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IMDbPro

Wally Pfister

  • Cinematographer
  • Camera and Electrical Department
  • Director
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Wally Pfister
Wally Pfister is an American cinematographer and film director, who is best known for his work with Christopher Nolan. He is also known for his work on director F. Gary Gray's The Italian Job (2003) and Bennett Miller's Moneyball (2011).

He made his directorial debut with the film Transcendence (2014), starring Johnny Depp.

His first collaboration with Nolan was on the neo-noir thriller Memento (2000). The success of this collaboration resulted in Pfister taking over as director of photography for Nolan's subsequent films: Insomnia (2002), Batman Begins (2005), The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008), which he partially shot with IMAX cameras, and Inception, which was shot partially in 5-perf 65 mm. He is the only cinematographer that has worked with director Christopher Nolan between Memento and Dark Knight Rises.

Pfister won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Inception (2010).
BornJuly 8, 1961
  • More at IMDbPro
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    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJuly 8, 1961
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Won 1 Oscar

Photos20

Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Caine, Wally Pfister, Christopher Nolan, and Elliot Page in Inception (2010)
Wally Pfister and P. Scott Sakamoto in Transcendence (2014)
Christian Bale, Wally Pfister, Tom Hardy, and Christopher Nolan in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Wally Pfister in Inception (2010)
Wally Pfister
Al Pacino, Wally Pfister, and Christopher Nolan in Insomnia (2002)
Morgan Freeman and Wally Pfister
Wally Pfister
Wally Pfister and Claire Julien
Wally Pfister
Wally Pfister and Christopher Nolan at an event for The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Wally Pfister

Known for

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe, and Dileep Rao in Inception (2010)
Inception
8.8
  • Cinematographer
  • 2010
Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cillian Murphy, and Chin Han in The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight
9.0
  • Cinematographer
  • 2008
Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and Scarlett Johansson in The Prestige (2006)
The Prestige
8.5
  • Cinematographer
  • 2006
Christian Bale in Batman Begins (2005)
Batman Begins
8.2
  • Cinematographer
  • 2005

Credits

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IMDbPro

Cinematographer

  • Taco Bell: Web of Fries II - Franchise Wars (2018)
    Taco Bell: Web of Fries II - Franchise Wars
  • Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Matthew Modine, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
    The Dark Knight Rises
  • Natalie Portman in Paul McCartney: My Valentine (2012)
    Paul McCartney: My Valentine
  • Johnny Depp in Paul McCartney: My Valentine (Johnny Depp Version) (2012)
    Paul McCartney: My Valentine (Johnny Depp Version)
  • Natalie Portman in Paul McCartney: My Valentine (Natalie Portman Version) (2012)
    Paul McCartney: My Valentine (Natalie Portman Version)
  • Brad Pitt in Moneyball (2011)
    Moneyball
  • Pom Wonderful (2010)
    Pom Wonderful
  • Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe, and Dileep Rao in Inception (2010)
    Inception
  • Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cillian Murphy, and Chin Han in The Dark Knight (2008)
    The Dark Knight
  • Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and Scarlett Johansson in The Prestige (2006)
    The Prestige
  • Slow Burn (2005)
    Slow Burn
  • Christian Bale in Batman Begins (2005)
    Batman Begins
  • Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, Seth Green, Edward Norton, Jason Statham, Yasiin Bey, and Franky G in The Italian Job (2003)
    The Italian Job
  • Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Frances McDormand, Natascha McElhone, and Alessandro Nivola in Laurel Canyon (2002)
    Laurel Canyon
  • Al Pacino and Robin Williams in Insomnia (2002)
    Insomnia

Camera and Electrical Department

  • The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of the Dark Knight Trilogy (2013)
    The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of the Dark Knight Trilogy
  • Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Matthew Modine, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
    The Dark Knight Rises
    • (uncredited)
  • Marley (2012)
    Marley
  • Al Pacino and Robin Williams in Insomnia (2002)
    Insomnia
    • (uncredited)
  • Robert Patrick and Stacy Edwards in Mexico City (2000)
    Mexico City
  • Mel Gibson, Milla Jovovich, and Jeremy Davies in The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)
    The Million Dollar Hotel
  • Michael J. Fox in Stuart Little (1999)
    Stuart Little
  • Anthony Hopkins in Instinct (1999)
    Instinct
  • V.I.P. (1998)
    V.I.P.
  • Willie Nelson at the Teatro (1998)
    Willie Nelson at the Teatro
  • Glory, Glory
  • Justin Cooper in Dennis the Menace Strikes Again! (1998)
    Dennis the Menace Strikes Again!
  • Nathan Lane and Lee Evans in Mousehunt (1997)
    Mousehunt
    • (uncredited)
  • Mike Myers, Cynthia LaMontagne, Cindy Margolis, Barbara Moore, and Donna W. Scott in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
    Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
  • Sinbad in The Cherokee Kid (1996)
    The Cherokee Kid

Director

  • Ethan Michael Mora in Hyundai: Hope on Wheels It Takes a Village (2019)
    Hyundai: Hope on Wheels It Takes a Village
  • Taco Bell: Web of Fries II - Franchise Wars (2018)
    Taco Bell: Web of Fries II - Franchise Wars
  • Peter Serafinowicz in The Tick (2016)
    The Tick
  • Matthew McConaughey in Lincoln: Crafted (2016)
    Lincoln: Crafted
  • Will Arnett in Flaked (2016)
    Flaked
  • Johnny Depp in Transcendence (2014)
    Transcendence

Personal details

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    • July 8, 1961
    • Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • 1992 - 2015 (divorced, 3 children)
    • Claire Julien
  • Other works
    Photographed and directed Harley-Davidson TV commercial "Creed" (2006).

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    As of 2013, he is the only cinematographer that has worked with Director Christopher Nolan since and including "Memento" (2000).
  • Quotes
    The battle that we have to fight as cinematographers is to not let anybody treat us like we are consumers by using marketing techniques to push technology that's not better than what we have. Good enough isn't good enough. 24P is nowhere near the resolution of 35mm film, and if you put it side by side with anamorphic it's off the charts. There's not even a comparison. I don't see why we should settle for that and I don't see why the public should settle for it. I don't understand why we would use an inferior product to capture our images, when we want to see all the nuances and into the darkest details. I want to push the envelope. I don't think we have the power to fight this battle alone. The technology vendors have enough power and money to influence our art form. We need to get the directors on our side, because they have the clout.
    • Often works with Christopher Nolan

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