---
name: "Erik Messerschmidt"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/erik-messerschmidt"
fi1m_id: "erik-messerschmidt"
imdb_id: "nm0582081"
tmdb_id: 1519399
wikidata_id: "Q76081666"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "23 October 1980"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-21T04:27:13.314282+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."
---

# Erik Messerschmidt

## Identity

Erik Messerschmidt

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/erik-messerschmidt
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** erik-messerschmidt
- **IMDb ID:** nm0582081
- **TMDB ID:** 1519399
- **Wikidata ID:** Q76081666
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Messerschmidt, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76081666, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0582081/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1519399

Cinematographer. Born 23 October 1980 in Portland, Maine, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 23 October 1980, Portland, Maine, USA
- **Active:** 2014–present
- **Also known as:** Eric Messerschmidt, Erik Messerschmidt, ASC
- **Frequently works with:** [David Fincher](https://film.one/person/david-fincher.md), [Ridley Scott](https://film.one/person/ridley-scott.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 82 (2), 2020s 68 (4)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 68 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Crime 4, Drama 4, Thriller 2, History 1, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $77m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Messerschmidt, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76081666, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0582081/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1519399

## Coming up

- *THE FURTHER MIS-ADVENTURES OF CLIFF BOOTH* (2026-11-25), Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-further-mis-adventures-of-cliff-booth.md)
- *The Batman: Part II* (2028-02-17), Director of Photography

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*MINDHUNTER*](https://film.one/tv/mindhunter.md) (83), [*Ferrari*](https://film.one/film/ferrari.md) (70)
- **Hulu:** [*Fargo*](https://film.one/tv/fargo-2014.md) (82)
- **Apple TV:** [*Dope Thief*](https://film.one/tv/dope-thief.md) (74)

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

## Biography

Erik Messerschmidt, ASC (born 23 October 1980) is an American cinematographer. He was born in Portland, Maine, and attended Emerson College.

He is known for his work with director David Fincher on the series *Mindhunter* (2017–2019) and the films *Mank* (2020) and *The Killer* (2023). He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for *Mank*. He also served as director of photography on *Ferrari* (2023) for Michael Mann and on episodes of *Fargo* (2014), *Raised by Wolves* (2020) and *Dope Thief* (2025).

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

## On Fi1m (6)

- *The Dog Stars* (2026), Fi1m 58, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-dog-stars.md)
- *Dope Thief* (2025), Fi1m 74, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/tv/dope-thief.md)
- *Ferrari* (2023), Fi1m 70, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/ferrari.md)
- *The Killer* (2023), Fi1m 72, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-killer.md)
- *MINDHUNTER* (2017), Fi1m 83, Cinematography, Additional Director of Photography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/tv/mindhunter.md)
- *Fargo* (2014), Fi1m 82, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/tv/fargo-2014.md)

## Complete filmography (24)

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

- *The Batman: Part II* (2028), Director of Photography
- *THE FURTHER MIS-ADVENTURES OF CLIFF BOOTH* (2026), Director of Photography — coming soon, [page](https://film.one/film/the-further-mis-adventures-of-cliff-booth.md)
- *The Dog Stars* (2026), Director of Photography — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/the-dog-stars.md)
- *Bono: Stories of Surrender* (2025), Director of Photography
- *Dope Thief* (2025), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/dope-thief.md)
- *Verano ’78* (2024), Director of Photography
- *Ferrari* (2023), Director of Photography — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/ferrari.md)
- *The Killer* (2023), Director of Photography — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/the-killer.md)
- *Devotion* (2022), Director of Photography
- *The Me You Can't See* (2021), series, Director of Photography
- *Mank* (2020), Director of Photography
- *The Empty Man* (2020), Additional Photography
- *Raised by Wolves* (2020), series, Director of Photography
- *Sicario: Day of the Soldado* (2018), Second Unit Director of Photography
- *MINDHUNTER* (2017), series, Additional Director of Photography, Director of Photography — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/mindhunter.md)
- *Only the Brave* (2017), Additional Photography
- *Tomorrowland* (2015), Gaffer
- *Gone Girl* (2014), as Chief Lighting Technician — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/gone-girl.md)
- *Fargo* (2014), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/fargo-2014.md)
- *In a Dream* (2009), Director of Photography
- *Not Forgotten* (2009), Gaffer
- *The 12 Dogs of Christmas* (2005), as Chief Lighting Technician
- *Scarecrow Slayer* (2003), Gaffer
- *Magic Rock* (2001), as Best Boy Electric

## Gallery

- ![Erik Messerschmidt](https://film.one/media/person/14923/gallery-192563d41339.jpg) Erik Messerschmidt — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Erik_Messerschmidt_%2853254290192%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![TheKillerBFILFF051023 (1 of 22) (2023)](https://film.one/media/person/14923/gallery-55e39edd7eb5.jpg) TheKillerBFILFF051023 (1 of 22) (2023) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/TheKillerBFILFF051023_%281_of_22%29_%2853255467858%29.jpg/1280px-TheKillerBFILFF051023_%281_of_22%29_%2853255467858%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![TheKillerBFILFF051023 (21 of 22) (2023)](https://film.one/media/person/14923/gallery-fa398f0d61aa.jpg) TheKillerBFILFF051023 (21 of 22) (2023) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/TheKillerBFILFF051023_%2821_of_22%29_%2853255527214%29.jpg/1280px-TheKillerBFILFF051023_%2821_of_22%29_%2853255527214%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![TheKillerBFILFF051023 (21 of 22) (2023)](https://film.one/media/person/14923/gallery-afa5a9f50395.jpg) TheKillerBFILFF051023 (21 of 22) (2023) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/TheKillerBFILFF051023_%2821_of_22%29_%2853255527214%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-TheKillerBFILFF051023_%2821_of_22%29_%2853255527214%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![TheKillerBFILFF051023 (22 of 22) (2023)](https://film.one/media/person/14923/gallery-756a39e0f300.jpg) TheKillerBFILFF051023 (22 of 22) (2023) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/TheKillerBFILFF051023_%2822_of_22%29_%2853255467318%29.jpg/1280px-TheKillerBFILFF051023_%2822_of_22%29_%2853255467318%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won

- 2021: Best Cinematography (won), for *Mank*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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/erik-messerschmidt