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Russell Carpenter

Russell Carpenter

Cinematographer, also producer and actor · Born December 9, 1950 (75) · Van Nuys, California, USA

Oscar winner · BAFTA Award nominee · 1 other major award body

Russell Paul Carpenter, ASC (born December 9, 1950) is an American cinematographer and photographer, known for collaborating with directors James Cameron, Robert Luketic, and McG. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for the 1997 Best Picture-winning film Titanic. Much of his work has been in blockbuster films, including Hard Target (1993), True Lies (1994), Charlie's Angels (2000) and its sequel Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Ant-Man (2015), and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). His documentary cinematography includes George Harrison: Living in the Material World, directed by Martin Scorsese. It earned six nominations at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming for the cinematography team. In 2018, Carpenter received the American Society of Cinematographers' Lifetime Achievement Award. Description above from the Wikipedia article Russell Carpenter, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 9, 1950 (75)
From
Van Nuys, California, USA
Works as
Cinematographer, also producer and actor
Titles
42 on MovieCove · 47 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

What are Russell Carpenter's films like?

Across their 39 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Fantasy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 17th percentile
: browse their Fantasy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Morality
21%
Self
18%
Survival
16%
Power
5%
Society
4%
Ideas
3%
Survival11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 39 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 17 · Serious 9 · Dark 13

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 16 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 11

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 19 · Intense 18

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 22 · Whiplash 9

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 13

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 11

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 17 · Engaged 18 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 21 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 7

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 30 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
22
Thrilling
16
Joyful
11
Dread
8
Melancholic
11
Other
35

How their films linger

Fun18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 11 with a twist

  • Happy18
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Russell Carpenter's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 36 of their 42 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (18).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Russell Carpenter's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

47 credits, 42 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Avatar: Fire and Ash(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Avatar: The Way of Water(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness(2022)

    Additional Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Noelle(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • xXx: Return of Xander Cage(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Better Off Single(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Parched(2015)

    Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Ant-Man(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Return to Sender(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Beyond the Reach(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Locker 13(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Jobs(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • This Means War(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • George Harrison: Living in the Material World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

  • A Little Bit of Heaven(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Killers(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Ugly Truth(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • 21(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Awake(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Lucifer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Cinematographer

  • Monster-in-Law(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Noel(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Shallow Hal(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Charlie's Angels(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Negotiator(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Titanic(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Ghosts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

  • Money Talks(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Indian in the Cupboard(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • True Lies(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Hard Target(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Pet Sematary II(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Solar Crisis(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • The Lawnmower Man(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Perfect Weapon(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Death Warrant(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Puppet Master(1989)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Wizard of Speed and Time(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Cameron's Closet(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Critters 2: The Main Course(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Lady in White(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Critters(1986)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Lemon Grove Incident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • Sole Survivor(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Last Resort (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 46 titles, 45 of them dated from 1984 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

$2.3B worldwide

Highest rated

Titanic (1997)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Producing1 of 46: 1 only producing, 0 with another roleCinematography44 of 46: 44 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score46thOther crew1 of 46: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1980s8 · crew1990s13 · crew2000s9 · crew2010s12 · crew2020s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

an Oscar from 3 major nominations, 1998–2023.

WinNomination
  1. 2023
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  2. 1998
    • Oscar, won · Best Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Russell Carpenter's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 45th percentile, the median of all 42; across their 39 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 41st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Approval · how many liked their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Midcredits score across 42 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th14
  • Below 25th12

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 42 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Universally Panned2
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed14

Most divisive · cinematographer

Locker 13 (2014)

76th percentile spread · 42% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Titanic (1997)

Midcredits 97th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 60/100 in their films, across 35 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Russell Carpenter's work okay for kids?

Across up to 33 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore27 titles24–87 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity33 titles23–56 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity27 titles39–80 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs25 titles23–46 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense26 titles17–80 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Russell Carpenter work with?

People who share at least 2 of Russell Carpenter's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; James Cameron shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles