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Tommy Maddox-Upshaw

Tommy Maddox-Upshaw

Cinematographer

Cinematographer Tommy Maddox-Upshaw, ASC enjoys drawing on inspiration from his experiences to inform his perspective and craft groundbreaking visuals. Maddox-Upshaw lensed the fourth season of FX's 1980s saga Snowfall, after earlier shooting its third season. His notable feature work includes the stunning biopic chronicling the rise of a prominent South African freedom fighter, Kalushi: The Story of Solomon Mahlangu for director Mandla Dube, which Maddox-Upshaw shot on location in South Africa. The film earned an official selection at the prestigious Camerimage Festival in 2017. He also lensed the sixth season of Fox's hit series Empire for creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong; the second season of Netflix's critically acclaimed On My Block; and the first season of Huge in France, also for Netflix, starring the hit French comedian Gad Elmaleh. Prior to his run of Netflix shows, he lensed The Comedy Get Down for director Stan Lathan as well as the first season of Tales for creator Irv Gotti. For commercials, Maddox-Upshaw has worked with high-profile brands such as the NFL, IBM and Microsoft. Maddox-Upshaw grew up in Boston and earned his MFA in Cinematography from the American Film Institute. Now based in Los Angeles, he is a member of IATSE Local 600 and is represented by DDA.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 26 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 24% in 30 days

What are Tommy Maddox-Upshaw's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 19th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography 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
31%
Morality
23%
Self
20%
Power
12%
Society
11%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 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 6 · Serious 3 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 10 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 8 · Intense 1

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0

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 7 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 5

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

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 7 · 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 7 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 0

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 7 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 3

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

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Warm
6
Joyful
5
Dread
4
Melancholic
5
Other
14

How their films linger

Thought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous5

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 Tommy Maddox-Upshaw's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tommy Maddox-Upshaw'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

26 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • Nemesis(2026)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • Opus(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Lawmen: Bass Reeves(2023)

    Show 3 episodes · Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • White Men Can't Jump(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Fell to Earth(2022)

    Show 10 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Rattlesnakes(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Huge in France(2019)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Fixed(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Circle(2017)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Comedy Get Down(2017)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • The Perfect Match(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • 48 Hours to Live(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Kalushi: The Story of Solomon Mahlangu(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Progress(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Very Larry Christmas(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Beyond the Lights(2014)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Who Can I Run To (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Cinematographer

  • Black November(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Ruth & Erica (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • Jennifer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer

  • The Inheritance(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Natale a Beverly Hills(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • I Kicked Luis Guzman in the Face (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • Three Can Play That Game(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • 4 Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 18 titles from 2007 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Natale a Beverly Hills (2009)

$30M worldwide

Highest rated

Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland (2017)

Midcredits 62nd

Most popular right now

Opus (2025)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography15 of 18: 15 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score26thOther crew3 of 18: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

2000s3 · crew2010s10 · crew2020s5 · 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 Tommy Maddox-Upshaw's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 22nd percentile, the median of all 16; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 21st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

21stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

28thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th10

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 21 titles are Mixed.

  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · cinematographer

The Comedy Get Down (2017)

97th percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Kalushi: The Story of Solomon Mahlangu (2016)

Midcredits 68th · 67% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 54/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 41. 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 Tommy Maddox-Upshaw's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 47 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Tommy Maddox-Upshaw work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tommy Maddox-Upshaw's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Craig Hayes shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers