
Don Burgess
Personal Info
Known for
Camera
Gender
Male
Birthday
1956-05-28 (68 years old)
Place of Birth
Santa Monica, California, USA
Don Burgess
Biography
Don Michael Burgess, ASC (born May 28, 1956) is an American cinematographer, best known for his collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis. He was nominated for the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography for Zemeckis' Forrest Gump (1994). In 2024, he received the American Society of Cinematographers' Lifetime Achievement Award.
Burgess comes from a family of builders and initially wanted to be an architect in his youth. His introduction to photography came through his father building a darkroom for his sister since she was in a high school photography class at the time. When in high school, he made ski movies and motorcycle movies. He attended the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena and cited nature documentarian Mike Hoover as an influence. While attending ArtCenter, he worked as a film loader on William Friedkin's Sorcerer (1977).
Burgess spent the first decade of his career shooting various independent and low-budget films, as well as nature documentaries for the National Geographic Channel. In 1987, he shot the full-motion video game Night Trap, which was eventually released in 1992.
He was also a second unit cinematographer on Runaway Train (1985), Cherry 2000 (1986), and Back to the Future Part II (1989) & Part III (1990), which brought him into contact with Robert Zemeckis.
In 1994, Zemeckis was the main cinematographer on Zemeckis' Forrest Gump, earning Oscar and BAFTA Award nominations for his work. He has subsequently worked with Zemeckis on 10 films, including Contact (1997), Cast Away (2000), and The Polar Express (2004). His work with other directors includes Spider-Man (2002), Enchanted (2007), The Book of Eli (2010), Source Code (2011), The Muppets (2011), 42 (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016), Aquaman (2018), and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023).
On March 3, 2024, Burgess received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Cinematographers.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Don Burgess (cinematographer), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Acting
(2025)
(2015)
Skateboarding's First Wave
as Self
(2004)
(2002)
(1996)
The Evening Star
as Stage Manager
Crew
(2024)
A Family Affair
Director of Photography
(2024)
Here
Director of Photography
(2023)
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Director of Photography
(2022)
Pinocchio
Director of Photography
(2020)
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two
Director of Photography
(2020)
Roald Dahl's The Witches
Director of Photography
(2019)
Sextuplets
Director of Photography
(2018)
Night Trap
Director of Photography
(2018)
Aquaman
Director of Photography
(2018)
The Christmas Chronicles
Director of Photography
(2017)
Wonder
Director of Photography
(2017)
Same Kind of Different as Me
Director of Photography
(2016)
The Conjuring 2
Director of Photography
(2016)
Allied
Director of Photography
(2016)
Monster Trucks
Director of Photography
(2015)
Skateboarding's First Wave
Director
(2014)
Muppets Most Wanted
Director of Photography
(2014)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
Camera Operator
(2014)
Divergent
Camera Operator
(2013)
42
Director of Photography
(2012)
Flight
Director of Photography
(2012)
The Avengers
Additional Photography
(2011)
Priest
Director of Photography
(2011)
Source Code
Director of Photography
(2011)
The Muppets
Director of Photography
(2010)
The Book of Eli
Director of Photography
(2009)
Aliens in the Attic
Director of Photography
(2008)
Fool's Gold
Director of Photography
(2007)
Enchanted
Director of Photography
(2007)
The Trap
Director of Photography
(2006)
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Director of Photography
(2006)
Eight Below
Director of Photography
(2004)
13 Going on 30
Director of Photography
(2004)
The Polar Express
Director of Photography
(2004)
Christmas with the Kranks
Director of Photography
(2003)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Director of Photography
(2003)
Radio
Director of Photography
(2002)
Spider-Man
Director of Photography
(2002)
The Bourne Identity
Additional Photography
(2000)
What Lies Beneath
Director of Photography
(2000)
Cast Away
Director of Photography
(1998)
Deep Impact
Additional Camera
(1997)
Contact
Director of Photography
(1996)
Executive Decision
Additional Photography
(1996)
The Evening Star
Director of Photography
(1995)
Forget Paris
Director of Photography
(1994)
Forrest Gump
Director of Photography
(1994)
Ri¢hie Ri¢h
Director of Photography
(1993)
Josh and S.A.M.
Director of Photography
(1992)
Death Becomes Her
Second Unit Director of Photography
(1992)
Mo' Money
Director of Photography
(1992)
Two-Fisted Tales
Director of Photography
(1991)
Nothing but Trouble
Second Unit Director of Photography
(1989)
Blind Fury
Director of Photography
(1989)
Under the Boardwalk
Director of Photography
(1989)
Breaking Point
Director of Photography
(1987)
World Gone Wild
Director of Photography
(1987)
Death Before Dishonor
Director of Photography
(1987)
Summer Camp Nightmare
Director of Photography
(1986)
The Night Stalker
Director of Photography
(1985)
Runaway Train
Second Unit Director of Photography
(1981)
Happy Birthday to Me
Camera Operator
(1981)
Ruckus
Director of Photography