---
name: "Brett Pawlak"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/brett-pawlak"
fi1m_id: "brett-pawlak"
imdb_id: "nm1954909"
tmdb_id: 1194884
wikidata_id: "Q28915983"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "25 October 1982"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-23T11:59:57.148213+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Brett Pawlak

## Identity

Brett Pawlak

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/brett-pawlak
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** brett-pawlak
- **IMDb ID:** nm1954909
- **TMDB ID:** 1194884
- **Wikidata ID:** Q28915983
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Pawlak, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28915983, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1954909/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1194884

Cinematographer. Born 25 October 1982 in Castaic, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 25 October 1982, Castaic, California, USA
- **Active:** 2013–present
- **Frequently works with:** [Destin Daniel Cretton](https://film.one/person/destin-daniel-cretton.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 77 (3), 2020s 77 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 77 to 74 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Comedy 2, Action 1, Adventure 1, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $2,531m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Pawlak, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28915983, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1954909/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1194884

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Wonder Man*](https://film.one/tv/wonder-man.md) (82), [*This Is Us*](https://film.one/tv/this-is-us.md) (76)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Short Term 12*](https://film.one/film/short-term-12.md) (86)
- **Apple TV:** [*Instant Family*](https://film.one/film/instant-family.md) (68)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Brett Pawlak is an American cinematographer. He was born on 25 October 1982 in Castaic, California.

Pawlak has collaborated frequently with director Destin Daniel Cretton. Their work together includes *Short Term 12* (2013), *The Glass Castle* (2017), *Just Mercy* (2019) and episodes of the series *Wonder Man* (2026). He also served as director of photography on *Instant Family* (2018), the pilot episode of *This Is Us* (2016) and *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* (2026).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* (2026), Fi1m 72, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-brand-new-day.md)
- *Wonder Man* (2026), Fi1m 82, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/tv/wonder-man.md)
- *Instant Family* (2018), Fi1m 68, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/instant-family.md)
- *This Is Us* (2016), Fi1m 76, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/tv/this-is-us.md)
- *Short Term 12* (2013), Fi1m 86, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/short-term-12.md)

## Complete filmography (44)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* (2026), Director of Photography — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-brand-new-day.md)
- *He Bled Neon* (2026), Director of Photography
- *Wonder Man* (2026), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/wonder-man.md)
- *American Born Chinese* (2023), series, Director of Photography
- *A Jazzman's Blues* (2022), Director of Photography
- *Echoes* (2022), series, Director of Photography
- *NEXT* (2020), series, Director of Photography
- *The 24th* (2020), Director of Photography
- *Just Mercy* (2019), Director of Photography
- *Instant Family* (2018), Director of Photography — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/instant-family.md)
- *Life Itself* (2018), Director of Photography
- *End of the Line* (2018), Director of Photography
- *Unicorn Store* (2017), Director of Photography
- *The Glass Castle* (2017), Director of Photography
- *MDMA* (2017), Director of Photography
- *It's Been Like a Year* (2017), Director of Photography
- *All We Had* (2016), Director of Photography
- *Max Steel* (2016), Director of Photography
- *This Is Us* (2016), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/this-is-us.md)
- *REM* (2016), Additional Director of Photography
- *The Meddler* (2016), Director of Photography
- *The Wannabe* (2015), Director of Photography
- *We Are Your Friends* (2015), Director of Photography
- *Maggie* (2015), Second Unit Director of Photography
- *GirlHouse* (2014), Additional Director of Photography
- *Hellion* (2014), Director of Photography
- *Short Term 12: Behind the Scenes* (2014), Thanks
- *Short Term 12* (2013), Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/short-term-12.md)
- *The Final Moments of Karl Brant* (2013), Director of Photography
- *I Am Not a Hipster* (2013), Director of Photography
- *Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn* (2012), series, Director of Photography
- *Pretty Tough* (2011), Director of Photography
- *Poker Run* (2009), First Assistant Camera
- *Call Back* (2009), Camera Operator
- *Short Term 12* (2008), Director of Photography
- *Watercolors* (2008), Best Boy Grip, Dolly Grip
- *A Simple Promise* (2008), Grip
- *Passed the Door of Darkness* (2008), Dolly Grip
- *Redrum* (2007), Grip
- *Days of Darkness* (2007), Second Unit Director of Photography
- *Ripple Effect* (2007), Key Grip
- *Holla* (2006), Grip
- *Markings* (2005), Assistant Camera
- *The Loneliest Road in America*, Camera Operator

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/brett-pawlak