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Brett Pawlak

Brett Pawlak

Cinematographer · Born October 25, 1982 (44) · Castaic, California, USA

Brett Pawlak is an American cinematographer known for his work on independent and mainstream films. A frequent collaborator of director Destin Daniel Cretton, he gained recognition for his cinematography on Short Term 12 (2013), where he used handheld camerawork and natural lighting to create a realistic aesthetic. In 2016, he served as the cinematographer for the pilot episode of This Is Us, establishing the show's visual style. Pawlak later reunited with Cretton for Just Mercy (2019), which featured a character-driven cinematographic approach. In 2023, he was announced as the director of photography for Marvel Studios' Wonder Man. Description above from the Wikipedia article Brett Pawlak, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 25, 1982 (44)
From
Castaic, California, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
31 on MovieCove · 44 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 156 days to Oct 27Up 23% in 30 days

What are Brett Pawlak's films like?

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

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th 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
30%
Self
28%
Survival
16%
Morality
15%
Society
6%
Power
2%
Ideas
2%
Family bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 10

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

Grounded 12 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 6 · Intense 6

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 5 · 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 4 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 1

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 3 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 10

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
13
Tense
10
Hopeful
6
Bittersweet
4
Thrilling
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Hopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic3
  • 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 Brett Pawlak's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 25 of their 31 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Brett Pawlak'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

44 credits, 31 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Spider-Man: Brand New Day(2026)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • He Bled Neon(2026)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Wonder Man(2026)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows

  • American Born Chinese(2023)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • A Jazzman's Blues(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Echoes(2022)

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Next(2020)

    Show 9 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • The 24th(2020)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Just Mercy(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Instant Family(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Life Itself(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • End of the Line (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Cinematographer

  • Unicorn Store(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Glass Castle(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • MDMA(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • It's Been Like a Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Cinematographer

  • All We Had(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Max Steel(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • This Is Us(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • REM (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Additional Director of Photography

  • The Meddler(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Wannabe(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • We Are Your Friends(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Maggie(2015)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Girl House(2014)

    Additional Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Hellion(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Short Term 12: Behind the Scenes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Thanks · as Self

  • Short Term 12(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Final Moments of Karl Brant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Cinematographer

  • I Am Not a Hipster(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn(2012)

    Show 5 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Pretty Tough (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Cinematographer

  • Poker Run(2009)

    First Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Call Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Camera Operator

  • Short Term 12 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • Watercolors(2008)

    Best Boy Grip · Dolly Grip

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • A Simple Promise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Grip

  • Passed the Door of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Dolly Grip

  • Redrum(2007)

    Grip

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Days of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

  • Ripple Effect(2007)

    Key Grip

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Holla(2006)

    Grip

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Markings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Assistant Camera

  • The Loneliest Road in America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Camera Operator

Career shape

A full career of 44 titles, 43 of them dated from 2005 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Just Mercy (2019)

$51M worldwide

Highest rated

Short Term 12 (2013)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

The Glass Castle (2017)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography33 of 44: 33 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score49thOther crew11 of 44: 11 only other crew, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score10th

By decade

2000s11 · crew2010s24 · crew2020s8 · 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 Brett Pawlak's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 25; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 31 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 31 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · cinematographer

He Bled Neon (2026)

98th percentile spread · 52% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 56/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 66, 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 Brett Pawlak's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles25–59 · median 47 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles12–42 · median 26 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles31–71 · median 48 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles10–63 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles13–64 · median 60 · 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 Brett Pawlak work with?

People who share at least 2 of Brett Pawlak's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Destin Daniel Cretton shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers