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Shane Hurlbut

Shane Hurlbut

Cinematographer · Born February 18, 1964 (62) · Ithaca, New York, USA

Director of photography Shane Hurlbut, ASC works at the forefront of cinema as a storyteller, innovator and discerning collaborator, who brings more than three decades of experience to his art. Hurlbut recently wrapped Clashing Through the Snow with director Carlson Young, and Way of the Warrior Kid with long-time collaborator McG, starring Chris Pratt. Both features are set for release in November 2026. His television work includes the Netflix limited series The Perfect Couple, directed by Susanne Bier and starring Nicole Kidman, Dakota Fanning, and Liev Schreiber. Set against the backdrop of Nantucket, the series unfolds a mystery that keeps audiences guessing until the very end. In addition to these projects, Shane also completed work on the Amazon Prime feature Música, directed by Rudy Mancuso. The film premiered at SXSW to widespread critical acclaim before launching on Prime Video, telling the poignant story of a young man with synesthesia navigating life and Brazilian culture in Newark, New Jersey. Hurlbut has built his career on lasting creative partnerships with a range of talented directors. His collaborations with Gabriele Muccino include Fathers and Daughters and A Casa Tutti Bene, while his work with McG spans Terminator: Salvation, We Are Marshall, Rim of the World, and The Babysitter. He has also teamed with Charles Stone III on Drumline and Mr. 3000 and with Scott Waugh on Need for Speed and Act of Valor. His partnership with Rob Cohen began with his debut feature, The Rat Pack, which earned Hurlbut a Best Cinematography nomination from the American Society of Cinematographers, making him the youngest nominee to date, and continued with The Skulls. His additional film credits include Safety, directed by Reggie Hudlin; Holidate, directed by John Whitesell; Swing Vote; Semi-Pro; Into the Blue; Crazy/Beautiful; The Greatest Game Ever Played; 11:14; Deadfall; and The Adventurers. His television credits include the Netflix limited series The Perfect Couple, the pilot of Resident Alien, and AMC's Into the Badlands. Earlier in his career, Hurlbut photographed iconic music videos including Guns N' Roses' November Rain and collaborated with artists Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, The Rolling Stones, and Nirvana. His debut feature film, The Rat Pack, received critical acclaim and earned him a nomination from the American Society of Cinematographers, making him the youngest nominee to date. A recognized mentor to his fellow DPs, Hurlbut is based in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife Lydia, Co-Founder of Filmmakers Academy. This award-winning professional filmmakers platform fast-tracks members' careers in the content and entertainment industry, helping them master their craft. Hurlbut is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers, the International Cinematographers Guild/Local 600, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
February 18, 1964 (62)
From
Ithaca, New York, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
31 on MovieCove · 35 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 37% in 30 days

What are Shane Hurlbut's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama 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
19%
Self
19%
Survival
14%
Power
13%
Society
4%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 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 11 · Serious 6 · Dark 6

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 13 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 11 · Intense 8

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 2

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 11 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 5

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 4

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

Casual 9 · Engaged 12 · 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 11 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 4

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

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Melancholic
8
Thrilling
7
Hopeful
10
Romantic
5
Other
25

How their films linger

Hopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet13

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 Shane Hurlbut's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 23 of their 31 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Shane Hurlbut'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

35 credits, 31 with a MovieCove page.

  • Way of the Warrior Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Cinematographer

  • The Perfect Couple(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Música(2024)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Tall Girl 2(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Love Hard(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Resident Alien(2021)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Safety(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Holidate(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Rim of the World(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • There's No Place Like Home(2018)

    Cinematographer · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Babysitter(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Adventurers(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Into the Badlands(2015)

    Show 16 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Fathers & Daughters(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Need for Speed(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Deadfall(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Act of Valor(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Cinematographer

  • The Last 3 Minutes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Cinematographer · Producer

  • Terminator Salvation(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Swing Vote(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Semi-Pro(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • We Are Marshall(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Waist Deep(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Something New(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Into the Blue(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Greatest Game Ever Played(2005)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • 11:14(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Mr. 3000(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Drumline(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Crazy/Beautiful(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Skulls(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Robber (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Cinematographer

  • The Rat Pack(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Phantasm II(1988)

    Grip

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 35 titles, 34 of them dated from 1988 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Terminator Salvation (2009)

$371M worldwide

Highest rated

The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

Terminator Salvation (2009)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Producing1 of 35: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleCinematography34 of 35: 32 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdOther crew2 of 35: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s2 · crew2000s13 · crew2010s11 · crew2020s7 · 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 Shane Hurlbut's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of all 28; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 31 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 31 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · cinematographer

Rim of the World (2019)

63rd percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)

Midcredits 91st · 83% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 64/100 in their films, across 20 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 46. 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 Shane Hurlbut's work okay for kids?

Across up to 18 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles18–88 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity18 titles10–51 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity15 titles40–78 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs13 titles9–44 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense14 titles8–65 · median 44 · 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 Shane Hurlbut work with?

People who share at least 2 of Shane Hurlbut's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; McG shares the most, 8.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers