---
name: "Michael Bauman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-bauman"
fi1m_id: "michael-bauman"
imdb_id: "nm0062177"
tmdb_id: 1435657
wikidata_id: "Q110393717"
roles: ["Gaffer"]
reviewed_on_fi1m: 11
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_over: 11
updated: "2026-10-03T21:15:46.815789+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."
---

# Michael Bauman

## Identity

Michael Bauman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-bauman
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** michael-bauman
- **IMDb ID:** nm0062177
- **TMDB ID:** 1435657
- **Wikidata ID:** Q110393717
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bauman_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110393717, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0062177/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1435657

Gaffer. Born in Wisconsin, U.S..

## Details

- **Work:** Gaffer
- **Active:** 2001–present
- **Also known as:**  Mike Bauman, Mike Baumann
- **Frequently works with:** [Adam Somner](https://film.one/person/adam-somner.md), [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://film.one/person/paul-thomas-anderson.md), [Sara Murphy](https://film.one/person/sara-murphy.md), [Sean Penn](https://film.one/person/sean-penn.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 81 (3), 2010s 75 (4), 2020s 81 (4)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 76 across 11 titles
- **Score spread:** 8 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 7, Action 4, Comedy 4, Adventure 3, Crime 3, Science Fiction 3
- **Screen time:** 23 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $2,554m across 11 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bauman_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110393717, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0062177/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1435657

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*One Battle After Another*](https://film.one/film/one-battle-after-another.md) (87)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Licorice Pizza*](https://film.one/film/licorice-pizza.md) (80)

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

## Biography

Michael Bauman is an American cinematographer. He graduated from the American Film Institute's cinematography programme in 1992 and began his career as a lighting technician on music videos and feature films, later working as a gaffer on numerous productions including Stuart Little (1999), The Master (2012) and Inherent Vice (2014). He co-founded LiteGear, a lighting equipment manufacturer.

Bauman has collaborated extensively with director Paul Thomas Anderson. He worked as lighting cameraman on Phantom Thread (2017), co-cinematographer on Licorice Pizza (2021) and sole cinematographer on One Battle After Another (2025). He has also served as director of photography on television series including American Horror Stories, Feud and Monster, and on the film Tony (2026).

For his work on One Battle After Another, Bauman received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. He has won awards from the American Society of Cinematographers and the British Society of Cinematographers for the same film.

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

## On Fi1m (11)

- *Tony* (2026), Fi1m 76, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/tony.md)
- *One Battle After Another* (2025), Fi1m 87, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/one-battle-after-another.md)
- *Licorice Pizza* (2021), Fi1m 80, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/licorice-pizza.md)
- *The Tragedy of Macbeth* (2021), Fi1m 80, Gaffer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-tragedy-of-macbeth.md)
- *Inherent Vice* (2014), Fi1m 78, Chief Lighting Technician — [page](https://film.one/film/inherent-vice.md)
- *Nightcrawler* (2014), Fi1m 85, Gaffer — [page](https://film.one/film/nightcrawler.md)
- *The Hunger Games: Catching Fire* (2013), Fi1m 80, Gaffer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games-catching-fire.md)
- *Iron Man 2* (2010), Fi1m 56, Gaffer — [page](https://film.one/film/iron-man-2.md)
- *Iron Man* (2008), Fi1m 80, Gaffer — [page](https://film.one/film/iron-man.md)
- *Good Night, and Good Luck.* (2005), Fi1m 83, Chief Lighting Technician — [page](https://film.one/film/good-night-and-good-luck.md)
- *Training Day* (2001), Fi1m 80, Chief Lighting Technician — [page](https://film.one/film/training-day.md)

## Complete filmography (46)

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

- *Tony* (2026), Director of Photography — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/tony.md)
- *Learning, Studying… Always Perfecting: The Making of One Battle After Another* (2026), Additional Photography
- *Monster: The Ed Gein Story* (2025), series, Director of Photography
- *One Battle After Another* (2025), Director of Photography — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/one-battle-after-another.md)
- *Amsterdam* (2022), Gaffer — Fi1m 47, [page](https://film.one/film/amsterdam.md)
- *Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty* (2022), series, Gaffer
- *The Tragedy of Macbeth* (2021), Gaffer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/the-tragedy-of-macbeth.md)
- *Licorice Pizza* (2021), Director of Photography — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/licorice-pizza.md)
- *American Horror Stories* (2021), series, Director of Photography
- *Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)* (2020), Gaffer
- *Ford v Ferrari* (2019), Gaffer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/ford-v-ferrari.md)
- *Vice* (2018), Gaffer — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/vice.md)
- *Phantom Thread* (2017), as Chief Lighting Technician · Lighting Camera — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/phantom-thread.md)
- *HAIM / Valentine* (2017), Gaffer
- *FEUD* (2017), series, Director of Photography
- *The Conjuring 2* (2016), as Chief Lighting Technician
- *Secret in Their Eyes* (2015), Gaffer
- *The Gambler* (2014), Gaffer
- *Inherent Vice* (2014), as Chief Lighting Technician — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/inherent-vice.md)
- *Nightcrawler* (2014), Gaffer — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/nightcrawler.md)
- *Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day* (2014), as Chief Lighting Technician
- *The Hunger Games: Catching Fire* (2013), Gaffer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games-catching-fire.md)
- *The Bling Ring* (2013), Gaffer
- *The Master* (2012), as Chief Lighting Technician — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-master.md)
- *People Like Us* (2012), as Chief Lighting Technician
- *Rampart* (2011), Gaffer
- *Cowboys & Aliens* (2011), as Chief Lighting Technician
- *Iron Man 2* (2010), Gaffer — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/iron-man-2.md)
- *You Don't Mess with the Zohan* (2008), as Chief Lighting Technician
- *Iron Man* (2008), Gaffer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/iron-man.md)
- *Smokin' Aces* (2006), Gaffer
- *Munich* (2005), Gaffer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/munich.md)
- *Good Night, and Good Luck.* (2005), as Chief Lighting Technician — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/good-night-and-good-luck.md)
- *The Island* (2005), Gaffer
- *Taxi* (2004), Gaffer
- *Tears of the Sun* (2003), Gaffer
- *Phone Booth* (2003), Gaffer
- *Ticker* (2002), Gaffer
- *Auto Focus* (2002), Gaffer
- *Training Day* (2001), as Chief Lighting Technician — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/training-day.md)
- *Driven* (2001), Gaffer
- *The Center of the World* (2001), Gaffer
- *15 Minutes* (2001), as Lighting Technician
- *Nurse Betty* (2000), Gaffer
- *The Thirteenth Floor* (1999), Assistant Chief Lighting Technician
- *Benders* (1994), Gaffer

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2026: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *One Battle After Another*

*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/michael-bauman