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Mitchell Amundsen

Mitchell Amundsen

Cinematographer · Born May 31, 1958 (68) · San Francisco, California, USA

Mitchell "Mitch" Amundsen (born May 31, 1958) is an American cinematographer. He grew up in Larkspur, Marin County (north of San Francisco). During his high school years he became interested in still photography and studied film at the Montana State University in Bozeman. There, he took classes on motion pictures, which sparked his interest in cinematography. In 1980, Mitch left the university to work for $100/week on the production of the Francis Ford Coppola film One from the Heart (1981), and his subsequent features, Rumble Fish (1983) and The Outsiders (1983), working as a production assistant. He worked his way up as a camera assistant, then a camera operator, and debuted as a cinematographer on the comedy The Country Bears (2002). Mitch has continued to amass credits as a cinematographer working on tent-poles such as Transformers (2007), Wanted (2008) and Now You See Me (2013). In 2008, he was named one of Variety's "10 Cinematographers to Watch". Mitch lives with his wife in Mammoth Lakes, CA.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 31, 1958 (68)
From
San Francisco, California, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
40 on MovieCove · 42 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 63 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

What are Mitchell Amundsen's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 22nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary 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
30%
Morality
27%
Self
25%
Survival
7%
Society
7%
Power
5%
Family bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 14 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 6 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 5

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 3 · Intense 7

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

A split, not a type: Steady 9 · Shifting 7 · 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 3 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 9

Relentless: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their relentless movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 9

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

Casual 12 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
10
Joyful
9
Tense
7
Absurd
7
Warm
5
Other
9

How their films linger

Fun13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy14
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous1

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 Mitchell Amundsen's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 32 of their 40 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mitchell Amundsen'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

42 credits, 40 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Underdoggs(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Renfield(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Cheaper by the Dozen(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Home Sweet Home Alone(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • The Happytime Murders(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • A Bad Moms Christmas(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • CHIPS(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Ride Along 2(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Horrible Bosses 2(2014)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(2014)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Closed Set (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Now You See Me(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Odd Thomas(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Premium Rush(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Red Dawn(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Jonah Hex(2010)

    Cinematographer · as Customer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • High School(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Wanted(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Transformers(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Transporter 2(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Island(2005)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Bourne Supremacy(2004)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Seabiscuit(2003)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Ultimate X: The Movie(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Country Bears(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Pearl Harbor(2001)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Red Planet(2000)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Edtv(1999)

    Camera Operator · Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Armageddon(1998)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Conspiracy Theory(1997)

    "A" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Empire Records(1995)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Bad Girls(1994)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • In the Line of Fire(1993)

    "B" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Benny & Joon(1993)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Bad Influence(1990)

    Focus Puller

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Heathers(1989)

    Focus Puller

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Glass Menagerie(1987)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Raising Arizona(1987)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Making of 'One from the Heart' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Sound

Career shape

A full career of 42 titles from 1982 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Transformers (2007)

$710M worldwide

Highest rated

Now You See Me (2013)

Midcredits 86th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 42: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting1 of 42: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleCinematography30 of 42: 27 only cinematography, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score40thOther crew13 of 42: 12 only other crew, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score71st

42 titles, 3 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1980s4 · crew1990s8 · crew2000s13 · crew2010s13 · 1 acting · 13 crew2020s4 · 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 Mitchell Amundsen's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 40; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 34th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

34thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 40 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 40 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive2
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · cinematographer

Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (2009)

99th percentile spread · 66% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Midcredits 96th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 55/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 66, detractors 38. 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 Mitchell Amundsen's work okay for kids?

Across up to 15 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles16–64 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity15 titles26–67 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity13 titles42–87 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs13 titles22–63 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense14 titles10–60 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Mitchell Amundsen work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mitchell Amundsen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Christopher Lennertz shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles