---
name: "Michael Kelem"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-kelem"
roles: ["Aerial camera"]
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-17T18:52:44.258540+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 Kelem

Aerial camera.

## Details

- **Work:** Aerial camera
- **Active:** 1990–2016
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 77 (3), 2010s 86 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 75 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Action 2, Adventure 2, Thriller 2, Comedy 1, Documentary 1, Family 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,176m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445430/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/91123

## Streaming the US now

- **Discovery+:** [*Planet Earth II*](https://film.one/tv/planet-earth-ii.md) (86)

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

## Biography

Michael Kelem is a cinematographer who works primarily in aerial and helicopter photography. His credits include aerial director of photography on films such as *The Hangover* (2009), *Captain America: The Winter Soldier* (2014), *Jurassic World* (2015), *Ant-Man* (2015), *Godzilla* (2014) and *Captain Marvel* (2019).

Kelem has contributed to several natural history series. He served as cinematographer on three episodes of *Planet Earth II* (2016) and worked on the original *Planet Earth* (2006). He received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming for his work on the latter series.

*Sources: imdb.com, televisionacademy.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Planet Earth II* (2016), Fi1m 86, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/tv/planet-earth-ii.md)
- *Mission: Impossible* (1996), Fi1m 81, Aerial Camera — [page](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible.md)
- *Cliffhanger* (1993), Fi1m 74, Aerial Camera — [page](https://film.one/film/cliffhanger.md)
- *Pretty Woman* (1990), Fi1m 77, Aerial Camera — [page](https://film.one/film/pretty-woman.md)

## Complete filmography (28)

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

- *Captain Marvel* (2019), Aerial Director of Photography
- *Only the Brave* (2017), Aerial Director of Photography
- *Transformers: The Last Knight* (2017), Aerial Director of Photography
- *Fifty Shades Darker* (2017), Aerial Director of Photography
- *Planet Earth II* (2016), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/planet-earth-ii.md)
- *The Hunt* (2015), series, Still Photographer, Additional Photography
- *Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials* (2015), Helicopter Camera
- *Vacation* (2015), Helicopter Camera
- *Ant-Man* (2015), Aerial Director of Photography
- *Jurassic World* (2015), Aerial Director of Photography
- *Racing Extinction* (2015), Helicopter Camera
- *Godzilla* (2014), Aerial Director of Photography
- *Captain America: The Winter Soldier* (2014), Aerial Director of Photography
- *Bullet to the Head* (2012), Aerial Director of Photography
- *Taken 2* (2012), Aerial Camera
- *I Am Number Four* (2011), Aerial Director of Photography
- *The Hangover* (2009), Aerial Director of Photography
- *Déjà Vu* (2006), Helicopter Camera
- *Miami Vice* (2006), Aerial Camera
- *National Treasure* (2004), Helicopter Camera
- *Black Hawk Down* (2001), Aerial Camera — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/black-hawk-down.md)
- *Virus* (1999), Aerial Camera
- *Deep Rising* (1998), Aerial Camera
- *Mission: Impossible* (1996), Aerial Camera — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible.md)
- *Bed of Roses* (1996), Additional Camera
- *Waiting to Exhale* (1995), Camera Operator
- *Cliffhanger* (1993), Aerial Camera — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/cliffhanger.md)
- *Pretty Woman* (1990), Aerial Camera — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/pretty-woman.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/michael-kelem