematographer during production, and the duty was shared among him and several crew members including Bauman (credited as the "lighting cameraman"), and no cinematography credit is given in the final film.[4][5]
Bauman worked with Anderson on his next two films, as co-cinematographer on Licorice Pizza[6] (2021) and sole cinematographer on One Battle After Another (2025), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.[7][8]
Filmography
Short film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Kirkie | James Krieg |
| 2022 | Disaster Man | Giovani Lampassi |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Phantom Thread | Paul Thomas Anderson | Credited as "lighting cameraman" |
| 2021 | Licorice Pizza | Shared credit with Anderson | |
| 2025 | One Battle After Another | ||
| 2026 | Tony | Matt Johnson |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–2024 | American Horror Stories | Max Winkler Alexis Martin Woodall David Gelb |
Episodes: "Bestie", "Tapeworm" and "Backrooms" |
| 2024 | Feud | Max Winkler Jennifer Lynch |
Episodes: "The Secret Inner Lives of Swans" and "Beautiful Babe" |
| 2025 | Monster: The Ed Gein Story | Max Winkler | 6 episodes |
References
- ^ Warner, Kara (2025-11-12). "'Monster: The Ed Gein Story' cinematographer Michael Bauman talks creepy camera work and his surprising connection to this story". Gold Derby. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ "AFI Alumni Projects at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival". American Film Institute. 2025-12-01. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ a b "Mike Bauman, Gaffer | PLSN". 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ "Paul Thomas Anderson opens up about the mysterious 'Phantom Thread' for the first time". EW.com. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (October 21, 2020). "Paul Thomas Anderson's Former DP Robert Elswit Doesn't Like the Way 'Phantom Thread' Looked". IndieWire. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
- ^ "Michael Bauman on Lighting Licorice Pizza and Bringing Paul Thomas Anderson's Vision to Life". 2021-12-30. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ Willis, David Alexander (2022-06-06). "Michael Bauman & Paul Thomas Anderson / Licorice Pizza". British Cinematographer. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ Zilko, Christian (2025-11-13). "'One Battle After Another' Cinematographer Michael Bauman Says Watching Dailies with Paul Thomas Anderson Is 'Like a Live DJ Session'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2025-12-06.