---
name: "Gil Zimmerman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/gil-zimmerman"
fi1m_id: "gil-zimmerman"
imdb_id: "nm0956710"
tmdb_id: 1726870
wikidata_id: "Q125454910"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-05T14:55:47.281116+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."
---

# Gil Zimmerman

## Identity

Gil Zimmerman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/gil-zimmerman
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** gil-zimmerman
- **IMDb ID:** nm0956710
- **TMDB ID:** 1726870
- **Wikidata ID:** Q125454910
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q125454910, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0956710/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1726870

Cinematographer.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Active:** 2004–2019
- **Frequently works with:** [America Ferrera](https://film.one/person/america-ferrera.md), [Bonnie Arnold](https://film.one/person/bonnie-arnold.md), [Dean DeBlois](https://film.one/person/dean-deblois.md), [Gerard Butler](https://film.one/person/gerard-butler.md), [Jay Baruchel](https://film.one/person/jay-baruchel.md), [Cate Blanchett](https://film.one/person/cate-blanchett.md), [Craig Ferguson](https://film.one/person/craig-ferguson.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 40 (1), 2010s 75 (4)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 68 to 65 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Animation 5, Family 5, Adventure 4, Action 3, Comedy 2, Fantasy 2
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $2,579m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q125454910, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0956710/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1726870

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*How to Train Your Dragon 2*](https://film.one/film/how-to-train-your-dragon-2.md) (74)
- **HBO Max:** [*Puss in Boots*](https://film.one/film/puss-in-boots.md) (66)
- **Netflix:** [*Shark Tale*](https://film.one/film/shark-tale.md) (40)

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

## Biography

Gil Zimmerman is a cinematographer, head of layout and director at DreamWorks Animation. He worked as supervising technical director at Walt Disney Feature Animation on *Tarzan* (1999) and *Treasure Planet* (2002) before joining DreamWorks in 2001.

He served as cinematographer or head of layout on *Shark Tale* (2004), *How to Train Your Dragon* (2010), *Puss in Boots* (2011), *How to Train Your Dragon 2* (2014) and *How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World* (2019). He has also directed episodes of the television series *Dragons: Race to the Edge* (2017).

Zimmerman studied film and music at the University of Southern California and graphic design at UCLA. He is a professional musician and has received three Lumiere Awards for Best Stereography in an Animated Film.

*Sources: imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World* (2019), Fi1m 78, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/how-to-train-your-dragon-the-hidden-world.md)
- *How to Train Your Dragon 2* (2014), Fi1m 74, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/how-to-train-your-dragon-2.md)
- *Puss in Boots* (2011), Fi1m 66, Layout, Director of Photography, Head of Layout, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/puss-in-boots.md)
- *How to Train Your Dragon* (2010), Fi1m 82, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/how-to-train-your-dragon-2010.md)
- *Shark Tale* (2004), Fi1m 40, Head of Layout, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/shark-tale.md)

## Complete filmography (6)

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

- *How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World* (2019), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/how-to-train-your-dragon-the-hidden-world.md)
- *Home* (2015), Creative Consultant
- *How to Train Your Dragon 2* (2014), Director of Photography — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/how-to-train-your-dragon-2.md)
- *Puss in Boots* (2011), as Head of Layout, Layout · Director of Photography — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/puss-in-boots.md)
- *How to Train Your Dragon* (2010), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/how-to-train-your-dragon-2010.md)
- *Shark Tale* (2004), Director of Photography, Head of Layout — Fi1m 40, [page](https://film.one/film/shark-tale.md)

---
© 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/gil-zimmerman