Mikael Salomon (born 24 February 1945) is a
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
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
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
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 atmosphere ...
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 advertisin ...
. 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 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, post ...
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 atmosphere ...
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 h ...
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 ...
,
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 ar ...
, 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, hono ...
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
Hollywood 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, tw ...
, 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 w ...
-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, interstellar ...
''
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 p ...
s like
''Always'',
''Backdraft'', and ''
Far and Away
''Far and Away'' is a 1992 American epic Western romantic adventure drama film directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Bob Dolman and a story by Howard and Dolman. It stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. This was the last cinematography cr ...
'', 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. Spie ...
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''. He ...
.
In 1993, Salomon directed ''
A Far Off Place'', an
adventure drama film
An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, anima ...
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 Mozam ...
, replacing original director René Manzor after being recommended to producer
Kathleen Kennedy by
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. Spie ...
. 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 unive ...
series
''Space Rangers'', beginning a career as 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 ...
. 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
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 ...
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
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 organization ...
.
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, television drama, dramas, and ...
.
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
Young Arthur was a pilot episode for a 2002 Universal Television, NBC TV drama about the childhood of King Arthur. The pilot was directed by Mikael Salomon and written by Remi Aubuchon and Graham Yost. It was not picked up as a full series.
Bac ...
'' (2002)
* '' Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor'' (2003)
* '' Flirting with Forty'' (2008)
* ''Natalee Holloway Natalee is a female given name. It is a variant of the name Natalie, though uncommon according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Notable people with the name include:
* Natalee Caple (born 1970), Canadian author of novels and poetry
* Natalee Holloway (b ...
'' (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.
Pl ...
'' (2010)
* ''Drew Peterson: Untouchable'' (2012)
* '' Blue Lagoon: The Awakening'' (2012)
* '' Big Driver'' (2014)
Film
Director
* '' A Far Off Place'' (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
The Robert Award for Best Cinematography ( da, Robert Prisen for årets fotograf) is one of the merit awards presented by the Danish Film Academy at the annual Robert Awards ceremony. The award has been handed out since 1984.
Honorees 1980s
* ...
: '
* 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
Richard Loncraine (born 20 October 1946) is a British film and television director.
Loncraine was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
Loncraine received early training in the features department of the BBC, including a season directing i ...
, David Nutter
David Nutter (born 1960) is an American television and film director and television producer. He is best known for directing pilot episodes for television. In 2015, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Serie ...
, 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
Tony To is a television producer and director and current president of production and development at Lucasfilm. He is best known for producing and also directing for the HBO miniseries '' Band of Brothers'', for which he won an Emmy Award. To ...
, Erik Jendresen, John Orloff, E. Max Frye
Eric Max Frye (born 1956) is an American screenwriter and film director from Oregon. In 2015, he received an Academy Award nomination for co-writing, with Dan Futterman, the original screenplay for ''Foxcatcher''.
Early life and education
Fry ...
, 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
Bruce C. McKenna (born March 14, 1962) is an American writer for television and film. He was the co-executive producer, creator, principal writer and researcher on the 2010 HBO 10 part mini-series, '' The Pacific'', which was co-produced by Steve ...
, Erik Bork, Mary Richards, 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. Spie ...
, Stephen E. Ambrose, Gary Goetzman
Gary Michael Goetzman (born November 6, 1952) is an American film and television producer and actor, and co-founder of the production company Playtone with actor Tom Hanks.
Life and career
Born in Los Angeles, Goetzman began his career as a chi ...
)
* 2002 : ''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
Richard Loncraine (born 20 October 1946) is a British film and television director.
Loncraine was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
Loncraine received early training in the features department of the BBC, including a season directing i ...
, David Nutter
David Nutter (born 1960) is an American television and film director and television producer. He is best known for directing pilot episodes for television. In 2015, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Serie ...
, 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
Tony To is a television producer and director and current president of production and development at Lucasfilm. He is best known for producing and also directing for the HBO miniseries '' Band of Brothers'', for which he won an Emmy Award. To ...
)
Nominated
* 1990 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 ...
: ''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 ...
''
* 1990 ASC Award for Outstanding Cinematography in a Theatrical Release: ''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 ...
''
* 1992 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects: ''Backdraft'' (with Clay Pinney
Clay Pinney is an American special effects artist who has won an Academy Award for visual effects as well as an Academy Award for Technical Achievement.
Oscar History
Both are in the category of Best Visual Effects.
*64th Academy Awards-Nomi ...
, 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
Clay Pinney is an American special effects artist who has won an Academy Award for visual effects as well as an Academy Award for Technical Achievement.
Oscar History
Both are in the category of Best Visual Effects.
*64th Academy Awards-Nomi ...
, 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 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 ...
for Outstanding Directing in a Movie for Television/Miniseries: ''The Company''
* 2009 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 ...
for Outstanding Directing in a Movie for Television/Miniseries: ''The Andromeda Strain''
* 2011 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 ...
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