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Don Lenzer

Don Lenzer

Cinematographer

2 Primetime Emmys

Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 55 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 23% in 30 days

What are Don Lenzer's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
40%
Self
22%
Ideas
20%
Bonds
6%
Power
5%
Survival
5%
Morality
3%
Community9 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy5 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 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 10 · Serious 3 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 12 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 9 · Charged 7 · Intense 0

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

Steady 12 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

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 5 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
12
Warm
9
Hopeful
8
Joyful
4
Melancholic
5
Other
13

How their films linger

Hopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet12
  • 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 Don Lenzer's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Don Lenzer'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

55 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • In Balanchine's Classroom(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Very Ralph(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • RUTH - Justice Ginsburg in her own Words(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Anita: Speaking Truth to Power(2013)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Eagles: Live At The Capital Centre March 1977 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Camera Operator

  • Wagner's Dream(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • When Strangers Click: Five Stories from the Internet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Cinematographer

  • On the Shoulders of Giants(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Smash His Camera(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Gonzo(2008)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Craft in America(2007)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Xiara's Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • The Education of Gore Vidal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Cinematographer

  • Throwing Curves: Eva Zeisel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • The Artist in Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Camera Operator

  • The Hamptons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • The Hamptons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Wallowitch & Ross: This Moment(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Source(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Influenza 1918 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Cinematographer

  • The Long Way Home(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Bill T. Jones: Still/Here (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

  • Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • One Hand Don't Clap(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Camera Operator

  • High Fidelity: The Adventures of the Guarneri String Quartet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Additional Camera

  • James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Cinematographer

  • A Hungry Feeling: The Life and Death of Brendan Behan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Cinematographer

  • A Vision Shared: A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Cinematographer

  • Eddie Murphy: Raw(1987)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Ten-Year Lunch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Cinematographer

  • Langston Hughes: The Dream Keeper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Cinematographer

  • Directed by William Wyler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Cinematographer

  • George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey(1984)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Yoko Ono: Then and Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Camera Operator

  • The Work I've Done (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Say Amen, Somebody(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Rush It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Cinematographer

  • Georgia O'Keeffe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

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

    Cinematographer

  • Another Bad Month for Grey's Grocery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

  • One More Year on the Family Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

  • Not a Pretty Picture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

  • Hearts and Minds(1974)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Profile: Dr. Ricardo Alegria (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Camera Operator

  • Street of the Flower Boxes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Camera Operator

  • Street Scenes 1970 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • Father Dan Berrigan: The Holy Outlaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Woodstock(1970)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Have You Heard of the San Francisco Mime Troupe? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • Napalm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor

  • The Primal Mind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 49 titles, 48 of them dated from 1967 to 2019.

Biggest box office

Say Amen, Somebody (1982)

$1.1M worldwide

Highest rated

Woodstock (1970)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Craft in America (2007)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing5 of 49: 2 only directing, 3 with another roleCinematography35 of 49: 32 only cinematography, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thEditing1 of 49: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew13 of 49: 12 only other crew, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score92nd

49 titles, 3 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1960s2 · crew1970s12 · crew1980s12 · crew1990s7 · crew2000s9 · crew2010s6 · 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

2 Primetime Emmys from 3 major nominations, 1996–1998.

WinNomination
  1. 1998
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Series
  2. 1997
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Informational Programming
  3. 1996
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Cultural Music-Dance Program

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 Don Lenzer's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 85th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 81st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th5

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · cinematographer

Wallowitch & Ross: This Moment (1999)

99th percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Woodstock (1970)

Midcredits 98th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 72/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 70. 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.

Who does Don Lenzer work with?

People who share at least 2 of Don Lenzer's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Freida Lee Mock shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers