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Jody Lee Lipes

Jody Lee Lipes

Cinematographer and director, also writer and producer · Born January 18, 1982 (44) · Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA

Primetime Emmy nominee · 1 other major award body

Jody Lee Lipes is an American cinematographer and filmmaker. A native of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Lipes attended New York University, where he studied film. He worked extensively on short films before serving as cinematographer on Tiny Furniture, directed by Lena Dunham.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 18, 1982 (44)
From
Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Cinematographer and director, also writer and producer
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 21 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 22% in 30 days

What are Jody Lee Lipes' films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd 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
Self
25%
Society
23%
Morality
14%
Bonds
14%
Ideas
10%
Survival
9%
Power
4%
Community7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation3 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 3 · Serious 5 · Dark 8

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

Grounded 10 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 8 · Intense 4

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 1

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

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

Casual 3 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 4

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
12
Tense
9
Contemplative
7
Bittersweet
5
Hopeful
4
Other
11

How their films linger

Thought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous9
  • 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 Jody Lee Lipes' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jody Lee Lipes' 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

21 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.

  • Number One on the Call Sheet(2025)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • The Listeners(2024)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Earth Mama(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Good Nurse(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • I Know This Much Is True(2020)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Drew Michael: Drew Michael(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Sinner(2017)

    Show 16 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Manchester by the Sea(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Trainwreck(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Ballet 422(2014)

    Director · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Bluebird(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Great Invisible(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Martha Marcy May Marlene(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Tiny Furniture(2010)

    Cinematographer · as Bus Boy

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Two Gates of Sleep(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • NY Export: Opus Jazz(2010)

    Director · Cinematographer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be the Same(2009)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · Writer

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

  • Afterschool(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Outside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 20 titles, 19 of them dated from 2008 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Trainwreck (2015)

$141M worldwide

Highest rated

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Number One on the Call Sheet (2025)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 20: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting4 of 20: 2 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting1 of 20: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleCinematography18 of 20: 15 only cinematography, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rd

20 titles, 3 with more than one role — cinematography and directing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2000s3 · crew2010s11 · 1 acting · 11 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.

Awards

2 major nominations and no wins, 2011–2023.

  1. 2023
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
  2. 2011
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Cinematography

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 Jody Lee Lipes' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · director, writer, producer, cinematographer

Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be the Same (2009)

99th percentile spread · 43% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 66/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 50. 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 Jody Lee Lipes' work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles26–64 · median 45 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles16–67 · median 42 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles36–84 · median 79 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles10–91 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles21–65 · median 53 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian 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 Jody Lee Lipes work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jody Lee Lipes' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kyle Martin shares the most, 6.

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers