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Nick McLean

Nick McLean

Cinematographer · Born May 29, 1941 (85) · Santa Monica, California, USA

Born
May 29, 1941 (85)
From
Santa Monica, California, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 29 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 19% in 30 days

What are Nick McLean's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 19th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: 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
38%
Self
20%
Society
16%
Survival
13%
Morality
10%
Power
4%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 8 · Serious 4 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 6 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 10 · Intense 1

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 4

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

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 5 · 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 12 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Warm
4
Absurd
5
Joyful
4
Hopeful
4
Other
13

How their films linger

Feel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous1

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 Nick McLean's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nick McLean'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

29 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Last Producer(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Maddening(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Friends(1994)

    Show 94 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Man from Left Field(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Mac and Me(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Spaceballs(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Cobra(1986)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Short Circuit(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Twice in a Lifetime(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Goonies(1985)

    Cinematographer · as Mouth's Father

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Stick(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • City Heat(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Cannonball Run II(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Staying Alive(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Stroker Ace(1983)

    Cinematographer · as Waiter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas(1982)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Cheech and Chong's Next Movie(1980)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Being There(1979)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Deer Hunter(1978)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • And I Alone Survived(1978)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Heaven Can Wait(1978)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind(1977)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Looking for Mr. Goodbar(1977)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Exorcist II: The Heretic(1977)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Obsession(1976)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Sugarland Express(1974)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Cinderella Liberty(1973)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Touch of Satan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Assistant Camera

  • McCabe & Mrs. Miller(1971)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 29 titles from 1971 to 2000.

Biggest box office

The Goonies (1985)

$66M worldwide

Highest rated

The Goonies (1985)

Midcredits 95th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 29: 0 only acting, 2 with another roleCinematography14 of 29: 12 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score24thOther crew15 of 29: 15 only other crew, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score71st

By decade

1970s12 · crew1980s13 · 2 acting · 13 crew1990s3 · crew2000s1 · 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 Nick McLean's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 29th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

29thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

17thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 28 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · cinematographer

Mac and Me (1988)

82nd percentile spread · 65% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Friends (1994)

Midcredits 97th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 49/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 62, detractors 38. 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 Nick McLean's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, 3 of the 5 categories sit near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 34 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles24–47 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles33–62 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles25–67 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 52 · moderateMedian 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 Nick McLean work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nick McLean's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Burt Reynolds shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers