Erik Messerschmidt

Erik Messerschmidt, ASC (born October 23, 1980)^[1] is an American cinematographer. He is best known for his collaborations with director David Fincher on the films Mank and The Killer (as director of photography) and Gone Girl (as gaffer), and on the Netflix series Mindhunter. He has also shot episodes of the TV series Fargo, Legion, and Raised by Wolves.^[2] His work has been nominated for an Emmy. In April 2021, he won the top ASC Award and the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Mank.^[3]

Erik Messerschmidt
Messerschmidt in 2023
Born	(1980-10-23) October 23, 1980 (age 44) Portland, Maine, U.S.
Alma mater	Emerson College
Occupation	Cinematographer
Years active	2001–present
Organization	American Society of Cinematographers
Spouse	Naiara Eizaguirre-Paulos ​ ​ (m. 2020)​
Children	1
Website	Official website

Career

After relocating to Los Angeles, Messerschmidt served as a gaffer on TV series such as Bones, Everybody Hates Chris, and Mad Men. He also gained experience as a director of photography during this time, shooting commercials, short films, and documentaries. Messerschmidt had a working relationship with cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, who recommended him to director David Fincher. Fincher hired Messerschmidt as a gaffer on Gone Girl and, later, as director of photography for most episodes of Mindhunter and Mank.^[4][5][6] With Mindhunter, Messerschmidt explained that the color palette, "has a desaturated green-yellow look... [it] helps give the show its period feel". He stated the effect is achieved through production design, costumes and filming locations—not necessarily through lighting used on set.^[7][8]

Personal life

Messerschmidt was born in Portland, Maine, and grew up in Cape Elizabeth.^[9][10] He studied film production at Emerson College in Boston, where he was a classmate of filmmaker Jeremiah Zagar and served as co-director of photography on Zagar's award-winning indie documentary In a Dream (2008).^[11] In May 2020, he married Naiara Eizaguirre-Paulos.^[12][13]

In January 2025, Messerschmidt's home in Altadena, California was destroyed by the Eaton Fire. He was in Spain with Eizaguirre-Paulos and their newborn daughter at the time.^[14]

Filmography

Documentary film

Year	Title	Director	Notes
2008	In a Dream	Jeremiah Zagar	Shared credit with Mark Stetz
2025	Bono: Stories of Surrender	Andrew Dominik

Feature film

Year	Title	Director	Notes
2020	Mank	David Fincher
2022	Devotion	J. D. Dillard
2023	The Killer	David Fincher
	Ferrari	Michael Mann
TBA	The Dog Stars †	Ridley Scott	Filming

Television

Year	Title	Director	Episode(s)
2017–2019	Mindhunter	David Fincher Andrew Douglas Asif Kapadia Tobias Lindholm Carl Franklin Andrew Dominik	16 episodes
2018–2019	Legion	Noah Hawley Dana Gonzales John Cameron	"Chapter 17" (With Polly Morgan) "Chapter 18" "Chapter 27" (With Alex Disenhof)
2020	Fargo	Dana Gonzales	"Storia Americana"
	Raised by Wolves	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan James Hawes	"Infected Memory" "Lost Paradise" "Umbilical"
2025	Dope Thief	Ridley Scott	"Jolly Ranchers"

Awards and recognition

Year	Award	Category	Title	Result	Ref.
2008	Camerimage	Golden Frog	In a Dream (Shared with Mark Stetz)	Nominated	[15]
2020	Academy Awards	Best Cinematography	Mank	Won	[16]
	American Society of Cinematographers	Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases		Won	[3][17]
	Satellite Awards	Best Cinematography		Won
	BAFTA Awards	Best Cinematography		Nominated
	Chicago Film Critics Association	Best Cinematography		Nominated
	Critics' Choice Movie Awards	Best Cinematography		Nominated
	Florida Film Critics Circle	Best Cinematography		Won	[18]
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Cinematography	Mindhunter (For "Episode 6")	Nominated	[19]
2023	Camerimage	Golden Frog	Ferrari	Nominated
	Satellite Awards	Best Cinematography		Nominated