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Daniel Moder

Daniel Moder

Cinematographer · Born January 31, 1969 (57) · Los Angeles, California, USA

Primetime Emmy nominee

Daniel Richard Moder (born January 31, 1969) is an American cinematographer and camera operator. He received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his cinematography in the television film The Normal Heart. He married actress Julia Roberts, his second wife, on July 4, 2002; they have 3 children.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 31, 1969 (57)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 37 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 12% in 30 days

What are Daniel Moder's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Crime 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
33%
Survival
25%
Morality
17%
Self
11%
Power
5%
Ideas
5%
Society
4%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 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 2 · Serious 3 · Dark 6

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 3

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

A split, not a type: Steady 6 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

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 6 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

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

A split, not a type: Casual 6 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 2

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 3 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
5
Tense
4
Bittersweet
4
Hopeful
3
Warm
2
Other
10

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous2

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 Daniel Moder's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Daniel Moder'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

37 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page.

  • Miss You, Love You(2026)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Ezra(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Flag Day(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Dead to Me(2019)

    Show 10 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Ibiza(2018)

    "A" Camera Operator · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • The Last Tycoon(2016)

    Show 9 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Heaven's Floor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Additional Photography

  • Point Break(2015)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Secret in Their Eyes(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Fisherman’s Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Camera Operator

  • The Normal Heart(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Open (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Cinematographer

  • Plush(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Highland Park(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Jesus Henry Christ(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • 180° South(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Fireflies in the Garden(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Hit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Cinematographer

  • Spider-Man 3(2007)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Border (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Cinematographer

  • Seraphim Falls(2006)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Deja Vu(2006)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Friends with Money(2006)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Freedomland(2006)

    "A" Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Fun with Dick and Jane(2005)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith(2005)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Forgotten(2004)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Grand Champion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Cinematographer

  • Full Frontal(2002)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Mexican(2001)

    First Assistant "B" Camera

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Sand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    First Assistant Camera

  • Lucky Numbers(2000)

    Second Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Tuesdays with Morrie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Second Assistant Camera

  • The Big Tease(1999)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Enemy of the State(1998)

    Second Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Brave(1997)

    Camera Loader

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Fan(1996)

    Camera Loader

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles from 1996 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Secret in Their Eyes (2015)

$35M worldwide

Highest rated

The Normal Heart (2014)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Secret in Their Eyes (2015)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography17 of 37: 16 only cinematography, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thOther crew21 of 37: 20 only other crew, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score44th

By decade

1990s5 · crew2000s16 · crew2010s13 · crew2020s3 · 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

Nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2014, Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie.

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 Daniel Moder's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 45th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · cinematographer

Highland Park (2013)

71st percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Normal Heart (2014)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 57/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 69, detractors 46. 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 Daniel Moder's 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 & Gore4 titlesmedian 21 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles28–67 · median 42 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 42 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 62 · intenseMedian 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 Daniel Moder work with?

People who share at least 2 of Daniel Moder's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Julia Roberts shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers

Producers