Mikael Salomon (born 24 February 1945) is a Danish

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

, director and producer of

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

. After a long cinematography career in

Danish cinema Denmark has been producing films since 1897 and since the 1980s has maintained a steady stream of product due largely to funding by the state-supported Danish Film Institute. Historically, Danish films have been noted for their realism, religiou ...

, he transitioned to the

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, ...

in the late 1980s earning two

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominations. He is also a

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

whose credits include dozens of

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

and

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

including '' Band of Brothers,

Salem's Lot ''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he l ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

,'' and ''The Andromeda Strain''. His awards and nominations include a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

and a

Directors Guild of America Award The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Catego ...

Life and career

Born in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...

, Denmark, Salomon photographed dozens of films in his native country, earning awards including the

Robert Award The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

and

Bodil Awards The Bodil Awards are the major Danish film awards given by the Danish Film Critics Association. The awards are presented annually at a ceremony in Copenhagen. Established in 1948, it is one of the oldest film awards in Europe. The awards are give ...

. In the late 1980s, he relocated to

and shot his first mainstream American film with ''Torch Song Trilogy'', a 1988

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

starring

Harvey Fierstein Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for his theater work in '' Torch Song Trilogy'' and '' Hairspray'' and movie roles in '' Mrs. Doubtfire'', ''Independence Day'', an ...

Anne Bancroft Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two ...

, and

Matthew Broderick Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. His roles include the Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of the title character in '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), the voice of adult Simba in Disney's ''The Lion King'' (1994) ...

. The following year, he shot the

James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post- New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability ...

-helmed

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstel ...

The Abyss ''The Abyss'' is a 1989 American science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron and starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. When an American submarine sinks in the Caribbean, a US search and recovery tea ...

'', a film that helped to pioneer the field of computer-generated

visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...

. Salomon used three cameras in watertight housings that were specially designed.Blair September 1989, p. 58. Another special housing was designed for scenes that went from above-water dialogue to below-water dialogue. The filmmakers had to figure out how to keep the water clear enough to shoot and dark enough to look realistic at 2,000 feet (700 m), which was achieved by floating a thick layer of plastic beads in the water and covering the top of the tank with an enormous

tarpaulin A tarpaulin ( , ) or tarp is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with polyurethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. Tarpaulins often have reinforce ...

. His work on the film earned Salomon a nomination for an

Academy Award for Best Cinematography The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work on one particular motion picture. History In its first film season, 1927–28, this award (like others such as the acting awards) w ...

. In the following years, Salomon shot several

blockbuster film A blockbuster is a work of entertainment—typically used to describe a feature film produced by a major film studio, but also other media—that is highly popular and financially successful. The term has also come to refer to any large-budget pr ...

s like ''Always'', ''Backdraft'', and '' Far and Away'', collaborating with directors like

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

and

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...

. In 1993, Salomon directed ''

A Far Off Place ''A Far Off Place'' (aka ''Far Off Place'' and ''Kalahari'') is a 1993 American adventure drama film based on Laurens van der Post's works ''A Far Off Place'' (1974) and its prequel, ''A Story Like the Wind'' (1972). It stars Reese Witherspoon, E ...

'', an adventure drama film filmed on location in

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

and

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

, replacing original director René Manzor after being recommended to producer Kathleen Kennedy by

. That same year, he directed an episode of the short-lived

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

series ''Space Rangers'', beginning a career as a

. In 1998, he directed the

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

-nominated '' Aftershock: Earthquake in New York'', the first in many television miniseries which Salomon would helm. The most notable of these was ''Band of Brothers'', a 10-part series executive produced by Spielberg for which Salomon won a

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special This is a list of the winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Chronology of category names Over the years, the scope of this award has evolved and the name with which ...

and a

Christopher Award The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organizatio ...

. Since then, Salomon has over thirty-five programs, including the miniseries adaptations of ''The Andromeda Strain'' and ''Coma'' broadcast on the

A&E Network A&E is an American basic cable network, the flagship television property of A&E Networks. The network was originally founded in 1984 as the Arts & Entertainment Network, initially focusing on fine arts, documentaries, dramas, and educational ent ...

Personal life

Salomon is of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

descent on one parent's side.'No sugarcoating’ as first movie on ’67 battle for Jerusalem takes shape.'
Hoffman, Jordan. ''The Times of Israel''. ''The Times of Israel''. Published 9 June 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2017.

Filmography

Television

TV series Miniseries TV movies * '' Sole Survivor'' (2000) * '' A Glimpse of Hell'' (2001) * '' Young Arthur'' (2002) * '' Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor'' (2003) * '' Flirting with Forty'' (2008) * '' Natalee Holloway'' (2008) * '' Who Is Clark Rockefeller?'' (2010) * ''

The Lost Future ''The Lost Future'' is a 2010 South African-German post-apocalyptic film from Syfy, directed by Mikael Salomon and written by Jonas Bauer. The film stars Sean Bean, Corey Sevier and Sam Claflin. It was released on DVD on 27 September 2011. Plo ...

'' (2010) * ''Drew Peterson: Untouchable'' (2012) * '' Blue Lagoon: The Awakening'' (2012) * ''

Big Driver ''Big Driver'' is a novella by American writer Stephen King, published in his collection '' Full Dark, No Stars'' (2010). An excerpt was published in the November 12, 2010 issue of ''Entertainment Weekly''.A Far Off Place ''A Far Off Place'' (aka ''Far Off Place'' and ''Kalahari'') is a 1993 American adventure drama film based on Laurens van der Post's works ''A Far Off Place'' (1974) and its prequel, ''A Story Like the Wind'' (1972). It stars Reese Witherspoon, E ...

'' (1993) * '' Hard Rain'' (1998) * ''

Freezer A refrigerator, colloquially fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to its external environment so th ...

'' (2014) (Direct-to-video) Cinematographer

Awards and nominations

Won

* 1976 Bodil Special Award for Cinematography * 1986 Robert Award for Best Cinematography: ' * 1989

CableACE Award The CableACE Award (earlier known as the ACE Awards; ACE was an acronym for "Award for Cable Excellence") is a defunct award that was given by what was then the National Cable Television Association from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in Am ...

for Direction of Photography and/or Lighting Direction for a Dramatic or Theatrical Special/Movie or Miniseries: ''

The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains ''The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains'' is a 1987 American drama film directed by Daniel Mann and written by Michael Campus. The film stars Val Kilmer, Charles Durning, Sônia Braga, Kyra Sedgwick, James Keach, Elisha Cook, Jr. and Clancy Brown. The fi ...

'' * 2002 Christopher Television & Cable Award: ''Band of Brothers'' (with

Phil Alden Robinson Phil Alden Robinson (born March 1, 1950) is an American film director and screenwriter whose films include ''Field of Dreams'', ''Sneakers (1992 film), Sneakers'', and ''The Sum of All Fears (film), The Sum of All Fears''. Early life and educatio ...

, Richard Loncraine, David Nutter,

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

David Leland David Leland (born 20 April 1947) is an English film director, screenwriter and actor who came to international fame with his directorial debut ''Wish You Were Here'' in 1987. Life He initially trained as an actor at Central School of Speech ...

David Frankel David Frankel (born April 2, 1959) is an American filmmaker. Most known as the director of 2006 film, '' The Devil Wears Prada'', he is an executive producer and the director of the first and fourth episodes of the Netflix miniseries ''Inventing ...

. Tony To,

Erik Jendresen Erik Jendresen is an American author, playwright, screenwriter and producer of plays, television, and film. Previous projects include '' Killing Lincoln'', co-produced with Tony and Ridley Scott for the National Geographic Channel; a series bas ...

John Orloff John Orloff is an American screenwriter. Early life Orloff was born in Los Angeles, California, where he was raised in a "Hollywood" family. His father, also named John Orloff, was a TV commercial director. His grandmother was B-movie actress ...

, E. Max Frye,

Graham Yost Graham John Yost (born September 5, 1959) is a Canadian film and television screenwriter. His best-known works are the films ''Speed'', '' Broken Arrow'', and '' Hard Rain'' and the TV series '' Justified''. Early life, family and education Yo ...

, Bruce C. McKenna, Erik Bork, Mary Richards,

, Stephen E. Ambrose, Gary Goetzman) * 2002

: ''Band of Brothers'' (with

, Richard Loncraine, David Nutter,

, Tony To)

Nominated

* 1990

: ''

'' * 1990 ASC Award for Outstanding Cinematography in a Theatrical Release: ''

'' * 1992

Academy Award for Best Visual Effects The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects. History of the award The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects ...

: ''Backdraft'' (with Clay Pinney, Allen Hall, Scott Farrar) * 1992

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

for Best Visual Effects: ''Backdraft'' (with Clay Pinney, Allen Hall, Scott Farrar) * 2008

: ''The Company'' * 2008

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series represents excellence in the category of limited series that are two or more episodes, with a total running time of at least 150 minutes. Criteria The program must tell a compl ...

: ''The Andromeda Strain'' * 2008

for Outstanding Directing in a Movie for Television/Miniseries: ''The Company'' * 2009

for Outstanding Directing in a Movie for Television/Miniseries: ''The Andromeda Strain'' * 2011

for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs: ''Unnatural History''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Salomon, Mikael 1945 births Danish cinematographers Danish film directors Danish people of Jewish descent Danish television directors Living people People from Copenhagen Primetime Emmy Award winners Bodil Honorary Award recipients