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David Klein

David Klein

Cinematographer and actor

Primetime Emmy nominee

David Klein, A.S.C. (born December 1972) is an American cinematographer known for working with director Kevin Smith on the films Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Clerks II, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Cop Out, and Red State. Klein, a member of the American Society of Cinematographers, was the director of photography for True Blood on HBO and Homeland on Showtime. Klein was hired for the latter position beginning with Homeland's third season, taking over cinematographer duties from Nelson Cragg, who had served as the series' director of photography for two seasons. In 2020, Klein served as the cinematographer on an episode of The Mandalorian, "Chapter 14: The Tragedy," directed by Robert Rodriguez. He also served as cinematographer on multiple episodes of The Book of Boba Fett. Description above from the Wikipedia article David Klein (cinematographer), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Cinematographer and actor
Titles
23 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 156 days to Oct 27Up 30% in 30 days

What are David Klein's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 16th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th 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
37%
Self
17%
Morality
17%
Society
12%
Survival
11%
Power
4%
Ideas
3%
Friendship7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 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 9 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 9 · Intense 4

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

Steady 5 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 3

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 5 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 8

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 11 · Engaged 4 · 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 9 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 4

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Absurd
8
Tense
6
Joyful
5
Hopeful
3
Warm
6
Other
21

How their films linger

Feel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous3

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 David Klein's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Klein'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, 23 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu(2026)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Five Star Weekend(2026)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • A Valentine's Match (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Camera Operator

  • Skeleton Crew(2024)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • We Never Smiled in the 90’s (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Cinematographer

  • We're Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today: 3 Decades of Clerks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • The Book of Boba Fett(2021)

    Show 5 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • The Mandalorian(2019)

    Show 7 episodes · Additional Director of Photography · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Deadwood: The Movie(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Shooting Clerks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Rental Clerk

  • Runner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Cinematographer

  • The Story of Luke(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Homeland(2011)

    Show 57 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Red State(2011)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Honey 2(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Cop Out(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Good Time Max(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Zack and Miri Make a Porno(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Pushing Daisies(2007)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Flight 29 Down: The Hotel Tango (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Cinematographer

  • By Appointment Only (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Cinematographer

  • Novel Romance(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Clerks II(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Zyzzyx Road(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • The Ape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer · Producer

  • Flight 29 Down(2005)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows

  • Fool's Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer · Producer

  • Wild Roomies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • Wish You Were Dead(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Vulgar(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • State of Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 13 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Eyes to Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • Chasing Amy(1997)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer · Second Unit Director · Steadicam Operator

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Mallrats(1995)

    Cinematographer · as Fan at Comic Store

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Clerks(1994)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer · as Hunting Cap Smoking Boy / Low I.Q. Video Customer / Hubcap Searching Customer / Angry Mourner / Angry Crowd at Door

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 33 titles from 1994 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Cop Out (2010)

$56M worldwide

Highest rated

Clerks (1994)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

The Five Star Weekend (2026)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 33: 2 only acting, 2 with another roleProducing2 of 33: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleCinematography30 of 33: 23 only cinematography, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thOther crew5 of 33: 1 only other crew, 4 with another role

33 titles, 7 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1990s3 · 2 acting · 3 crew2000s15 · crew2010s9 · 1 acting · 8 crew2020s6 · 1 acting · 5 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.

Awards

3 major nominations and no wins, 2014–2019.

  1. 2019
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie
  2. 2016
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series
  3. 2014
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do David Klein's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 16 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 16

Approval · how many liked their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 23 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · cinematographer

Zyzzyx Road (2006)

87th percentile spread · 58% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Mandalorian (2019)

Midcredits 98th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 48/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 58, detractors 30. 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 David Klein's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run heavier than most films and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles29–87 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles35–73 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles76–97 · median 90 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles33–65 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles15–54 · median 25 · mildlighter than most 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 David Klein work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Klein's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kevin Smith shares the most, 9.

Directors

Actors

Composers

Producers

Mixed roles