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Robert Primes

Cinematographer · Born January 10, 1940 (86) · San Francisco, California, USA

Born
January 10, 1940 (86)
From
San Francisco, California, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 39 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 31% in 30 days

What are Robert Primes' films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 28th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 19th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 18th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st 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
Self
30%
Morality
22%
Bonds
19%
Power
12%
Society
10%
Survival
4%
Ideas
2%
Identity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 12 · Serious 5 · Dark 2

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 8 · Intense 5

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 7

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 4

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

Casual 13 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Absurd
9
Joyful
5
Thrilling
5
Warm
3
Other
19

How their films linger

Fun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical1

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 Robert Primes' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 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 Robert Primes' 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

39 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page.

  • Ca$h(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Vegas, Baby(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Baadasssss!(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Las Vegas(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows

  • The Sandy Bottom Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • Young Americans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 8 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Quantum Project (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • Sealed with a Kiss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Cinematographer

  • A Murder of Crows(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Blood on Her Hands(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Money Talks(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Crowned and Dangerous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

  • A Friend's Betrayal(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Harrison: Cry of the City(1996)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • She Fought Alone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • Charlie Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · Main Title Designer

  • My Antonia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • Murder or Memory: A Moment of Truth Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Cinematographer

  • Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult(1994)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Aspen Extreme(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Silk Stalkings(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • The Hard Way(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Bird on a Wire(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Quantum Leap(1989)

    Show 11 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Mickey's 60th Birthday(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Great Wall Is a Great Wall(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Crimewave(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • 16 Days of Glory(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • They Call Me Bruce(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Lovely But Deadly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Cinematographer

  • Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Cuba Crossing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Cinematographer

  • Getting Wasted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Additional Photography

  • The Secret Life of Plants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Cinematographer

  • Rescue from Gilligan's Island(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Stunt Rock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Cinematographer

  • The Grateful Dead Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

  • Never Give Up: Imogen Cunningham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles from 1976 to 2010.

Biggest box office

Bird on a Wire (1990)

$139M worldwide

Highest rated

Baadasssss! (2003)

Midcredits 83rd

Most popular right now

Bird on a Wire (1990)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 37: 1 only directing, 0 with another roleCinematography33 of 37: 33 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score39thOther crew3 of 37: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s5 · crew1980s9 · crew1990s16 · crew2000s6 · crew2010s1 · 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.

How do Robert Primes' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 37th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 33rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

33rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 23 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · cinematographer

Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype (1980)

81st percentile spread · 51% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Quantum Leap (1989)

Midcredits 94th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 53/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 63, detractors 40. 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 Robert Primes' work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 61 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles17–56 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 89 · severeMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 33

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 Robert Primes work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert Primes' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Badham shares the most, 2.

Directors

Editors

Producers