Ben Seresin
Ben Seresin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Benjamin Paul Seresin 3 November 1962[1] Wellington, New Zealand |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Relatives | Michael Seresin (brother) |
| Website | www |
Benjamin Paul Seresin, BSC, ASC (born 3 November 1962) is a New Zealand cinematographer best known for his work in blockbuster action films.[2][3]
Early life
Seresin was born in 1962. His father, Harry Seresin, was a Jewish emigrant from Germany who became a prominent figure in the hospitality and café industry in Wellington.[4] He is the younger brother of Michael Seresin, who is also a cinematographer.
Career
At the age of 18, he moved to Australia to enter the film industry. After serving as a camera assistant for four years, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he has lived since 1992.[1]
Seresin described his approach to his work as "detached". “As a DP, you have to learn to both trust your eye and to be brave enough to say to the director ‘This is the wrong decision’".[5]
He has been a member of the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) since 2010, and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) since 2011.[6]
Filmography
Short films
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Hearts & Arrows | Benjamin Millepied |
| 2024 | Sicker than the Patients | Henry Hobson |
| 2025 | A Disney Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever | Taika Waititi |
Feature films
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The James Gang | Mike Barker | |
| 1999 | Best Laid Plans | ||
| 2000 | Circus | Rob Walker | |
| 2001 | Lara Croft: Tomb Raider | Simon West | 2nd unit photography |
| 2003 | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | Jonathan Mostow | |
| 2004 | A Good Woman | Mike Barker | |
| 2007 | Gone | Ringan Ledwidge | |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | Gore Verbinski | Additional photography[a] | |
| 2009 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | Michael Bay | |
| 2010 | Unstoppable | Tony Scott | |
| 2011 | The Sorcerer's Apprentice | Jon Turteltaub | Additional photography[7] |
| X-Men: First Class | Matthew Vaughn | Replaced by John Mathieson[7] | |
| 2013 | Broken City | Allen Hughes | |
| Pain & Gain | Michael Bay | ||
| World War Z | Marc Forster | Replaced Newton Thomas Sigel[7][b] | |
| 2017 | The Mummy | Alex Kurtzman | |
| 2021 | Chaos Walking | Doug Liman | |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | Adam Wingard | ||
| 2023 | The Mother | Niki Caro | |
| 2024 | Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | Adam Wingard |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | He-Play | Mike Cuff | Episode "Keeper" |
| 1996 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Maurice Phillips | Episode "An Advancement of Learning" |
| 2003 | Keen Eddie | Simon West | Episode "Pilot" |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Go Back Out | Mike Barker |
| 1997 | The Grimleys | Declan Lowney |
| 2009 | Free Agents | Richard Laxton |
Documentary works
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann | Chris Smith | With Josep M. Civit, Geoffrey Sentamu, Patrick Smith, James Watson and Benjamin Michael Wearing |
| And We Go Green | Fisher Stevens Malcolm Venville |
With Lucas Bielan, Daniel Carter, Damien Drake, Adam Kimmel, Tobias A. Schliessler and Jean-Michel Tibi | |
| 2022 | Branson | Chris Smith | With Tim Cragg and Geoffrey Sentamu |
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satellite Awards | 2010 | Best Cinematography | Unstoppable | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b "Ben Seresin". Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- ^ "Oddball on the set". New Straits Times. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- ^ "Satellite Awards Nominate 'Inception' (and Everything Else)". TheWrap. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- ^ "Harry Seresin's coffee gallery | NZ History". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ^ "New York Film Academy: Making Its Name Step by Step". Nycppnews.com. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ "'Broken City' Director of Photography Chats at NYFA Union Square - New York Film Academy Blog". Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
- ^ a b c d "BEN SERESIN". cinematographers.nl. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ^ Staff, The Playlist; Jagernauth, Kevin (3 February 2016). "Watch: Robert Richardson Explains Why He Took His Name Off 'World War Z' And More In 58-Minute Cinematographer Talk". The Playlist. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
- ^ "World War Z (2013) - DP: Ben Seresin". Sheldon J. Walker | Cinematographer. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
Notes
- ^ Oversaw final 5 weeks of principal photography.[7]
- ^ Robert Richardson was the original director of photography, left during principal photography due to production delays and was replaced by Newton Thomas Sigel. Richardson and Sigel declined to return for extensive reshoots, and were replaced by Seresin. Seresin received sole cinematography credit.[8][9]