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Sandi Sissel

Sandi Sissel

Cinematographer, also director · Born August 9, 1949 (77)

Born
August 9, 1949 (77)
Works as
Cinematographer, also director
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 53 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 9% in 30 days

What are Sandi Sissel's films like?

Across their 26 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Documentary9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Adventure 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
Self
21%
Bonds
19%
Power
17%
Society
13%
Morality
12%
Survival
11%
Ideas
7%
Justice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 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 13 · Serious 7 · Dark 6

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

Grounded 20 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 10 · Charged 9 · Intense 7

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

Steady 15 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 1

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 16 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 4

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 12 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 1

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 12 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 6

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

Resolved 22 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
10
Hopeful
10
Warm
8
Joyful
6
Other
20

How their films linger

Hopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous5
  • Cyclical1
  • Other1

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 Sandi Sissel's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sandi Sissel'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

53 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Karaoke Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Cinematographer · Executive Producer

  • Free Angela and All Political Prisoners(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Meet the Browns(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Black Knight(2001)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Blow(2001)

    "B" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Young Americans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 8 episodes · Cinematographer

  • The Endurance(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Passion's Way(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me(1999)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Mod Squad(1999)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Barney's Great Adventure(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Toothless(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • Night Sins(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Night Sins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Soul of the Game(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Radiant City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Suddenly(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Dad, the Angel & Me(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Great Mom Swap(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Dragstrip Girl(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Camp Nowhere(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Full Eclipse(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • It's Nothing Personal(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • In the Company of Darkness(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The People Under the Stairs(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • No Secrets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Cinematographer

  • Keeping Secrets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Cinematographer

  • The Flash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Cinematographer

  • Rising Son(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Lou Reed and John Cale: Songs for Drella (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Camera Operator

  • Drug Wars: The Camarena Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Heavy Petting(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • That Rhythm, Those Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Cinematographer

  • Calling the Shots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Cinematographer

  • Salaam Bombay!(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Lily Tomlin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Additional Camera

  • The Believers(1987)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold(1986)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Mother Teresa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Cinematographer

  • The Global Assembly Line (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Cinematographer

  • Witness to War: Dr. Charlie Clements (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • Speaking Our Peace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • Before Stonewall(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • High Wire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Chicken Ranch(1982)

    Director · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Anarchism in America(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Traveling Hopefully(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Rush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Gaffer

  • Best Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Assistant Camera

  • Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Additional Photography

  • The Wobblies(1979)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 45 titles from 1979 to 2013.

Biggest box office

Meet the Browns (2008)

$42M worldwide

Highest rated

Salaam Bombay! (1988)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing2 of 45: 1 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 45: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography36 of 45: 34 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score42ndOther crew8 of 45: 8 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s2 · crew1980s14 · crew1990s23 · crew2000s4 · crew2010s2 · 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.

How do Sandi Sissel's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 32; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 32 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Universally Panned2
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · cinematographer

Barney's Great Adventure (1998)

96th percentile spread · 64% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Salaam Bombay! (1988)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 53/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 64, detractors 31. 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 Sandi Sissel's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 4 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 63 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles33–45 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 33

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 Sandi Sissel work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sandi Sissel's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Robert Allan Ackerman shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers