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Motif

Rob Lyall

Cinematographer, director and producer

Works as
Cinematographer, director and producer
Titles
24 on Motif · 33 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 20% in 30 days

What are Rob Lyall's films like?

Across their 22 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Ideas.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
38%
Ideas
28%
Power
11%
Self
10%
Survival
8%
Bonds
5%
Legacy11 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth7 titles, browse their movies with this themeNature3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeWar3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTradition vs change2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 15 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

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 6 · Intense 2

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

Steady 16 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 0 · 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 3 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 7 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 3

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

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
15
Tense
6
Hopeful
6
Warm
5
Melancholic
3
Other
13

How their films linger

Thought-provoking14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet2
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous14
  • 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 Rob Lyall's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 24 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Paramount+ (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Rob Lyall's titles on Motif; 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

33 credits, 24 with a Motif page.

  • One Pill Can Kill (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • CSI on Trial (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer

  • China's Warrior Queen - Fu Hao(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Making Tracks on Mars(2021)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • She the People: Votes for Women (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2020)

    Writer

  • Battle of Little Bighorn(2020)

    Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Expedition Amelia(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Lost City of Machu Picchu(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth(2017)

    Cinematographer · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • The Real Mad Men of Advertising(2017)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Lincoln's Last Day(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Star-Spangled Story: Battle for America(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ghost Exchange(2013)

    Director · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Civil War 360(2013)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Lincoln's Washington at War(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Seriously Amazing Objects(2013)

    Show Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Winged Seduction: Birds of Paradise(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Jefferson's Secret Bible(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Mission Critical: Amphibian Rescue (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2011)

    Cinematographer

  • 9/11: Stories in Fragments(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Mystery of the Hope Diamond(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Egypt Underworld (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Picturing the Presidents(2009)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Bizarre Dinosaurs(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Cowboys & Outlaws(2009)

    Show Cinematographer

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

  • National Geographic: Inside Sumo's Ultimate Clash (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • Sherman's March(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Stories from the Vaults(2007)

    Show Cinematographer

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

  • Spellbound(2002)

    Additional Camera

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Least of These (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • In the Name of Justice (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 16 titles from 1999 to 2023.

Highest rated

Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine (2023)

Midcredits 90th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing4 of 16: 4 only directing, 0 with another roleWriting2 of 16: 2 only writing, 0 with another roleProducing1 of 16: 1 only producing, 0 with another roleCinematography7 of 16: 7 only cinematography, 0 with another roleOther crew2 of 16: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · crew2000s5 · crew2010s6 · crew2020s4 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Rob Lyall's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

9thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · producer, cinematographer

Seriously Amazing Objects (2013)

76th percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine (2023)

Midcredits 90th · 77% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 53/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 40. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif 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 Rob Lyall work with?

People who share at least 2 of Rob Lyall's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Molly Hermann shares the most, 11.

Directors

  • Molly Hermann11 titles    See all 11 shared titles with Molly Hermann

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles