---
name: "Michael Svitak"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-svitak"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-17T13:28:04.444456+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 Svitak

Cinematographer.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Active:** 2014–present
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 85 (1), 2020s 75 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0841322/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1419728

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*The Staircase*](https://film.one/tv/the-staircase-2022.md) (75)

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

## Biography

Michael Svitak is a cinematographer whose credits include director of photography on episodes 7 and 8 of the 2022 HBO Max miniseries *The Staircase*, for which he also served as 2nd unit director of photography on the first six episodes.

He studied film production in Boulder, Colorado. In 2008 he received the Emerging Cinematographer’s Award from the International Cinematographers Guild for the short film *Noisemaker*. Svitak has worked as director of photography on *6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain* (2017) and as tandem director of photography on season 4 of the Apple TV+ series *Servant* (2023).

His other credits include second unit or additional photography on films such as *Nightcrawler* (2014), *Kong: Skull Island* (2017), *Hotel Artemis* (2018) and *Kate* (2021), as well as 2nd unit work with Darius Khondji on the series *Too Old to Die Young*.

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

## On Fi1m (2)

- *The Staircase* (2022), Fi1m 75, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-staircase-2022.md)
- *Nightcrawler* (2014), Fi1m 85, Camera Operator — [page](https://film.one/film/nightcrawler.md)

## Complete filmography (11)

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

- *The Staircase* (2022), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-staircase-2022.md)
- *Disconnected* (2018), Cinematography
- *Hotel Artemis* (2018), Additional Photography
- *6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain* (2017), Director of Photography
- *Kong: Skull Island* (2017), Additional Photography
- *Mildred and the Dying Parlor* (2016), Director of Photography
- *Nightcrawler* (2014), Camera Operator — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/nightcrawler.md)
- *The Distortion of Sound* (2014), Cinematography
- *Deadfall* (2012), Second Unit Director of Photography
- *Act of Valor* (2012), Second Assistant Camera
- *Land of the Lost* (2009), Camera Loader

---
© 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-svitak