---
name: "Thomas E. Ackerman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/thomas-e-ackerman"
fi1m_id: "thomas-e-ackerman"
imdb_id: "nm0005630"
tmdb_id: 11371
wikidata_id: "Q24296"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "14 September 1948"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 61
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-05T12:10:03.773326+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."
---

# Thomas E. Ackerman

## Identity

Thomas E. Ackerman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/thomas-e-ackerman
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** thomas-e-ackerman
- **IMDb ID:** nm0005630
- **TMDB ID:** 11371
- **Wikidata ID:** Q24296
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_E._Ackerman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q24296, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005630/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11371

Cinematographer. Born 14 September 1948 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 14 September 1948, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
- **Active:** 1986–2011
- **Also known as:** Thomas Ackerman
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 65 (3), 1990s 56 (1), 2000s 78 (1), 2010s 35 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 63 to 61 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 3 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 5, Fantasy 3, Family 2, Music 2, Animation 1
- **Screen time:** 9 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $793m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_E._Ackerman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q24296, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005630/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11371

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy*](https://film.one/film/anchorman-the-legend-of-ron-burgundy.md) (78), [*Back to School*](https://film.one/film/back-to-school.md) (72)
- **HBO Max:** [*Beetlejuice*](https://film.one/film/beetlejuice.md) (83)
- **Disney+:** [*Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked*](https://film.one/film/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-chipwrecked.md) (35)

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

## Biography

Thomas E. Ackerman is an American cinematographer. Born on 14 September 1948 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he studied at the University of Iowa and later worked for documentary filmmaker Charles Guggenheim. He served in the US Air Force before moving to Los Angeles in 1973, where he began as a camera operator on feature films.

Ackerman's credits as director of photography include *Beetlejuice* (1988), *National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation* (1989), *Jumanji* (1995), *George of the Jungle* (1997), *Rat Race* (2001) and *Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy* (2004). He has also worked as a second-unit director on several films. Since 2009 he has taught at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

*Sources: imdb.com, encyclopedia.com, the-numbers.com, uncsa.edu.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked* (2011), Fi1m 35, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-chipwrecked.md)
- *Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy* (2004), Fi1m 78, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/anchorman-the-legend-of-ron-burgundy.md)
- *Dennis the Menace* (1993), Fi1m 56, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/dennis-the-menace.md)
- *Beetlejuice* (1988), Fi1m 83, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/beetlejuice.md)
- *Moonwalker* (1988), Fi1m 40, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/moonwalker.md)
- *Back to School* (1986), Fi1m 72, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/back-to-school.md)

## Complete filmography (44)

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

- *Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip* (2015), Second Unit Director
- *Night of the Living Deb* (2015), Director of Photography
- *Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked* (2011), Director of Photography — Fi1m 35, [page](https://film.one/film/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-chipwrecked.md)
- *Mardi Gras: Spring Break* (2011), Director of Photography
- *Hop* (2011), Second Unit Director, Second Unit Director of Photography
- *Fired Up!* (2009), Director of Photography
- *Infestation* (2009), Director of Photography
- *Superhero Movie* (2008), Director of Photography
- *Balls of Fury* (2007), Director of Photography
- *Scary Movie 4* (2006), Director of Photography
- *The Benchwarmers* (2006), Director of Photography
- *Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World* (2006), Director of Photography
- *Are We There Yet?* (2005), Director of Photography
- *Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie* (2004), Director of Photography
- *Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy* (2004), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/anchorman-the-legend-of-ron-burgundy.md)
- *Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star* (2003), Director of Photography
- *The Battle of Shaker Heights* (2003), Director of Photography
- *Los Zafiros: Music from the Edge of Time* (2003), Producer, Cinematography
- *Snow Dogs* (2002), Director of Photography
- *Rat Race* (2001), Director of Photography
- *The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle* (2000), Director of Photography
- *Beautiful Joe* (2000), Director of Photography
- *The Muse* (1999), Director of Photography
- *My Favorite Martian* (1999), Director of Photography
- *George of the Jungle* (1997), Director of Photography
- *The Eighteenth Angel* (1997), Director of Photography
- *Jumanji* (1995), Director of Photography
- *Baby's Day Out* (1994), Director of Photography
- *Dennis the Menace* (1993), Director of Photography — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/dennis-the-menace.md)
- *True Identity* (1991), Director of Photography
- *National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Moonwalker* (1988), Director of Photography — Fi1m 40, [page](https://film.one/film/moonwalker.md)
- *Beetlejuice* (1988), Director of Photography — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/beetlejuice.md)
- *Inside Out* (1987), Second Unit Director of Photography
- *Back to School* (1986), Director of Photography — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/back-to-school.md)
- *Girls Just Want to Have Fun* (1985), Director of Photography
- *Frankenweenie* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Roadhouse 66* (1984), Director of Photography
- *The Gift of Life* (1982), Camera Operator
- *One from the Heart* (1982), Camera Operator
- *Foxfire Light* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Talmage Farlow* (1981), Cinematography
- *New Year's Evil* (1980), Director of Photography
- *The Great Smokey Roadblock* (1978), Camera Operator

---
© 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/thomas-e-ackerman